Yes of course it's not socialism. It's just a government guiding hand backed up by regulation to force employers to contribute in the best interests of the people as a whole. Can see how it would fail in the US as lobbying interests went to work claiming e.g. there was no need for service industries to get involved as the jobs were "casual" and all industries demanding multi-year vesting periods of employment before employees were enrolled. But the real benefit is a tangible personal pot that can help individuals engage in their own future rather than the opaque mess of additional tax and a state pension.
Andrew is clearly doing very valuable work as a bit of Jonathan that lives on .
But also his pieces are immensely valuable because although this site/project is notionally about the money and the decisions around it, the reality is that it's really about what the money is for. If we lose sight of that - as often we do in our working lives or when worn down by the admin and stress of life whenever- then we risk losing ourselves.
I stand corrected but to be pedantic is monopolistic/duopolistic behaviour not a danger of capitalism? One of the things that libertarians get so wrong. Regulation is one of the key elements to prevent detrimental exercise of economic power.
Given the nature of the game was originally to warn of the dangers of capitalism is scarcely a surprise that the biggest risk taker won by sailing close to the wind. What would have been interesting in the context of a family game is if you'd truly forced the developer into facing the moral hazard of bankruptcy and forced disposal of properties at an undervalue or let him off the hook with loans and subsidies. Clear parallels in the real world there too.
But you each effectively rolled the dice on a life partner and probably had more kids than was strictly prudent with a single wage earner in not a particularly high earning job at the time. It made your life the highly satisfying one but you didn't eliminate all risk. For some people unfortunately their choice of an incompatible spouse has a much greater impact on their financial lives than the decision as to lease a Nissan or a BMW.
Hmm. Is this another Quinn classic punching down thread? People as a whole make dumb decisions. They choose instant gratification, the house that puts them at the limit of mortgage capacity, the expensive car leases, the boat/RV, the spendy holidays. They choose to have more kids than they can bankroll comfortably through to adult independence. And probably majorly they suck at choosing life partners and maintaining financial health through that stability. But they are just people and if you live a life trying to mitigate all of the above you don't really live your life. At least DB pensions saved them from a lot of the longer term consequences of the short term folly. If we assume the level of personal financial education is low and some people have a visceral fear of engaging and certainly of decision making when it comes to investments in retirement accounts then none of this is a surprise. If they are lucky (or have good friends who actually nag them about it) they wake up around the age of 40 earning a bit of surplus cash and get proactive with their own futures. Wildcard - but it kinda works in the UK. Maybe you need a punitive personal tax regime that gets everyone focused on putting pre-tax money into their 401K etc rather than bear effective tax rates of up to 60%.
I'd like to see more financial advisors doing outreach in places where they are specifically not allowed to sell their services like high schools and college campuses. Just doing basic financial literacy and demonstrating the snowball effect of saving in appropriate vehicles as soon as you are earning. A bit of a reality check that meme stocks and crypto will have equal winners and losers. And that the easiest way to make a million (or 10m) is just regular saving and staying the course.
The cookie upcharge is the most infuriating bit of web purchasing particularly on things like flights and car rental. I'm quite good at playing the patience game of coupon codes and price drops but wish I didn't have to.
Really open and personal post. Thanks. It's tough. There are no absolute answers. My grief when my father died was tempered by a knowledge that he was sinking beyond the shallows of cognitive decline and already there were the signs of deep depression and very angry mood swings. Thus his death actually freed my mother up to live in her remaining years rather than be a permanent caregiver to an ungrateful recipient, despite how painful it was. We've got a loose plan for her as a family. I do the lifting for now staying with her quite frequently to address loneliness and attend medical appts etc. My brother and his wife have a guest suite that was planned when they extended to accommodate a parent (of either of them). But yep - sometimes memory care is the only solution*. My mother's friend has rapidly declined this year such that her very dedicated 90 year old husband could no longer cope. Yet his daily visit is fresh heartbreak of her asking why she can't go home. *Well personally I'd prefer for myself to be able to make an informed choice about euthanasia while I had capacity and to strictly pre-agreed criteria re pain and anguish.
Choosing not to have taste or not caring about bad taste can be a virtue in itself. Sometimes searching for the perfect XX is not worth the quest. I have friends who are coffee snobs. I really couldn't care. A nice coffee is nice. An adequate coffee is nice. I defer to the culinary genius of walking 70s throwback Mike Bubbins on that https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OzelOO1mIjM
Comments
Yes of course it's not socialism. It's just a government guiding hand backed up by regulation to force employers to contribute in the best interests of the people as a whole. Can see how it would fail in the US as lobbying interests went to work claiming e.g. there was no need for service industries to get involved as the jobs were "casual" and all industries demanding multi-year vesting periods of employment before employees were enrolled. But the real benefit is a tangible personal pot that can help individuals engage in their own future rather than the opaque mess of additional tax and a state pension.
Post: The pension conundrum and a solution
Link to comment from October 27, 2026
Andrew is clearly doing very valuable work as a bit of Jonathan that lives on . But also his pieces are immensely valuable because although this site/project is notionally about the money and the decisions around it, the reality is that it's really about what the money is for. If we lose sight of that - as often we do in our working lives or when worn down by the admin and stress of life whenever- then we risk losing ourselves.
Post: Jonathan, How I Wish You Were Here
Link to comment from October 27, 2026
I stand corrected but to be pedantic is monopolistic/duopolistic behaviour not a danger of capitalism? One of the things that libertarians get so wrong. Regulation is one of the key elements to prevent detrimental exercise of economic power.
Post: Monopoly
Link to comment from October 27, 2026
Given the nature of the game was originally to warn of the dangers of capitalism is scarcely a surprise that the biggest risk taker won by sailing close to the wind. What would have been interesting in the context of a family game is if you'd truly forced the developer into facing the moral hazard of bankruptcy and forced disposal of properties at an undervalue or let him off the hook with loans and subsidies. Clear parallels in the real world there too.
Post: Monopoly
Link to comment from October 27, 2026
But you each effectively rolled the dice on a life partner and probably had more kids than was strictly prudent with a single wage earner in not a particularly high earning job at the time. It made your life the highly satisfying one but you didn't eliminate all risk. For some people unfortunately their choice of an incompatible spouse has a much greater impact on their financial lives than the decision as to lease a Nissan or a BMW.
Post: The pension conundrum and a solution
Link to comment from October 26, 2026
Hmm. Is this another Quinn classic punching down thread? People as a whole make dumb decisions. They choose instant gratification, the house that puts them at the limit of mortgage capacity, the expensive car leases, the boat/RV, the spendy holidays. They choose to have more kids than they can bankroll comfortably through to adult independence. And probably majorly they suck at choosing life partners and maintaining financial health through that stability. But they are just people and if you live a life trying to mitigate all of the above you don't really live your life. At least DB pensions saved them from a lot of the longer term consequences of the short term folly. If we assume the level of personal financial education is low and some people have a visceral fear of engaging and certainly of decision making when it comes to investments in retirement accounts then none of this is a surprise. If they are lucky (or have good friends who actually nag them about it) they wake up around the age of 40 earning a bit of surplus cash and get proactive with their own futures. Wildcard - but it kinda works in the UK. Maybe you need a punitive personal tax regime that gets everyone focused on putting pre-tax money into their 401K etc rather than bear effective tax rates of up to 60%.
Post: The pension conundrum and a solution
Link to comment from October 26, 2026
I'd like to see more financial advisors doing outreach in places where they are specifically not allowed to sell their services like high schools and college campuses. Just doing basic financial literacy and demonstrating the snowball effect of saving in appropriate vehicles as soon as you are earning. A bit of a reality check that meme stocks and crypto will have equal winners and losers. And that the easiest way to make a million (or 10m) is just regular saving and staying the course.
Post: The Time Value of Money
Link to comment from October 23, 2026
The cookie upcharge is the most infuriating bit of web purchasing particularly on things like flights and car rental. I'm quite good at playing the patience game of coupon codes and price drops but wish I didn't have to.
Post: Priced as Marked
Link to comment from October 23, 2026
Really open and personal post. Thanks. It's tough. There are no absolute answers. My grief when my father died was tempered by a knowledge that he was sinking beyond the shallows of cognitive decline and already there were the signs of deep depression and very angry mood swings. Thus his death actually freed my mother up to live in her remaining years rather than be a permanent caregiver to an ungrateful recipient, despite how painful it was. We've got a loose plan for her as a family. I do the lifting for now staying with her quite frequently to address loneliness and attend medical appts etc. My brother and his wife have a guest suite that was planned when they extended to accommodate a parent (of either of them). But yep - sometimes memory care is the only solution*. My mother's friend has rapidly declined this year such that her very dedicated 90 year old husband could no longer cope. Yet his daily visit is fresh heartbreak of her asking why she can't go home. *Well personally I'd prefer for myself to be able to make an informed choice about euthanasia while I had capacity and to strictly pre-agreed criteria re pain and anguish.
Post: Just A Mile Away
Link to comment from October 21, 2026
Choosing not to have taste or not caring about bad taste can be a virtue in itself. Sometimes searching for the perfect XX is not worth the quest. I have friends who are coffee snobs. I really couldn't care. A nice coffee is nice. An adequate coffee is nice. I defer to the culinary genius of walking 70s throwback Mike Bubbins on that https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OzelOO1mIjM
Post: A Million Words to a Million Dollars?
Link to comment from October 19, 2026