Vocal Voices

What do we think then? It wasn't so bad I thought. In fact, as a pensioner I felt quite pleased with parts of it.

I watched Milliband's speech afterwards and thought what a fool he looked. No proper criticism of the budget, just mud slinging at the Tories and Cameron.

Do I go to Bingo or buy some Premium Bonds?

Decisions, decisions!

I agree Rodo, Mr Milibean came over like a ranting little t*t.
"A budget for the priviledged"?
Miliband says this as he is flanked on one side by the privately educated Ed Balls and on the other side by the privately educated Hattie Harperson - and the only reason Milibean himself isn't privately educated is that his dad was a Marxist and he would have been laughed out of court if he had done it.
There are just as many sons and daughters of the priviledged in the Labour ranks as there are in the Conservatives.

It wasn't bad, there have been far worse and it did have some good points.

It was a bit "Curate's egg", but I do worry about some of the pension changes.

The news has already wiped some £5bn off the value of insurers, and who picks up the tab when things go wrong?

There is plenty of evidence of idiots out there who do not know how to sell houses, buy houses, decorate houses, tend their gardens, pick a holiday, do some DIY or go shopping without the help of "experts"! God knows what they will do when their pension pot is freed up!

Yes, a lot of pensioners will make good decisions, but they could be far outnumbered by those who do not.

I was most interested in the new Pensioners Bond which will be coming out in January.

I think I read somewhere that the Pensioner's Bond will be 4%. We haven't quite reached 65 yet, so that's for the future ....

In the meantime, I may be able to make use of the new Cash ISA allowance, although the tax saved on the pittance of interest they pay these days will be hardly worth it.

Like WM, I don't agree in principle with the new pension pot rules - who is going to have to look after the feckless when their liberated pot of money runs out? The rule that 75% had to go into an annuity has been there for years for a reason ......

I suppose I am one of the fortunate pensioners.

Have still got some savings and add some each month so that we can still go on cruises. Pension from my former employer is increased annaully.
Mrs.e has three private pensions which are fixed. But she has now got more back than she paid in premiums.

So no real change for us unless we win the lottery

I suspect that some will spend it and then rely on the state to look after them - as it is obliged to do for all without a pension