‘Enjoy life’, ‘be yourself’ and ‘save for the future’ are the top pieces of advice over 50s would give to young people today.
A survey commissioned by pre-paid funeral plan provider, Ecclesiastical Planning Services, has found that saving for your pension early is the one piece of advice most older people would give to young people today. A large proportion of respondents also recommend being kind to others and making sure youngsters get a good education.
The research, conducted by OnePoll, asked 672 men and women aged 50 and above, to provide just one piece of advice that they would like to bestow upon the younger generation, with the benefit of experience. More than 21% of responses suggested saving money from an early age, to help fund a more comfortable retirement.
Many of the answers provided focused on money or personal finances, suggesting that this is a major concern for today’s older generation, who often don’t feel they’ve saved enough. ’Don’t smoke, and sort out a pension early’ one responded said. Other, similar responses included not to take good health for granted and to ‘Get as much variety in your life as possible. It’s so easy to think you have all the time in the world.’
While personal finances featured heavily, some respondents felt that appreciating what you have and being kind to others was also important. Nearly 5% mentioned the word ‘kind’ in their responses. Others said they would advise young people to ‘enjoy life’ and not to take anything for granted.
Perhaps the general consensus was best summed up by one particular respondent who concisely answered: “Don’t worry about tomorrow – enjoy today.”
Our Funeral Operations Manager, Craig Jackson, said: “Saving and taking care of personal finances is obviously good advice for young people today, and it’s interesting to see just how many over 50s wished they had started doing this sooner. Another good way to plan ahead for the future is to take out a pre-paid funeral plan. This can be a cost-effective way to make financial provision for a funeral in advance, reducing the worry and financial burden for those left behind.”
For more information about pre-paid funeral plans and the benefits of planning ahead, please contact us or visit our pre-payment page.
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