If you’re in your forties and have neglected your pension, you’re not alone.
With other financial priorities to juggle, like the mortgage and childcare costs, retirement saving can easily slip down the to-do list. Now, a quarter of people above the age of 40 don’t have a private or workplace pension, Government figures show.
But there is still time to turn your retirement fortunes around and build a substantial pot for your future, something Andrew Lager, 42, has managed to do.
Andrew, a project delivery manager, started a pension for the first time in 2019 when he switched from being self-employed to an employee of a large engineering company.
“I got married, had a son and thought it was time to think seriously about my future finances. I had no pension so I knew I had to put a lot in to play catch-up,” he says.
Saving specifically for retirement is important because the state pension alone, at about £12,500 a year currently, is not enough for a comfortable standard of living.
Yet, delaying saving can have a serious impact on your future pot. Figures from MoneyHelper show that someone who saves £200 a month into a pension from age 20 could have £316,000 by age 65. If they don’t start saving until age 30, they would have £224,000 by retirement age – some £92,000 less.
And delaying saving until age 40 would mean ending up with £146,000.
It’s never too late to start though, experts say. Even small amounts add up over time and increasing your contributions each time you get a pay rise or bonus can really boost the pot.
Andrew, for example, now contributes 8 per cent of his salary and his company pays in 12 per cent, meaning a total of 20 per cent of his salary, about £1,160 a month, is paid into a pension. However, for his first two years of employment the company contributions were lower.
His pot is currently worth almost £88,000, with £60,000 paid in by Andrew and his employer since 2019 and the rest investment growth. Based on his own forecasts, Andrew believes he’ll have a total pot worth over £600,000 at age 65.
“One of the things that attracted me to this company was the great pension scheme. They’re also a great employer in general, offering flexible working and opportunities to move around the business.
Do some foods leave
you feeling hungry rather than satiated? Experts say there are…
Foods that leave you hungrier
A bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice
More refined cereals are digested quickly, and fruit juice, whilst one of your five-a-day, contains less fibre than whole fruit. This might mean you find yourself hungry again within 1-2 hours of eating this breakfast.
Swap the orange juice for a whole orange, the cereal for oats and milk or serve it with Greek yoghurt or a boiled egg. This would increase the fibre and protein content; two nutrients strongly linked with fullness.
Foods that leave you hungrier
These pastries are made primarily from refined flour and butter, and are relatively low in protein and fibre.
Toast and jam
Shop-bought packs can contain a lot of white rice, which is digested quickly, and the protein content is often modest.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Vegetable soup
On its own, it is often very low in protein and calories, so hunger can return quickly.
Unless it’s loaded with veggies, it’s probably pretty low in fibre.
Liquids are generally less filling as they require little chewing which may not trigger satiety signals.
Foods that leave you hungrier
Snack bars
They are ideal for a quick pick-me-up, but if reducing hunger is what you’re after, it’d be better to swap it out.
Low-fat yoghurt
A full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds tends to be much more filling due to the protein, fat and fibre.
On an empty stomach, it can actually increase your appetite.
What to eat instead
Instead of thinking about avoiding foods, think about what you can add to them.
- Add beans, lentils or shredded chicken to your vegetable soup and pasta.
- Thicken your smoothies with Greek yoghurt, chia seeds and oats.
- Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with berries and hummus with oat biscuits are better snack options than a pre-made snack bar.
- Have alcohol alongside a balanced meal containing protein and fibre.
How to age well
without pain
Will Harlow, a physiotherapist
for the over-50s and author of Independence for Life, shares
the key signs you’re ageing
badly – and what to do about it.
How to know
Ageing well is maintaining the ability to do what you want you want for as long as you want without needing help. Everyone is talking about longevity but what’s the point in living longer if the last decade is painful and you’re [totally] reliant on people?”
The signs to look out for
- The most obvious early warning sign of bad ageing is pain says Harlow.
- Another is losing confidence in doing daily tasks, which can quickly lead to a lack of independence.
- One call Harlow often receives is people calling after having a fall and struggling to get up.
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How to age without pain
Not just stopping
When people retire, they often put their feet up and stop. Your body really is use it or lose it.
Throughout our entire lives, Harlow says we need between seven and nine hours of sleep.
Social isolation
The lack of connection can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as 29 per cent.
Strength training
It really is the proxy for
overall independence.
The more muscle mass you have, the less chance of heart disease, diabetes, falls and even anxiety, depression and dementia.
The brain can be linked to muscle mass too, Harlow says. It’s not just about being able to lift things. It gives you more energy, better sleep and you’ll look and feel better.
How to age without pain
Daily habits
Do short bursts of exercise, between 30 and 60 seconds, in otherwise dead time during the day.
Stretch in bed
Take joints through a full range of motion for five minutes to loosen it before getting up.
Don’t crash diet
How to age without pain
Harlow advises 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight to stop muscle loss alongside resistance training.
Don’t wait
Harlow finds that many patients put off making a change to their lifestyle until their lives are consumed by pain.
For most people, it’s about reducing the number of times per week you’re exercising, not reducing intensity.
The three ageing tests to do
- Lie completely flat on the floor and get back up to a standing position using any technique. This should take less than 10 seconds.
See how many times you can sit on the chair and stand back up again in 30 seconds. Men should be aiming for more than 14 times and women 12.
The single-leg stand, which involves standing on one leg and balancing for 10 seconds. Everyone should be able to do that and for those under 65, Harlow asks them to do it with their eyes closed.
Despite the job market hiring fewer entry-level roles, employers are still looking for grads…
But you should be prepared to keep an open mind.
We’ve compiled the sectors hiring graduate roles, what degree is required, and what they pay.
The degrees to choose for a career
Hiring in the UK could
finally be on the up
47%
of employers offered entry-level
positions from July.
That is up nearly 15 per cent from the same period last year.
700,000
But graduate unemployment rose to six per cent in 2025 and 700,000 jobless graduates were claiming benefits.
Finance and insurance
- Around 42 per cent of UK finance and insurance employers say they will be open to graduate roles this summer.
- Business loan company Portman Finance Group has taken on 50 graduates over the past four years.
Portman graduates start on £36,000 for the two-year programme and the education you need to apply is a minimum “ABB” of A-levels, and a 2:1 or above university degree. But not in a specific subject.
Trade and logistics
What makes it particularly rewarding is that there’s always something to learn.
Nearly half (47 per cent) of trade and logistics companies will be giving graduates a go this year.
Salaries start at £30,000 with an uncapped bonus, rising to £50,000 plus a company car as a senior account partner.
Technology and IT
More than half (52 per cent) of UK tech and IT firms are actively looking for graduates.
Successful entry-level candidates can earn a basic salary of up to £35,000, with the opportunity to triple that within their first three years of working.
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Public sector, health
and social services
46 per cent of public sector, health and social services organisations are also ready to take graduates, according to a survey by Manpower.
- For example, Police Now runs a graduate programme into policing. They recruit graduates from any degree field, as long as they achieve a 2:2 or above. Starting salaries range from £31,164 to £42,210 depending on location and rising each year.
Can we treat guests without blowing our budget?
According to Waitrose, a dinner party revival is underway led by younger people trying to reduce the cost of getting together.
Always have bread
People will feast on the
ELLA RISBRIDGER, AUTHOR OF THE KITCHEN BOOK – GOOD FOOD FOR EVERY DAY
bread, and then need less fish/steak/expensive whatever. All small plates restaurants know this: this is why the first thing on the menu is always artisan bread and butter.
Use vegetables as centrepieces
Add pantry items
Graham’s recipes include a braised cabbage with a preserved lemon sauce, a roast cauliflower with saffron, and harrisa roast carrots with mango labneh.
How to host on a budget
Improve the everyday
Guests will always appreciate a stellar interpretation of the ordinary. Think lasagna or curry.
Cooking dinner for your guests is spoiling them – you’re being generous with your time, your effort, and your home. So don’t feel the need to go overboard elsewhere.
Ask for help
Ask friends to bring a contribution, be it a nibble or a pudding.
Big platter energy
[Presentation] can be the key to elevating something . Spaghetti and tomato sauce suddenly looks like a feast when tumbled on a lovely big plate, dressed with olive oil and parmesan and placed in the middle of the table.
Food writer and editor Eleanor Steafel
How to host on a budget
Taco party
Have one expensive filling, like shredded chicken, and two cheaper options, like refried beans, says Ella Risbridger.
Shop-bought ice cream is so easily zhuzhed up with the help of handy toppings, says Eleanor Steafel.
Low-effort tricks for
a cleaner house
While many Britons feel inspired to tackle their homes during summer, the warmer months can also make cleaning harder.
But Lynsey Crombie, known as the Queen of Clean, says the hotter months can increase mould, musty smells and sweaty clothes.
Here, she shares the tips and practical
hacks she lives by.
A study of 1,000 UK residents by Domestic & General revealed that almost one in 10 Brits have never cleaned their washing machine, yet it could be grubbier than the toilet seat.
Crombie says after 30 washes, use 500 grams of soda crystals on the hottest wash to clean out the drum. If there’s sludge, run a quick rinse cycle with some white vinegar.
Always make sure to leave the door and drawer ajar for 10 minutes to dry out too and avoid stale smells.
Household ingredients to use
White vinegar
This is Crombie’s go to. It can descale the kettle and taps and deodorise places in her home.
Table salt
For tough stains like red wine, rub salt into the stain, leave overnight and wash as normal.
For stubborn water marks, use half a lemon and bicarbonate of soda and leave on for 30 minutes before rinsing.
Cold water is better
You’re damaging [wooden] floor [with hot water], making it expand, stretch
and cause gaps…
During hot days, Crombie says to avoid cleaning with hot water altogether to avoid adding humidity to the home.
“Cold water is much better, and if you’re using the right floor cleaning product, it’s still going to be clean,” she says.
Hacks for a cleaner home
Three is the magic number
Wash your towels after two to three uses and make sure they dry properly in-between.
Focus on hotspots
Clean the “high traffic” areas, like the toilets, kitchen worktops and the hallway daily.
Open the windows
To keep a home fresh open the windows for 15 minutes each day – even in colder months.
Weekly habits
Do it more frequently, to cut down how long it takes
One task Crombie does weekly is her fridge. This includes a 10-minute wipe-down, focusing on the salad and vegetable tray. “If you save that job up and do it every other month, it’s going to be a very big chore.”
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Hacks for a cleaner home
Stainless steel
Crombie’s hack is one product: Barkeeper’s Friend in powder form.
The expensive products
“If you spend more money, you get the floral scents. The difference is scent, not performance.”
Ignore online advice
The biggest issue she sees is product overuse. “You don’t need half a bottle of washing up liquid to clean a surface.”
Crombie’s essentials
Four products can do do a full clean of the house.
- Antibacterial washing-up liquid: “It can clean almost anything, and any brand works.”
- : It’s pet-friendly, eco-friendly and “ticks all the boxes.”
- Cif cream cleaner: “It’s an old school product. It’s so good.”
- White vinegar: ““It’s great for washing sportswear, gym kits and is a great stain remover.”
How to keep your sex life going in a heatwave
Don’t endure it
For some people, the heat and the sun boost the production of hormones responsible for joy, pleasure and connection like serotonin and dopamine. For others, the heat causes fatigue and irritability. For them, being touched can set off an anxiety response.
GEMMA NICE [BELOW]
Don’t endure sweaty cuddles
- Long-term partners can be upfront and honest with each other and say that it’s too hot to touch right now.
- For others, break the tension by having an open and honest conversation.
- Choose dates with built-in air conditioning, like the cinema.
- Don’t ignore the issue or
power through if you’re too hot.
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How couples can manage a heatwave
Take penetrative sex off the table
It may make you feel lightheaded, tired, and can even lead to erectile dysfunction because the body is overheating.
Indulge in dirty talk instead
Because you aren’t distracted by physical movement, your focus is entirely on your partner’s voice. This can help build a massive amount of tension and sexual desire.
How couples can manage a heatwave
This syncs up your nervous systems and can trigger a deep, full-body energetic response.
Mutual play
Set up a fan and touch yourselves while looking directly into each other’s eyes, says Nice.
Strip and chill out
Just sharing the space and being close to each other can strengthen your bond.
Why you shouldn’t have
sex in the sea
- Water actually washes away
your body’s natural lubrication. - It creates friction against the delicate tissue.
- This can cause micro tears and severe irritation.
- It drastically increases the risk of getting a urinary tract infection (UTI) or a yeast infection.
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The one easy habit which keeps your
brain young
From adopting a different running route to taking up a new hobby, here are seven ways in which new experiences can dramatically alter your brain health for the better.
Why we need new experiences
A well-connected brain is more resilient to stress, illness and the effects of ageing.
Neurologist Dr Steve Allder says when we try unfamiliar things, our brain is forced to work in new ways.
Over time, this improves the brain’s ability to adapt to change and respond to challenges, helping us to preserve thinking skills and emotional balance.
Why we need new experiences
They strengthen memory formation
Regularly exposing yourself to new situations – even small ones – helps exercise your memory systems, which improves your ability to store and retrieve information.
They improve overall learning ability
Just as muscles adapt to new exercises, the brain adapts to new mental demands. As we age the brain then benefits from regular stimulation and maintains sharpness.
Why we need new experiences
Boosts dopamine
New experiences naturally stimulate dopamine, which encourages positive behaviour patterns.
Reduce cognitive decline
New experiences activate different brain regions, helping to keep more areas working.
Your brain must evaluate options, test ideas and adjust its approach.
The benefits of new experiences
Each time you adapt successfully to something new, your brain learns that change can be handled. This improves emotional flexibility, making it easier to cope with stress and unexpected events.
They also often involve other people, whether through travel or social activities. This stimulate areas of the brain
responsible for communication, empathy and understanding others’ perspectives.
Your sleep has a huge impact on your heart health
- Adults who regularly sleep fewer than seven hours are at increased risk of high blood pressure, obesity, heart attack and diabetes.
- The risk of coronary artery disease is 45 per cent higher in adults with short sleep durations at night.
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The bedtime habits that reduce risk
Keep daytime naps to less than 20 minutes and aim for seven to eight hours sleep per night.
Wind down
A reasonable 20-30 minute bedtime routine can include reading, light stretching, and meditation.
Time your exercise
Vigorous exercise within three hours of bedtime can cause insomnia.
The bedroom environment
Sleeping in a bedroom with bright overhead light has been associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular events, including heart attack (47 per cent higher risk), stroke (28 per cent) and heart failure.
Darken the room with blackout blinds or an eye mask, avoid blue light and leave your mobile phone outside your bedroom.
The bedtime habits that reduce risk
Food and drink
Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and large evening meals can all disrupt sleep quality.
Know your numbers
If your blood pressure at bedtime is consistently high, consider discussing medication with your GP.
Beware of snoring
Sleep-disordered breathing is linked with cardiovascular conditions, so it could be time for a GP evaluation.
“This year I also got a bonus, which I paid into my pension. It saves on tax and will compound over the years. I was late to my pension but it just goes to show you can catch up quickly.”
Joumana Medlej, similarly, never gave much thought to long-term financial planning when she moved to the UK from Lebanon 13 years ago. Her approach to money was simple: spend as little as possible and earn enough to pay her bills.
It was only after reading the book What They Don’t Teach You About Money a few years ago, that she got to grips with the basics of money and how she could plan for the future. Finally, in her forties, she opened her first pension.
“I found the book very helpful. Maths and finances have never been my strong point, and as I didn’t grow up in the UK I find the financial system here quite confusing,” says Joumana, 46. “I thought I should start thinking about the future and investing, and being more engaged with my money.”
How to save if you’re a self-employed worker
Pensions are one of the most effective ways to save for retirement because of the tax relief, which means the government tops up what you pay in or that contributions may come directly from your pay before tax.
Since the introduction of auto-enrolment in 2012, more people are saving into a pension than ever before. Under this scheme, anyone aged 22 or over and earning at least £10,000 a year is automatically opted into their workplace pension. They contribute a minimum of 5 per cent of their salary and their employer contributes at least 3 per cent.
But for Gen X (those born between 1965 and 1980), the scheme came a little too late. These workers were in their forties and fifties by the time auto-enrolment came into effect, meaning that many missed out on decades of retirement savings.
And self-employed workers, like Joumana, are among the most likely to have no pension savings, as they are not included in auto-enrolment, says Josh Toovey, head of policy and research at self-employed association IPSE.
“Most self-employed people can’t afford to lock money away in a pension when a late-paying client or a quiet month could leave them short,” he says.
“Without a payroll to deduct from, every pension contribution is a decision someone has to actively make and when income is irregular, that decision often gets pushed to ‘later’.”
Joumana, an Oxford-based artist who specialises in medieval Arabic art technology and calligraphy, has never had a full‑time employer and so does not have a workplace pension or benefit from auto-enrolment.
She opened a private pension with PensionBee after doing some online research, and finding the platform easy to understand and use. She began paying in a regular amount but stopped for a while when work dried up for a bit.
When things picked up again, she put in a bigger lump sum and has now has gone back to regular investing.
The pension has grown 17.84 per cent since Joumana opened the account two years ago. She has contributed a total of £7,000 and seen her pot grow to £10,261 so far. This includes £1,688 from tax relief and £1,533 is investment growth.
“I feel I’m on track with my pension now. I know I need to contribute a lot more but I still have plenty of time,” she says.
“I should also get the full state pension as I am up-to-date with my national insurance contributions. I think my finances can only improve from here and I feel more confident about the future.”
Like Joumana, others should know it’s never too late to get started, says Andrew King, a pensions and retirement specialist at wealth management firm Evelyn Partners.
Starting in your forties still gives at least two decades to benefit from tax relief and compound growth.
Someone aged 40, with no pension fund whatsoever, earning a salary of £55,000 could have a pension pot at age 68 of £353,000, according to figures by Evelyn Partners. This assumes they contribute 5 per cent of salary and their employer pays in 3 per cent, that their salary rises by 2.5 per cent a year and they achieve investment growth of 5 per cent a year.
“If they upped the payments to catch up and paid 10 per cent a year into the pension to age 68, the pot would rise to £574,000,” adds King.
How to catch up
If you’re looking to increase your pension contributions as an employee, start by seeing how much your company offers. Many employers go beyond auto-enrolment and will match your contributions up to a certain amount, or perhaps even double it.
If you’re self-employed, it’s worth exploring the many private pensions available. We explain more about opening a pension if you’re self-employed here.
Jessie Kwok, chief investment officer at investment platform Wealthify, suggests starting as early as possible and contributing regularly: “Increase contributions when you can. Small percentage increases, particularly during pay rises or bonus periods can significantly boost your final pot without drastically affecting your take-home pay.”
Tracking down and consolidating old pensions can also make a big difference to your retirement planning, helping you see how much you have in total and potentially saving on fees.
Finally, free online calculators can help you work out how much you need to save to reach your savings goals.
Even if you start saving in your forties, ultimately, it is still not too late to build enough for a comfortable retirement.