Being an adult

[vampiress88]

Does anyone else find getting older get harder.
I’m 31 and I’ve only just started to figure out mortgages properly in the last few years.
Then there’s life insurance, critical illness insurance ,share saves, share purchases and pensions.

It’s pensions that I just do not understand.

Future is scary and it doesn’t seem to get easier the older you get.

[louiseybobs]

I'm 30, and feel similar, not hoping to offend yourself or anyone similar ages to us but I do feel like we are an immature generation compared to our parents and grandparents, my mum and dad were married at 18, mortgage by 21, 3 children by 21. I only got my mortgage when I was 27. I still feel a bit lost in this big ol' world... mad isn't it.

[EssexSue]

I'm much older and still learning. You two are very sweet tho. X

Hope that didn't sound patronising it wasnt meant to be!

[tspill]

The forums on MoneySavingsExpert are fantastic for learning - especially the pensions one. There are some truly good experts on there and if you open about your situation and provide the detail they need - they will help you enormously. They are very tolerant to basic questions and over time you can learn all yo need. You are 30 so that is a good time to start but dont leave it any later.

[Guest]

I am in my 50s and determined not to be an adult for as long as possible. That said I am an avid MSE'r being money savvy isn't just for adults!

Linking back to parents positions there wasn't as much market choice then, so in my view choice is good as long as you make an informed choice. mSE helps me do that in the same way that dibbing informs my holidays.

A warning though, money management can become just as fascinating as Disney holiday planning. The more you learn the more you realise there is to learn ! Plus, money I save goes towards feeding my travel bug so all good.

[vampiress88]

Originally Posted by louiseybobs

I'm 30, and feel similar, not hoping to offend yourself or anyone similar ages to us but I do feel like we are an immature generation compared to our parents and grandparents, my mum and dad were married at 18, mortgage by 21, 3 children by 21. I only got my mortgage when I was 27. I still feel a bit lost in this big ol' world... mad isn't it.

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I got a mortgage at 19.
Was married at 20.
Both me and my husband didn’t really start understand mortgages until we had our second child at 27. We had time as he dislocated his arm so was home and we looked though everything. We made a horrible choice as 19. We took a mortgage that was 25yr fixed! It was ridiculous and every time we looked at moving they said we would have to pay £2k to come out of the contract and at that time that seemed a lot of money for nothing. But looking into it properly we would have saved so so so much money had we just paid that leaving fee to start with.

I find it difficult that our parents don’t seem to have a clue either so it’s hard to seek advise.

I’m hoping that at least by the time our kids get mortgages we will understand it enough to guide them.

Luckily my husband understands more than me on share saves, share purchases, long term investment and all the life care so he’s done all those which should be great for the future.

Pension makes no sense. I have a nest one. Then as I have moved company I now have one of those but I still don’t get it. I don’t earn a lot anyway so I doubt I will have much from pension. Really feel I should have learnt this before now and made a plan.

[Guest]

I find with my young adults that they flip flop between wanting advice and wanting to do it for themselves. So best I can do is to provide a steer if I can and it's up to them if they decide to take it. I do drip feed in information I have found on mse into general conversation, so hopefully they know to use it as a resource going forward.

The most useful thing they have found so far is the take-home pay calculator, which if course they have an interest in. They have started to spring off into other areas now. One is moving to London in sept and setting up home, so the joys of council tax and house insurance and TV / broadband deals are starting to sink in.

I could do with a good interactive guide on what to tell your kids when... It used to be that I would dread difficult sex and relationships questions now I dread questions about pensions !

[hayles25]

I am 36 and scared about my future, I have been unemployed for six months (still live at home) hold a degree and can’t get anything. I have a FS pension plus a few others through contract work but in an ideal world is not what I want. My parents are super savvy with their finances, cleared their mortgage hold shares, great pension. I think about it all the time.

[dreamisawish]

Hi Hayles, I'm in a similar situation, though I'm a bit younger then you. I've also been unemployed for 7 months now, I have a degree. I've been to about twenty interviews since then and I still have nothing.

Though I have to admit on my part I hold myself back. I get nervous, I don't always apply for jobs I want because I talk myself down and I look really really young- like seriously I look about 14, so I always get shocked reactions when I turn up to interviews and that always makes me retreat even more.

Is there a lack of jobs where you live? Is it possible for you to move for a job? Looking at a new location could open up a lot more opportunities for you.

maybe also look at jobs that can work more as a stop gap for you. This is something I need to do as well, I don't want to end up working a medial job forever, but it's money and it looks better then unemployment on your cv.

Anyway I wish you the best of luck! Hopefully something will click into place for you.

[hayles25]

Is there a lack of jobs where you live? Is it possible for you to move for a job? Looking at a new location could open up a lot more opportunities for you.

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Hey, there are lots of opportunity and I live in Edinburgh city centre. The funny thing is, I have a degree in HR and have broad experience in recruitment and can’t get anything myself ha ha despite many interviews I’ve worked for some amazing companies too . The market for hr is saturated and very competitive so thinking of trying something else.

Thanks for your kinds words, wishing you the best of luck xx