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The Old Retirement Plan Is Dead. Time to Build Something That Actually Works

At 40, I stopped waiting for the system to fix itself. And I started building something better: A Personal Equity Business — built from my own skills, story, and skin in the game. Here’s how you can start, too.

Let’s be honest.

The retirement plan we were sold?

It’s dead.

You followed the script:

And look where it got you.

Somewhere between the 2008 crash, Brexit, Covid, and this never-ending cost-of-living crisis…

...the old retirement model quietly died.

No memo.
No warning.
No exit plan.

But deep down, you know it:

That knot in your stomach?

It’s not paranoia.

It’s clarity.

You didn’t fail the system.

The system failed you.


Welcome to 2025: The New Economic Reality

The UK’s been hit again and again.

And with every blow, the promise of a stable, comfortable future faded.

This isn’t a rough patch.

It’s the new normal.

1. Wages are stuck.

Back in 2008, the median full-time salary in the UK was around £26,000.

By 2024, it had risen to £37,430 — an increase of 44% on paper.

But over the same period, prices have climbed 50–60%.

So in real terms?

You’ve lost ground.

Even in London, where the median salary hit £47,455 in 2024 — buying power hasn’t kept up.

Wages look better on paper. But most people are living with less margin, more pressure, and no room to save.

In fact, nearly a third of UK adults have under £1,000 in savings.

That’s the reality.

2. Prices are sky-high.

Yes, inflation peaked at 11.1% in October 2022.

And yes, by 2025, it cooled to around 2.6%.

But here’s the catch:

Prices didn’t come back down.

Inflation slowing just means the rate of increase dropped.

Not the prices themselves:

They’re still 25% higher than before Covid

You feel it every time you shop.

Every time you fill up your car.

Every time the rent goes out.

Slower inflation.

Same pain.

3. Housing is a fantasy.

In the late ‘90s, the average home cost about 3.5× your salary.

By 2023?

That ratio hit 8.3× in England—over 10× in parts of the South.

In London?

It’s now 12.7×.

Even with two solid incomes and a colour-coded spreadsheet—it’s a long shot.

And if interest rates climb again?

Monthly payments spike.

Borrowing power shrinks.

You’re priced out — or stretched thin.

Buying a home used to mean security.

Now it looks more like a lifetime of debt, risk and chronic stress.

That’s the new reality.

4. Retirement’s not coming to save you.

In March 2025, J.P. Morgan strategist Karen Ward called the UK pension system a “slow-motion train crash.”

The full UK State Pension?

£11,974 a year.

Average retirement costs?

£25,000+ just to live modestly.

Most private pensions don’t keep up with inflation.

And unless you pay extra for protection — your money quietly shrinks.

Yes, 80% of eligible workers have a workplace pension. But most won’t have enough.

Even those who did everything right?

Still falling short.

The result?

Millions heading into retirement with shortfalls, stress, and no safety net.

This isn’t decades away.

It’s already here.

5. AI’s not hype. It’s happening.

In 2023, Goldman Sachs warned that up to 300 million jobs could be exposed to AI disruption.

Not factory jobs.

Browser-tab jobs:

McKinsey backs it up: By 2030, AI could automate 30% of the hours worked across advanced economies.

That doesn’t necessarily mean full replacement.

But it means fewer hours. Smaller teams. More pressure to “do more with less.”

If your work lives in slides, docs, or spreadsheets — AI is already learning how to do it.

This isn’t sci-fi.

It’s showing up in meetings, workflows, hiring, and promotions.

It’s already here.

And it’s accelerating.

So what do you do?

You’ve got two choices:

1) Wait.

Hope the system magically sorts itself out.

2) Build.

Take what you already know.

Stack a few new skills.

And start creating something that’s yours.

That’s what I’m doing.

And I’m sharing every step—openly, in real time.

What I’m Building (And Why)

I’m Jacek (Jack) Iciek.

I'm 40 years old.
Dad to a 5-year-old autistic son.
Full-time precious metals trader.

❌ No marketing background
❌ No ad budget
❌ No fancy writing skills

But I’ve got:

☑️ Real-life experience
☑️ A sharp bullshit filter
☑️ And a restless need to make this time count

When my son Alexander was born during lockdown, everything shifted.

I started auditing my life:

And I realised: I can’t keep relying on a system that’s already crumbling.

So I’m building something different.

A Personal Equity Business

Not a startup. Not a hustle.

A business experiment that grows with me — built around what I already know, what I’m learning, and what I care about.

It’s lean.
It’s online.
And it’s mine.

It starts with writing.

It evolves through learning in public.

And it grows by turning my knowledge into small, honest digital products that actually help people like me.

Not to become an influencer.

Not to chase dopamine.

But to build something real—on my own terms.

Why a Personal Equity Business Makes Sense Right Now

It’s not just an experiment.

It’s my personal hedge:

When you build personal equity, you’re investing in your story, your skills, and your ability to adapt:

It’s self-development with skin in the game.

And it gives you what the old system no longer can:

A shot at freedom.

Being 40+ Isn’t a Liability.

It’s additional leverage.

We’ve lived through:

We know what not to trust.

We don’t fall for hype.

We just want something that works.

And we’ve still got a window — 10 to 15 good years of energy, focus, and relevance.

That’s more than enough.

If only we use it right.

Every Sunday: One Real Insight You Can Use

Each Monday, I send one short, no-fluff email.

Here’s what’s inside:

No hacks. No hype. No guru nonsense.

Just honest insight from the frontlines of building a Personal Equity Business after 40.

It’s called:

Meaning, Money & Mastery: After 40

Not content for content’s sake.

But a real-time case study in:

At the Heart of It All: The Iteration Loop

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

The faster you loop, the faster you:

The Wright brothers didn’t wait for perfect.

They built.
They crashed.
They flew.

That’s the process.

That’s what I’m sharing.

That’s what works.

Who This Is For

✔️ You’re 40+
✔️ You’ve got responsibilities
✔️ You’re tired of waiting
✔️ You want to build something real

This isn’t about pretending.

It’s about building something honest, useful, and yours.

Who This Isn’t For

❌ You want overnight success
❌ You think AI will do it all
❌ You’re chasing “passive income” shortcuts
❌ You want a guru to tell you what to do

If that’s you — this isn’t it.

Final Word

Where are you now?

Stuck in a system that quietly stopped working.

Where could you be?

Building personal equity — something that’s yours, that earns for you, that grows with you.

The gap between those two futures?

It closes a little more each day you wait.

I’m not selling a course.

I’m not asking you to bet the farm.

All I'm saying is:

Start.

*It’s 100% free. It’s human. It’s for people who want to own their future — not rent it.