You are normal! Please let me know about your journey, your struggles and your successes, in a comment below!

Hi James, I left you a comment last year how you inspired me to start investing. It's going great I plan to save £3k+ this next tax year. Why am I telling you this, because I'm 68 next month. Just get investing people! All the best Steve Walsh.

I was in my mid 40s before I looked at my retirement and what I had to do about it. I was renting and had no pension. First on my list was sorting a home that I would own when I hit 60. Then looked at how much I would need if I wanted to retire at 60. This gave me my goal, and I am happy to say that 10 years later, and 5 years from retirement I am on track. The only change I have made is that having experienced lockdown I no longer want to stop working when I hit 60 but go part time. So now I will actually have more than I had planned on. Long story short, it is never too late.

54 here and ZERO savings for retirement until past february. I had to emigrate and start all over from scratch at age 33. Had no financial education and was just living paycheck to paycheck. Like many others here thought that I had to keep on working until the grave, but after watching your videos and several from other youtubers, I decided to educate myself in investing and trading. I started investing last february (just 3 months ago) and set saving and investing targets for the next 7 years. Hopefully, even if I have to work until I drop, my future looks a lot brighter thanks to you.

Here are some words of encouragement for those in their 40s who are wondering whether there is any point... I bought my first shares when I was 43yo. I had a mortgage and that was it. The paltry pension pots I had did quite well when placed into the right hands, in my case those were Fidelity, Phoenix and AXA, but they were later combined into a SIPP which I control. I also put a lot of effort into learning and maxxing out my ISA investments when I was able..... I retired ten years ago in my late 50s, although I continued putting a lot of time and effort into managing my investments. If you want to DIY then treat it like a second career, it will take several years to become competent and it is a realistic goal. When I started there was no such thing as KZfaq. James' videos are a boon. Thank you, James

I'm 39 and only just about to start my investment journey, so this is encouraging. Thank you.

It's like you made this video just for me. I'm a single dad, whose youngest just became an adult. I recently started my 401k. My house is nearly paid off and I have saved an emergency fund that could carry me about a year if I lost my job. Something else to consider with 'older' people (especially parents) is that we are less apt to chase 'the shiney new things'. Odds are that we've been through that phase of our lives and are now more comfortable living below our means. Not to mention that parenting forces you to be more mindful about money. I definitely regret not putting at least something towards my 401k earlier. I'm telling my kids now to get in the habit of contributing even a small amount to a 401k. I hope they listen to the old man.

I'm currently pursuing a balance between fat and lean FIRE with the guidance of financial advisor David Marvin Willis. By diligently budgeting and keeping living costs in check, I save a substantial portion of my income. However, I prioritize enjoying life, dining out, going on holidays, and savoring good food at home. With the goal to grow my income in the next 5-10 years (I'm 44), maintaining a savings rate of 30-40%, I aim to potentially reduce working hours around the 45-50 age range. This journey, spanning the next 10-15 years, won't entail a bare minimum lifestyle.

Great vid. 👍 I also started investing relatively late - ten years ago (in my mid forties) I had very little in the way of investments and pension and things seemed pretty desperate, but I started saving and investing as much as I could every month - it hurt, but over ten years I’ve gone from pretty much zero to a really decent pot and I may actually have a shot at a decent retirement in the next 5 years. Don’t underestimate what it is possible to achieve over 10 years with discipline and a sensible investment plan.

53 y.o. with a great career, and in 2020, my salary finally got to the mid-100s. I was ready to start investing, but then Covid hit, and I lost focus. I recently started investing in the stock market. There were days when I beat up on myself for starting so late, but the more I did that, the more depressed I would become. So, I accepted my mistakes and forgave the younger me. I can't say I know what I am doing, but I am learning daily.

I started investing at 48 after a friend sent me a link to the book 'The Simple Path to Wealth' by J.L. Collins. Before listening to the book I wrongly assumed investing in stocks and shares was only for wealthy people, and besides I didn't even know how to invest! But the book broke it down and helped me to understand that it can be simple.

Thank you James - really grateful for the way you approach these topics and deal with them in a realistic way ie considering life situation, emotions etc.

Brilliant content, thank you! This gives me hope. I have a decent pension pot which, I’m trying to work out how to handle. My wife does not have a similar pot and now in our early 50s we’re finally getting in a position to do something about that!

Thank you! I needed this and I feel much better:)

Great content James....as you say there's so much content aimed at those in their 20s & 30s, it's very hard not to feel as though you dropped the ball! I'm 54 and just starting to invest, reassured by the knowledge that these are my best earning years and any Investments won't stop growing just because I reach retirement age!

I have nothing substantive to add here - I'd just like to thank you for lowering my anxiety levels a little (46 - no pension as yet, but that's going to change very bloody soon).

just came a crossed with this video and I totally agree with you telling it's embarrassing to start investing in your forties since I just started my journey...I'm about to hit mid-forty and I am thankful to all the financial gurus who keep on sharing insights and tips on investing

@James I was about to mention that not many people in their 20s have 5k per year to just throw into an investment portfolio and then I watched the video. Yeah, you are absolutely correct with regards to both investment and those fitness Instagram. Subscribed

Superb videos James. I have subscribed to lots of American videos but its refreshing to have an English man doing it. Keep educating.

49y/o started investing in 2023. Looking to keep investing each year, started with a S&S ISA and I am now learnings about SIPPS. Going to try and pump as much spare capital in to these going forward each year. I have started with buyings shares but I am hoping to start looking at buying some global index funds to keep it simpler. Fingers crossed.

An older video, I know, apologies for opening up an old thread, but I've just come across James' channel. This is a great video, and very encouraging for people like me. I'm in my 40's ( just ), and I have very recently cleared all of my debts ( excluding mortgage), so I am very keen to now start investing and videos like this really help.

Thank you for the uplifting guidance

Your videos are so interesting and useful great channel thanks for sharing

Thank you for making this video. I'm in my mid thirties and have just started investing. I've been feeling so dejected and behind looking at all the Alice's on KZfaq. I really appreciate the message in this video and it's really motivated me to increase my contributions and keep investing. Thank you!

Many thanks James. Watched this video and have now subscribed. Great advice and content.

James. Thank you for your information. I was thinking I was way behind because I am 40 and have nothing invested. I am just starting. I now know better. I will stop looking behind me, because you are right, I cannot change the past. I need to be looking forward. I will definitely eep watching your content. Thank you so much.

Thanks for this perspective.

This is such a powerful video! I think this is your best one!

You are bloody good James! Clear delivery, great content, graphics and editing. Love the advice you are giving and I am very greaful for the youtube algo for putting your content in my feed.

Just started Investing after years of struggling. Got 2 business and as well as working full time, so i have been investing in myself. This video gave me massive motivation. Thank you for making it. Subscriped and watching your content.

I work in the architectural design field and I had a conversation with a landscape architect many years ago. He said “the best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is TODAY”. The same thing holds true for investing…

Thank you James. I started investing in my 50's but do not seem to good progess. We are now approching 60s and would like to get back on track.

Thanks for giving me hope!!

Thanks for making this video!

This video is so helpful! Thank you

James mate, excellent content.. I think it would also be good in future videos to run some modeling & scenarios that if a person invested X amount today ( or in monthly chunks ) in Y funds then based on historic data & market outlook ( the ones which vanguard and blackrock produce for 5-10+ years ) the result will be Z in 15 years ( or longer ) time..... & then compare a couple of index funds based on same criteria ............ I know nothing is a guaranteed return but with some assumptions a few modeling and examples will be interesting to see... great work & great respect for you because of the value you add for us here at youtube and to your clients as well...

Great video and wise words for money and life in general

Excellent content and great message!

Your like a general counselor as well as your money advice = such a top guy!

Hi James, thanks for this video, super helpful and encouraging. Am sending this to my sister who just turned 50 and is trying to get her head around investing. Just to flag that a discouraging point is a presumption that someone in their 50s has a mortgage (being paid off) and kids out of the home, which is not necessarily the case (in either respect). While it may be ‘probable’, would find it more encouraging to add in the proviso of ‘even if not…’, just because (as you have flagged) it can be so demoralising examining your financial situation, that extra bit of inclusivity can be helpful. Thanks so much for your content, really appreciate the good work you are doing.

I really needed this video tonight. What a great find. I'm late to the video from release but the advice will always be relevant. Thank you

Thank you for this video,I just Subscribed ❤

Thank you for this.

Great encouragement

You made me feel so much better!

I think that people feel life they have missed the boat and it's too late. There is maybe a sense a shame and regret. Thank you for demonstrating that it's NEVER TOO LATE.

More great content James, thank you 🙏

Thanks James for exfoliating that so beautifully. I was certainly one of disappointed and dejected viewer.

really useful advice and content as ever James. - thank you.

Very inspiring video James, thank you for doing this, that really helps

Brilliant video, thanks James!

Thanks James, i really needed to hear this

This is one of my favourite videos from you. The initial Alice and Ben graph is, as you suggest, astonishing. I felt badly for Ben who seemed to be running just to keep pace with Alice, who was standing still. The point you make a few seconds later about de-motivation holds true. But I felt a real "Avengers" moment when you later moved on to say "You Are Not Alone" [emphasis mine]. Yes, we are all incompetent, imperfect, irrational beings. Few of us have been taught the value of money, the value of investment, or the mysteries of money management. Thank you for publishing those statistics of your viewing audience - it does make me feel as though I'm not the only unqualified chimp in the room! Your channel is providing me with some optimism about planning for a future which is hurtling towards me (I'm 53 years old). I bought my first ever house last June. It's one I'd been renting for six years before. My chimp-like plan was to own it before retirement and either sell it and live off the proceeds, or release the equity in it (while still living in it) or marry a multi-miillionairress. Not terribly useful plans. Not a particularly helpful or optimistic strategy. I'm looking forward to our future financial planning session when you have time to fit me in. Like everyone else here, I need help! Thanks for providing so much of it.

The only downside of this channel is that I can’t wait for another episode. Simply the best financial UK based YT channel at the moment. Pensioncraft also has good content but somehow you sound so much more refreshing James. Great work, all the best.

Good advice!

Great video 👍🏾...Always good content.

Thank you for this. I'm actually American but I found this such a positive video that I subscribed anyway.

Hi James, i fall on your videos by accident when i was researching into starting a sipp & i find all your videos so enjoyable & inspiring, i been investing from the age of 18 & i enjoy doing it, but your videos are fantastic please keep up the good work, happy Easter kind regards John

TY. Felt like I've left too late (51 y.o.). From your vids I feel there is hope.

I love how you talk about the positive side of investing in our 50's. Other financial vloggers tend to beat you up!

Thank you for yelling at me. I needed that. And also, my paramedic teacher told the class that everyone should think of themselves 10 years younger than they really are because of how much cardiac has and continues to advance. Life expectancy continues to grow.

Amazing content. Please, keep it up!

10/10 vid - I'm late 40s so info is VERY encouraging!

Hi James, thank you for this video. I am in my late 40s, spent 20 years of my life in academia but was earning and contributing to a pension for some of that time. I am renting still, never bought a home, and am weighing up the option of whether buying is worth it now. I got into investing in my early 40s, but lost the savings I had. I rebuilt my career though and now earn a very good wage, and built up some savings. I do have some of my savings invested, but most of it is just gathering dust stagnating. After doing some calculations on how much money I would need in retirement, I realise I'm way off, so I'm ramping up efforts now to make my money work for me.

My parents instilled a great savings discipline in me, but they had no investing smarts beyond bank term deposits and maybe a fixed lump sum in a managed fund. I really wish I knew more about investing 30yrs ago when I started my professional career. Fortunately my work place kicked off a superannuation plan that I have always contributed to, so there is a decent super funded pension for my senior years. But I could have probably been FIRE retired in my late 40’s if I’d taken up active investing in my 20’s. Can’t cry over spilt milk right? The time to start investing for a self funded FIRE is now.

I like this vid... I think that you will only feel confident investing when you have acquired some disposable income, I never really enjoyed investing until all the usual stuff were sorted i.e paying for kids, owning home, educational pursuits etc. and I never really enjoyed big jumps in salary. My mindset at a early age was I do not earn enough to be able to risk the ups and downs of the stock market, but as soon as I acquired some disposable income I was flying..

I'm in my mid-20s with low income，your videos motivate me to start investing and save money for the future

Great video I am 41 and feel like I am so behind ❤️

Great content James, it's only now in my fifties that I've been able to double down, and put the UK max £40k/year into my pension pot, I wish I could have done it earlier, but I couldn't afford it and perhaps I didn't have the knowledge 20+ years ago to start doing it then. I hope I don't run out of working years, before the pot is enough. Thx

Nice click/view funnel. All good advice. I’ll be implementing some of it soon.

Spot on! I'm 59, just cleared my mortgage, started late on good pension contributions, but will follow this advice. I have a sick daughter I am caring for but still have the space to invest more. Thank you.

Really enjoying your videos James. Could you make one about how to choose between investing in an ISA vs a SIPP please?

Great videos 👍🏼

Wise words James- compounding is actually "magic". I started again at 40 after a divorce and am now 53. Maxed out employer contributions, paid as much as i could in AVC's to pay 20% tax. Invested in eqities - non UK and S&P heavy and even successfully timed the market a couple of times - including putting a lot into cash Jan 3rd and back in S&P 27th Jan. I have had to invest a lot and taken a fair bit of risk but should work out that i have options in 2-4 years to think more about how much of my time i commmit to working. Starting even 5 years earlier would have made all the difference. One thing i am going to do for my kids is make sure they start early with pensions and try and get a bit in there for them whist they are still in their early 20's

Hi James , I did pretty well out of friends life , which is now part of the Aviva group. Unfortunately there is nothing out there that is similar. Some advice would be great ! 👍🏽😊

Excellent video mate..very strong and interesting content 💪

This made me feel better!

I would suggest that you share this knowledge with your children so they can make an informed decision on pensions and investments, I have and have the youngest with a pension at 19 and a Stocks and shares ISA.

Just started my investment journey now at 36 and feel like I'm very late to the party. This video gives me hope, so thanks!

Love the channel. Can you do a video on the local Government pension scheme please?

Love this

This is brilliant I am 64 and looking at vanguard. My current pension income is already 1900 per month but I need more.

Great video, very motivating for us norms who didn't get into the FIRE movement in our 20s (hats off to anyone who did/has btw). I'm 40 and only been doing any serious financial planning for the last couple of years. Still plenty of time to get some of that sweet compound interest.

I’ve watched thousands of finance videos on the internet. This is one of the first videos that left me feeling hopeful and not hopeless. Thank you.

Hi James - another great video with some really important messages. Let me echo what you've said: Ben and Alice are great for showing the power of compounding over time but if you're starting later than either of them - don't worry. Just start. Decided on a target and then work backwards to decide what you need to do to get where you want to be - there are some great videos on this channel to show you exactly how. I started in my 40's and did exactly this. Keep up the good work!

Thank you. This is a very reassuring video. I've never really thought about money that much and only ever earned an average income but now that I've turned 50 I've become anxious about how I'll manage in retirement. Or even if I'll ever be able to afford to retire. But I have managed to save up around £35k in the last 6 years (one of the few benefits of the pandemic and not having anything to really spend money on, as well as giving up smoking) and after watching lots of videos finally took the plunge and opened a Vanguard account in January where I'm in the process of depositing most of my savings across a couple of funds. I do feel that I've left things late, especially given the gains of the stock market in recent years, but doing something proactive has at least eased my anxieties about my standard of living in retirement.

going to turn 47 this year. Lucky enough to have a DB pension that will currently pay me £13k in retirement. added to state pension, that just about covers my needs. last year I bought two cheap houses to rent and this provides a decent yield of around 8%. I only started thinking about retirement last year (hence the property purchases) but have never really saved and invested. I now have a small SIPP that gets £1200 a year and an investment product with high risk with another £1200 going in a year. None of this is mega money, but allows me to sleep peacefully knowing that, bar any significant changes, I shall be sorted in retirement. both my kids (18 and 22) have SIPPS and investments so I now invest vicariously through them. I consider myself very lucky. still have monthly mortgage to pay as well as all the increasing bills, but these are covered by salary and income from rentals. Thanks for the vids James.

The stock market has been a really tough one this past year, but I watched an interview on CNBC where the anchor kept mentioning " TERESA JENSEN WHITE ". This prompted me to get in touch with her, and from January 2022 till now we have been working together, and I can now boast of $540,000 in my trading portfolio.

I’m 51 my company recently shut down the final salary pension where I have amassed a 300k pension pot. I also paid AVC’s where I have 36k. I paid off my mortgage at 47 and have been investing since, I have 35k in a stocks and shares ISA. I hope to retire in 4 years but expect when I get there prices of everything will force me to work on. I definitely think I started too late. Watching you content has got me really looking at the vanguard life strategy etf which I intend to start soon. Keep up the great content

I’m 24 now. Started investing last year. Don’t have a huge income but no debt also. Was amazed to see that I was in the 5% of viewership! Expected 10-15%. Got two separate accounts one for growth and another for dividends but building the dividend portfolio takes a while.. currently avg 30$/month. Def takes time but like he said it’s ur own journey. Personally, struggling with the patience and income

I really enjoy your videos and the way you are so supportive and encouraging is great. Can you do something about NET Worth? Is this what most advisors are talking about having as the total amount we should have at retirement? Or is the amount saved is in actual cash in your bank account? This is all very confusing when advisors are talking about 500K but is this in the bank account (or is it a combo of a pension, house and savings?). Can you clarify and expand on these ideas?

Brilliant and comforting video James. It’s good to know I’m not alone. For myself my mortgage will be paid off in a few months fingers crossed and then I will have more disposable income for investing.

I only started my S&S ISA last April (I’m 41 now) and it’s been hard not to look back with regret for not starting it sooner, so this was a great video, with a message I really needed to hear. Thanks! 😊

Thank you for the content... I needed that kick in the ass to open that investment account. Now... Can you do one for the kids. Should I be investing my childrens savings and what are the best ways to do this from 5 to 16/18 and the switch to adulthood.

Good job. 40s is the best time to start investing!!!

Got out of debt at 46. Started investing at 47. Now 52 - house will be paid off this year. Hoping to retire at 60!

I didn’t even know about investing until last year!! I’m 43 and started investing last September. Now I’m excited to see what I can achieve for the future! Keep up the great videos James.

James, thank you for sharing your expertise. Your content gives me hope, as I approach my fifties, and keeps me on track, too. Keep up the great work, please!

Hi James, my only concerns with my pension are whether the rules will change, both in terms of increasing the age you can withdraw and also future tax rate changes. It seems an obvious place for the government to target when the pension crisis kicks in over the next 10-15 years. Maxing an ISA seems safer as you’ve already paid tax before putting the money in and therefore can withdraw at any age / moment and therefore could withdraw before any punitive changes in tax rates came into effect. Thanks

Another great video James. I spent my ''younger years'' pissing it up and not saving or investing, in 2007 aged 28 I started working for a local authority and entered their pension scheme, not having a clue about it but knowing that I really should be investing in a pension. I'm so glad I did as I know understand that I have a defined benefit pension that many other people would die for. Last year I began to learn and understand more about investing when I inherited modest four figure sum. In addition to my LGPS pension I know have a S&S ISA and a SIPP which I try to pay into monthly and a Junior S&S ISA for my 11 year old son which has a modest 3 figure sum but I am hoping that he will carry on investing into and reap the rewards of compound growth. I am also very lucky that my partner and I have a house in the South of England with approaching 50% equity. I'm from humble working class background but hoping to build for the future and my son's future. Keep up the good work!