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03/07/2005: "Updated index for: Kids' stuff"

What parents tell the children about property
Parents are largely to blame for perpetuating an obsession with 'getting on the property ladder'. This item looks at how wrong we can be about the real costs and benefits of owning our own home. Young people expect the benefits to be experienced as gains in freedom. The ladder spells a drastic loss of freedom which, unanticipated, leads to regret.

Various items about popular misconceptions about house prices will appear in the 'Property myths' index.

The lifetime challenge of funding your own retirement
This article answers the question 'What does it take to retire on £35,000 pa net of tax in real terms?' - a realistic target for young people with say twice-average lifetime earnings expectations but not mega-salaries. Though the scale of the task can look daunting and the usual mantra of starting young faintly ludicrous, capital-building targets are sensible even if pensions are not the sole purpose. Indeed, since flexibility is the key empowering feature of capital early in your working life, pension plans are not the obvious place to store the money. Empowerment is what links this item with the one above (on settling down with a nice big mortgage).