'My pension forecast scared the life out of me – here's what I'd tell my younger self'

After spending years neglecting his provisions for retirement, a worrying look into the future prompted a pension saver to take action

John Middleton sits beside dog in photo
(Image credit: John Middleton)

When John Middleton’s financial adviser told him in no uncertain terms that at the age of 34, his pension pot of £7,000 was nowhere near where it should be, it was the wake-up call he needed.

“It scared the life out of me,” said John, a project manager from Gloucester. “Her warning portrayed this mental image of us scrabbling around looking for where the next meal was coming from in our dotage.”

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Samantha Partington is an award-winning freelance journalist writing about property, mortgages, personal finance and interiors.

Before going freelance she wrote for the Daily Mail's personal finance section and prior to that she was the residential correspondent for real estate business title Property Week. She was also the former deputy editor of trade title Mortgage Solutions.

Before becoming a journalist, Samantha worked as a mortgage broker and is CeMAP qualified. Follow her on Twitter @SamJPartington1.