14. That hidden investment gem

So there’s a lot of investments and crypto currencies, shares and index funds and a whole lot of other stuff out there. But I think there is one tool that I feel is very hidden but yet essential and easily accessible to every single one of us. So I am going to let you in on this little hidden gem!

I know you’re wondering what could be such a gem that is easily accessible that we don’t know much about? Well anyone and everyone should have one of these - every working person that is. And I think it is something we should all view as an investment, in the same way that we think about stocks and shares but the education around this one thing is so limited which means most of us overlook it. Have you guessed it yet? I am talking about PENSIONS!

We aren’t fully aware of how important pensions are or understand how they work which means the majority of us simply shy away from them, even though we get that money taken off our payslip every month. Think about it, if you were paying monthly into stocks and shares, you’d call yourself an investor, right? So why not think the same way about your pension.

It’s really unfortunate that we don’t get enough information about the fact a pension is an investment, rather we are made to see it as this painful deduction from your pay that will be of no benefit to you until you retire. But in actual fact there is loads more going on with that small bit of money you put away. And future you will thank you for one making you sure to pay it, I’m

sure like me you have been tempted not to, especially in this cost of living crisis but trust me it’s worth it. And two, taking time to understand how pensions work better so you can make sure you are getting the best out of it for the future.

So now that the secret is out, how can you know everything you can about them?

Well depending on which pension you have - each employer uses their own provider - your money is essentially being put into lots of different pots of money on the stocks and shares market and its growing as you are getting older to gain compound effect. Now I don’t know about you but I had no idea that they working in that way. And I’m sure if I asked a room full of

people whether they know where their pension is or how much it is, I can bet you only a handful of people would know, which depending on the room can be quite high. So I want to highlight this little hidden investment gem to you today because you are already doing it, it’s easy and accessible to you. I just want you to start paying more attention to it so you understand it and

get to grips with how much it is worth and how you have the ability to influence its trajectory for your future. If you contribute to a pension - which I highly recommend - this information should be available to you, as your employer for all the details. You have every right to do so. And I know it can be quite complex and a bit tedious but wouldn’t you want to know where your

money is going?

If you’re like me and have moved from job to job it’s worth consolidating your pension, meaning that your money follows you and it is sat in one place that will get you the best gain. There are even companies that can do that for you, like PensionBee that will combine all your pensions from any place you have ever worked, even that random job you did back 2008 for like a month, they can find it!

A service like that is great because they can offer you advice on how to make sure your investment is working for you, growth is maximised and you’re getting the best for your hard earned buck. Pensions are complicated but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be glad and please do the research to get all the information you need. If you are unsure there are qualified

people that can take a look at all that for you and get you where you need to be.

So there you have it folks, the secret is out. Pensions are one of the easiest and best investments you can make, look into yours today.