100-year Lifespan. While running a blog related to personal pension investment, the biggest limitation on this topic is the difficulty in producing new content. No matter how much I want to post, the reality is that there is little to say beyond advising to contribute the maximum annual limit to pension funds and IRP accounts for tax deductions and deferred tax purpose, monthly purchases of S&P 500 ETFs, and withdrawing 4-6% annually for post-retirement living expenses. It’s a topic that countless experts have already covered extensively and historically proven, unless there are updates related to investment or tax issues like the recent ISA revisions. Therefore, the fate of a pension investment blog is to delicately and elaborately draw out postings on the same topic without too much overlap each time.

Contemplating on What to Write About, I decided to share my journey as I delved into the world of personal pension investment in earnest. Additionally, I want to discuss the changes in my attitude towards life and mindset that occurred as I started investing.

Initial Thoughts When Introduced to Pension Savings

I first heard about the pension savings system roughly a decade ago. While there were many pros and cons regarding the system, what caught my eye the most was the requirement to contribute for a minimum of 5 years and the fact that the money was tied up. My initial thought was, “Why invest in something where the money is tied up for 5 years?” I thought it was a useless system since I could just invest in individual stocks in a regular account and potentially double or triple my investment. Looking back, it was truly a pitiful thought. They say if your mind is weak, your body suffers, don’t they? Having such foolish thoughts, years have passed by. If I had started investing back then, I could have retired by the age of 50…100-year Lifespan

Sudden Thoughts on Retirement

Although I am generally a thoughtful person, I mostly have a positive and optimistic mindset, believing that things will work out if I just put in the effort. So, I didn’t really have any fear about retirement; rather, it would be more accurate to say that I didn’t even think about retirement. However, by chance, I watched a documentary about the era of 100 years on EBS, which led me to think, “Ah, our generation will live long. Then we’ll need a lot of money after retirement. What preparations should we make?” After learning more about the era of 100 years, I chose one book from several books and luckily, it became a turning point in my life.

After starting pension investments, I’ve advised some people around me to invest. I’ve had discussions with close friends or younger friends from time to time, and I’ve explained in detail because it’s so important. There’s a friend who’s my closest friend, but he doesn’t listen even after talking for over 5 years. On the other hand, there’s someone who asks questions and immediately takes action even after talking only once or twice. Although there’s a high chance that they don’t fully understand and just execute, I think it’s a good start because starting is half the battle.

Upon reflection, I realized that simply advising someone to start pension investments is similar to parents telling their children to study hard and read a lot of books. Usually, when you say something like that, people are less likely to do it. Smart friends who know their goals and why they need to study will achieve what they want, and have a higher chance of success. Ultimately, to persuade someone why they need to study, it’s important to mix background, context, and experiential stories evenly, and I believe that pension investment-related explanations are like those books. Of course, one book won’t solve all problems. Even after reading dozens of books on pensions and investments following the “100-Year Shock” book, I think it’s a very good starting point for pension investment. 100-year Lifespan.

Changes in Attitude and Life Afterward

Certainly, I feel more relaxed and confident. This is because I am confident that if I fill the pension contribution amount I want, I will receive the retirement living expenses I want each month after retirement without any regrets, even if I quit the job. Therefore, I am making efforts to learn things I want to do during my leisure time after retirement. Wouldn’t it be cooler to do well in the next 20-30 years than to learn new things at the age of 60?

Also recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about jobs. Life seems too short to experience only a few jobs. Although it would be difficult if the income is too low, if I can receive an income that fills my desired pension every year without difficulty, I think it’s good to experience other jobs I want to try.

I hope many people around me understand the importance of pension investments and consistently execute them. I also hope we all have a leisurely retirement life together. It would also be rewarding for me to work in related industries. 100-year Lifespan.