Pension Basics: Defined Benefit vs. Defined Contribution Plans
A defined benefit plan promises an income; a defined contribution plan builds a pot. Who bears the risk, what job moves do, and 2026 protections.
Financial Independence & Retirement
Planning for retirement and the ideas behind financial independence.
Pensions and retirement accounts
Financial independence and retirement basics
Retirement Planning for Beginners: The Big Pieces and How They Fit Together
Retirement planning for beginners: the 3 sources of retirement income, the 4 levers that grow savings, and the late choices that are hard to undo.
What Is Financial Independence? A Definition Beyond "Never Working Again"
Does financial independence mean never working again? A plain definition, why it comes in degrees, and why the 4% rule is a US rule of thumb, not a promise.
The FIRE movement
Lean, Fat, Barista, and Coast FIRE: The Main Variants Compared
The 5 main types of FIRE compared: Lean, regular and Fat set how much you spend; Barista and Coast set how you bridge the years before the target.
Retirement income strategies
Annuities: An Honest Look at How They Work, What They Cost, and the Trade-Offs
How annuities work: when income starts, who bears market risk, where fees hide, and why the UK saw 1 annuity sale per 4 plans entering drawdown in 2025/26.
The math of financial independence
How to Calculate Your FI Number: The 25x Rule and Its Limits
An FI number is often estimated as the yearly spending gap times 25. Where that comes from, and why US estimates for a 40-year retirement point nearer 30.
Retirement benefits at work
Employer Match Explained: How Workplace Retirement Contributions Work
How an employer match works: a rate and a cap (50 cents per dollar on the first 6% of pay is one common US formula), vesting, true-ups and the UK minimum.