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If You’re in Your 40s in 2025 and Still Trusting the Old Retirement Plan—Read This First

You followed the script. Worked hard. Played it safe. Saved what you could. But now it’s clear: that plan won’t get you there. If you want peace of mind, real freedom, and a future you can trust—you’ll need a different approach. Here’s where it starts.

Let’s be honest.

The old retirement plan?

It’s broken.

We were told to play it safe.

Study hard.

Get a decent job.

Keep your head down.

Save what you can.

Then retire at 67 or 68 — and maybe, if nothing goes wrong, enjoy what’s left.

That’s what our parents aimed for.

And we were told the same would work for us too — if only we followed the same script.

And for a while… maybe it did.

Back when one salary could buy a house.

When jobs were stable.

When retirement actually meant something.

But that world?

It’s gone.

Over the last 15 years, the UK’s been hit again and again — and each time, that plan made less sense.

Now we’ve got AI, inflation, Trump economics, and a UK cost-of-living crisis that won’t quit.

This isn’t just volatility.

It’s what J.P. Morgan calls a “slow-motion train crash” for retirement.

And it’s changing everything we were told to count on.

You didn’t just see it happen. You lived it.

The 2008 crash didn’t just hit Wall Street.

It hit the UK high street, hard.

Lloyds. RBS. Halifax—they all needed bailouts.

Northern Rock? Collapsed completely.

First UK bank to go under in over a century.

I still remember the queues.

People trying to pull their money out.

Jobs lost.

Mortgages fell through.

Savings wiped.

Wages frozen.

If you were just starting out—like I was—there were no real jobs going.

If you already had one? You just hoped to keep it.

And the years that followed weren’t a recovery.

They were a grind.

Even doing everything “right” didn’t keep you safe — because the rules had changed.

And no one warned you.

Then came Brexit—and another kick in the teeth.

By 2016, the crash was long over.

But people weren’t feeling the recovery.

Wages were stuck.

Costs were rising.

Frustration was everywhere.

So when the Brexit vote came, millions saw it as a way out.

The promise?

The reality?

The result?

Prices rose.

The pound dropped.

Investment slowed.

And food bills went up £250 a year.

Brexit didn’t trigger a collapse.

It just quietly drained the economy—and stirred up tensions.

Right when people needed a breather.

Covid froze everything. And then broke it again.

In early 2020, 424,000 jobs vanished in just a few months.

People in their late 30s and early 40s—our generation—were hit hard by furloughs and cuts.

Work dried up.

Incomes disappeared.

The whole country pressed pause and held its breath.

I was lucky.

I work in precious metals—and gold tends to hold its value in a crisis.

So I stayed afloat.

My son Alexander was born during the pandemic.

I was too over the moon to feel the full weight of it.

But not everyone was that fortunate.

Millions were furloughed.

Many lost their jobs entirely.

And a lot of people ended up in insecure, contract-based roles—no sick pay, no pension, no safety net.

Meanwhile, we were clapping for nurses on our doorsteps…

While some politicians and their mates were partying — and cashing in on dodgy PPE deals.

And when the government eased restrictions?

The UK didn’t bounce back.

We were still dragging the Brexit weight behind us — just when we needed every ounce of resilience.

The numbers don’t lie—but the system did.

After lockdown, prices didn’t just rise.

They exploded.

Why?

Because during lockdown:

Then when restrictions eased, everyone rushed to spend—especially the rich.

But supply couldn’t keep up.

Demand spiked.

Stock ran out.

Shipping costs soared.

Bottlenecks everywhere.

So prices shot up.

In 2022, inflation hit 11.1%—the highest in 40 years.

By 2025, it cooled to 2.6%.

But prices didn’t come down.

They just stopped rising so fast.

Today, things are still 25.2% more expensive than in 2020.

Wages flatlined. Costs exploded.

Back in 2008, the average UK salary was around £26,000.

By 2020, it had crawled to £31,000.

By 2024? £35,000.

That’s a 35% rise in 16 years.

Inflation? Up over 60% in the same time.

Food, bills, rent—all moved faster than your payslip.

That extra £9,000?

Gone in inflation.

You might be earning more in pounds — but you’re buying less.

That’s the real story.

And it’s only getting worse.

Buying a home? It’s a spreadsheet and a prayer.

Back in the 90s, homes cost around 3.5× the average salary.

Today?

9× nationally.

Over 15× in London.

House prices have gone up nearly 9×.

Salaries? Barely 2.5×.

Now it takes:

Even then?

It doesn’t feel like safety.

It feels like a gamble.

Even homeowners aren’t safe anymore.

There was a time owning a home meant you’d made it.

Not anymore.

Today, 1 in 5 people over 65 are still paying off a mortgage — or renting.

Even the ones who followed the script?

Still came up short.

This isn’t a squeeze. It’s a chokehold.

Rent’s up.

Food’s up.

Energy? Still climbing.

Childcare? Through the roof.

And wages?

Still stuck in second gear.

Less trust in the future.

Less breathing room.

Less peace of mind.

You didn’t fail the system.

The system failed you.

That stable middle-class life? Not the norm anymore.

In the 1980s, 66% of UK households were middle income.

Today? Just 59%.

That “comfortable life” they promised?

It’s not the default anymore.

It’s the exception.

And if nothing changes?

It could disappear completely.

The retirement you were promised? It’s not coming.

Today, the full UK state pension is around £11,500.

But basic living costs are already £20–25K per year.

By the time you’re 67?

It could be 30–50% higher.

Private pensions? Not enough.

Workplace pensions? Half don’t have one.

Only 12% are inflation-linked.

A £100,000 pot?

Loses £2,600 a year—just from inflation.

And if you’re renting?

You’ll spend £1.1 million in rent over a lifetime — and still own nothing.

Worse still?

By 2042, there’ll be 367 pensioners for every 1,000 working-age adults.

More retirees. Fewer workers. Less tax to fund the gap.

So what happens if the benefits dry up?

No one’s coming to save us.

There’s no rescue plan.

No prime minister is going to fix this.

No last-minute reform will make up the difference.

If you want freedom—real freedom—you have to build it yourself.

And the sooner you realise that…

That’s when everything changes.

“But Jacek, I’m already stretched thin…”

Work. Family. Bills.

How the hell are you meant to start something new?

I feel that too.

Every night I put my son Alexander to bed,

I feel the pressure.

The responsibility.

The quiet fear of what happens when I’m gone.

Raising a family today?

It’s no small thing.

It now costs over £160,000 to raise a child to 18 in the UK.

That’s £900 a month—after tax.

No wonder it feels like you’re treading water.

But that’s exactly why we need to move.

Now.

While we’ve still got:

To build something that gives us freedom.

What I believe — and why this matters

Being 40+ right now?

It’s not a weakness.

It’s an advantage.

We’ve lived through:

Recessions. Redundancies. Burnout.

We’ve taken hits. Adapted.

We know what not to trust anymore.

And we’ve still got a window.

A chance to build something better — for us and the people we love.

I want to live a sovereign life.

Built on:

A life that leaves a legacy—for my son, and the people I love.

To get there?

I can’t rely on the broken system.

I need to build something profitable — that’s mine.

And ideally, multiple income streams I control.

That’s exactly what I’m doing.

My name is Jacek Iciek.

I’m 40.

A dad.

And a full-time precious metals trader with:

But I’ve got:

And I believe that’s enough.

Enough to build something meaningful — something that fits who I am, what I care about… and that actually makes money.

What are you going to build?

Meaning, Money and Mastery: After 40

Each Monday, I share one real insight from the journey.

No fluff.

No hype.

No pretending to be someone you’re not.

You’ll learn how to:

At the heart of it?

🔁 The Iteration Loop

Try → Fail → Adjust → Try again → Refine → Traction

The more you loop, the faster you:

Just like the Wright brothers:

They didn’t wait for a perfect plan.

They built.

They crashed.

They learned.

And they flew.

That’s the process.

Who this isn’t for

Let me guess—you’re still not sure.

You’re thinking, “Why should I even listen to this guy?”

Fair question.

And the answer is: if you don’t want to, you shouldn’t.

I’m not a guru.

I’m not here to “inspire” you with fake certainty or promises of overnight success.

I’m just a regular 40-year-old dad from London, with a job, a son I love, and a clear goal:

To build something that gives me freedom, meaning, and peace of mind — on my terms.

That’s it.

I don’t expect followers.

I don’t seek raving fans.

And I’m not here to convince anyone.

I’m doing this for me—and I’m sharing it because I believe I’m not the only one.

I believe there are people like me out there.

People who want more, but don’t want to fake it.

People who value honesty, ownership, and self-reliance.

People who are done waiting for permission—and just want to start.

If that’s not you? No hard feelings.

You’re free to carry on as you were.

But if any of this hits close to home—then maybe it’s time.

Not to bet the farm.

But to begin.

So... you in?
If any of this feels like where you’re at… Then you already know it makes sense. You’ve got nothing to lose—and everything to build. I’ll meet you in your inbox every Monday.

Let’s get to work.

Heck, YES!