Enjoying Retirement
Discussion
911hope said:
Shnozz said:
My renewal came through today. I was expecting bad news but exceeded even my worst predictions. Near enough 100% increase. 45 years old, 20+ years NCB, 3k miles PA. 2.2 Merc diesel so hardly the RR brigade or anything thievable.
The insurance industry seems to be following a path of hiking all premiums at renewal time. Had it with motor and house insurance several times in the last year. I always shop around and find another policy.For those that just accept it ( and plenty do ), it is a big increase in margin for the insurer.
Has anybody seen an impact on their car insurance by changing their employment to retired? - How have you all managed this change?
Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
Ed Moses said:
Has anybody seen an impact on their car insurance by changing their employment to retired? - How have you all managed this change?
Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
I just selected 'retired' from the pull down list. No one asked me for proof, though I remember discussing on here about whether there is a difference between just unemployed or retired at 56 as I was then. Since I already had my RN pension in payment due to a medical discharge I could have produced that, but I was getting that when I was working anyway. Seemed to make it cheaper being retired rather than when I changed it back to my old job while messing about with quotes.Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
Also thanks Kirkmoly, not sure about sending anything off to BBC, though my cousin has that demo on some music/lyrics web page with the rest of his lyrics and another slower, more country song we did together. It's hard coming up with new stuff as you age I guess, especially lyric wise, hence me revisiting some of my very old stuff again now I have the gear to play and record it better than on an old 4 track Fostex cassette.
Your friend's work is impressive Phil. Even though not my typical genre it does sound very polished and professional sounding, especially if done on more basic equipment than available these days.
Just wasted far more time than I really should have watching some car repair videos of a guy rebuilding a Porsche 918 Caymen and a Ferrari F430. Very short clips, but I just about binged them all this afternoon.
I did fit a letter box catcher today which should help stop a draught due to our non standard letter box opening directly through the wall rather than the front door...hardly the peak of excitement, but it's always good to get little jobs done in between being lazy watching videos. Edited by OldSkoolRS on Monday 13th November 18:38
Ed Moses said:
Has anybody seen an impact on their car insurance by changing their employment to retired? - How have you all managed this change?
Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
I forgot until renewal time - and it went up - but I don't know how much that was due to a change in occupation or just because everything has gone up. I didn't mess about with different quotes, but I guess you could.....Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
I messed about with retired or occupation title on various motor policies I had running as I was in receipt of monthly taxable work payments which I could have claimed as salary though not actually working for them but was also in receipt of pension monies too.
Strangely the results would depend on the insurer, sometime retired with no commuting was cheaper and other times being employed with class 1 business use gave better results.
Given most of us buy on line it takes only a few minutes more to try multiple variations. Also check your voluntary excess amounts as often putting a min £100 reaps dividends but putting a voluntary £500 often gives the same premium so no benefit in opting to pay the higher excess.
Insurance is a funny old world but always check adding a second driver or spouse ( if you can )as that often drops the premium
Strangely the results would depend on the insurer, sometime retired with no commuting was cheaper and other times being employed with class 1 business use gave better results.
Given most of us buy on line it takes only a few minutes more to try multiple variations. Also check your voluntary excess amounts as often putting a min £100 reaps dividends but putting a voluntary £500 often gives the same premium so no benefit in opting to pay the higher excess.
Insurance is a funny old world but always check adding a second driver or spouse ( if you can )as that often drops the premium
Ed Moses said:
Has anybody seen an impact on their car insurance by changing their employment to retired? - How have you all managed this change?
Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
Mine dropped quite a bit.Asking as I officially start being paid one of my pensions in December so can evidence being a pensioner O(alongside being a part time worker Director type).
I worried that ‘Retired’ would be challenged given the age that I retired so I chose ‘Of Independent Means’ which, as luck would have it, was the cheapest option of all. When I hit 55 I changed it to ‘Retired’ which caused no change.
The big deal though is to make sure your cover is only SD&P explicitly excluding Commuting. That’s what caused mine to drop.
All this chat about music made me dig out some of my stuff from, wait for it... 45 years ago! 
When I was in my early 20s we had a band doing a few gigs and wanted to break into the West London circuit of The Golden Lion, The Kensington, The Nashville etc. We recorded a demo tape at a studio in Goldhawk Road and had a some copies made to hawk around but sadly nothing came of it. I've still got one of the tapes but being the '70s its a cassette and has really degraded! I've copied it to an mp3 file so it's safe for posterity but I wish I could clean it up somehow.
Par of the problem was that there were six of us; lead singer, two guitarists, bassist, keyboards and drums and we all had jobs as trainee surgeons, quantity surveyors, software bloke etc. so we slowly broke up and went our separate ways. Probably for the best, I did okay out of software and I was probably better at that than playing keyboards. Still it's nice to reminisce.
This one 'Carbine' is a sort of up the revolution type song but slightly tongue in cheek. The reference to Len Murrey and the TUC rather dates it.
https://on.soundcloud.com/5ekYn
When I was in my early 20s we had a band doing a few gigs and wanted to break into the West London circuit of The Golden Lion, The Kensington, The Nashville etc. We recorded a demo tape at a studio in Goldhawk Road and had a some copies made to hawk around but sadly nothing came of it. I've still got one of the tapes but being the '70s its a cassette and has really degraded! I've copied it to an mp3 file so it's safe for posterity but I wish I could clean it up somehow.
Par of the problem was that there were six of us; lead singer, two guitarists, bassist, keyboards and drums and we all had jobs as trainee surgeons, quantity surveyors, software bloke etc. so we slowly broke up and went our separate ways. Probably for the best, I did okay out of software and I was probably better at that than playing keyboards. Still it's nice to reminisce.
This one 'Carbine' is a sort of up the revolution type song but slightly tongue in cheek. The reference to Len Murrey and the TUC rather dates it.
https://on.soundcloud.com/5ekYn
I like that Rich, sound quality not withstanding, though I struggled to get the lyrics due to my crap hearing and it being a bit over recorded/compressed, but great vibe and I like the tempo change in the middle too.
There may be others hiding in the background, but it's great how some of us have had a crack at trying to get a break into music. I once sent a cassette off that I'd spent weeks working on my 4 track, then bouncing it down to stereo, probably back in the early 90s. I don't have a copy of the master, but somewhere I've got a remixed version of it transferred across to my more modern recorder and I can now see why I didn't make it big. At least I gave it a shot though. 
There may be others hiding in the background, but it's great how some of us have had a crack at trying to get a break into music. I once sent a cassette off that I'd spent weeks working on my 4 track, then bouncing it down to stereo, probably back in the early 90s. I don't have a copy of the master, but somewhere I've got a remixed version of it transferred across to my more modern recorder and I can now see why I didn't make it big.
At least I gave it a shot though. Phil. said:
Kirkmoly said:
I am almost ready to hold my hand up for *too* early. I retired at 47 and turned 60 this year. Up until recently I would have said that I had absolutely no regrets about how I spent my time. But getting all reflective this year:
My wife also retired at the same time and we have had a great time. We do lots of things. Never bored. A bit like an extended vacation really. But when I look back, the big question is what have I accomplished? That’s the missing piece. I would advise anyone in retirement to focus on outcome, not activities iykwim.
These past three months I have been writing music for the first time and voila, there is was: something tangible being created. It has been the most fulfilling time for decades. Just wish I had done it sooner.
I ‘released’ my first song on all the usual platforms this month and have set myself a challenge to release another on the first Friday of every month for the next year. It is a challenge that has me more energised than I have been in a fair while.
This post was ignored for some reason. I think your experience resonates for many. Congratulations on your new career My wife also retired at the same time and we have had a great time. We do lots of things. Never bored. A bit like an extended vacation really. But when I look back, the big question is what have I accomplished? That’s the missing piece. I would advise anyone in retirement to focus on outcome, not activities iykwim.
These past three months I have been writing music for the first time and voila, there is was: something tangible being created. It has been the most fulfilling time for decades. Just wish I had done it sooner.
I ‘released’ my first song on all the usual platforms this month and have set myself a challenge to release another on the first Friday of every month for the next year. It is a challenge that has me more energised than I have been in a fair while.
And thank you for sharing . It won't be artistically impressive like your and OS's music - I'm afraid have the musical equivalent of two left feet, but I do appreciate it and am impressed by people who can create it. Thanks both for sharing - I enjoyed listening.
On car insurance, I was told to put 'of independent means' on my policy, which seems far more 'PH Director' than I am! I seem to have got off lightly - 0-10% for them, but they were renewed earlier in the year, so maybe I'm going to be stung next year instead.
RichB said:
Yes it's a mess isn't it. I've got the lyrics in my piano stool so I'll copy them out if it's raining in the morning
I wonder if, with all the software tech that's available now, it's possible to take the cassette and improve it?
I have transferred some 4 track cassette recordings from my 80s Fostex onto my modern Tascam SD 32 track recorder and by putting noise gates on each channel and some 'exciter' effect/EQ to add more top end and the results were pretty decent. It's easier when tracks can be isolated more (as with the recent Beatles single).I wonder if, with all the software tech that's available now, it's possible to take the cassette and improve it?
A stereo recording could still be put into some modern software like Audacy and eq'd and cleaned up a bit, but the quality of the basic recording/playback equipment will be a major factor. It'll depend on whether the recording itself is oversaturated or whether that happened during the transfer to MP3, so it might be worth another try if you still have the original cassette: Just make sure you fast forward and then rewind the whole tape to re-tension it first to minimise chances of it breaking during playback.
At the least demagnetising the heads and a good clean before playback might help too.
I think in the car insurance arena we're all going to feel the hit with renewals from now. I was watching the Martin Lewis show last week and they featured ludicrous renewal prices being quoted - in some cases a £2000+ uplift! I thought no way.
The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
Armitage.Shanks said:
I think in the car insurance arena we're all going to feel the hit with renewals from now. I was watching the Martin Lewis show last week and they featured ludicrous renewal prices being quoted - in some cases a £2000+ uplift! I thought no way.
The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
I’m getting our 2014 diesel evoque fixed this week and putting it up for sale . I previously mentioned a 30% increase in my annual premium on that car but had confused oh with another car we own . The increase was double. The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
It’s scandalous
RichB said:
Yes it's a mess isn't it. I've got the lyrics in my piano stool so I'll copy them out if it's raining in the morning
I wonder if, with all the software tech that's available now, it's possible to take the cassette and improve it?
You could run it through a vocal remover and re-record the instruments. (Like the Beatles latest stripping out John’s original piano). ’Ultimate Vocal Remover V5’ seems to have some decent YouTube how-to videos. There may be too many artefacts left over but you can’t know until you hear the result.I wonder if, with all the software tech that's available now, it's possible to take the cassette and improve it?
GT3Manthey said:
Armitage.Shanks said:
I think in the car insurance arena we're all going to feel the hit with renewals from now. I was watching the Martin Lewis show last week and they featured ludicrous renewal prices being quoted - in some cases a £2000+ uplift! I thought no way.
The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
I’m getting our 2014 diesel evoque fixed this week and putting it up for sale . I previously mentioned a 30% increase in my annual premium on that car but had confused oh with another car we own . The increase was double. The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
It’s scandalous
I have a LR 2015 Discovery Sport 2.2 SD4 HSE Lux, had it for 7 years. I do about 10,000 miles pa. We live mid Surrey. Renewal premiums were 2022: £677, 2023: £736. This is with a full NCD for fully comp, only driver me. Policy renews March each year. A 9% increase suggests that I got a reasonable deal.
Going to be interesting to see if there's any "loading" in 2024 now I've turned 80!
R.
The Leaper said:
GT3Manthey said:
Armitage.Shanks said:
I think in the car insurance arena we're all going to feel the hit with renewals from now. I was watching the Martin Lewis show last week and they featured ludicrous renewal prices being quoted - in some cases a £2000+ uplift! I thought no way.
The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
I’m getting our 2014 diesel evoque fixed this week and putting it up for sale . I previously mentioned a 30% increase in my annual premium on that car but had confused oh with another car we own . The increase was double. The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
It’s scandalous
I have a LR 2015 Discovery Sport 2.2 SD4 HSE Lux, had it for 7 years. I do about 10,000 miles pa. We live mid Surrey. Renewal premiums were 2022: £677, 2023: £736. This is with a full NCD for fully comp, only driver me. Policy renews March each year. A 9% increase suggests that I got a reasonable deal.
Going to be interesting to see if there's any "loading" in 2024 now I've turned 80!
R.
Many years ago, FIL grumbled about his car insurance, then grumbled he would be too old to move companies. Would have been about when he was 80.
I spent a short time via TopCashBack on the comparison sites: *halved* his premium for him
He spent a long time asking me questions, convinced the cover would be reduced.
Nope: his insurers were taking him for granted (& a ride at his expense!).
Eventually, he was happy with the savings
Same with their home insurance.
Not suggesting this is you, btw, but many older people, often not tech savvy, are very intransigent in their ‘buying habits’!
mikeiow said:
The Leaper said:
GT3Manthey said:
Armitage.Shanks said:
I think in the car insurance arena we're all going to feel the hit with renewals from now. I was watching the Martin Lewis show last week and they featured ludicrous renewal prices being quoted - in some cases a £2000+ uplift! I thought no way.
The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
I’m getting our 2014 diesel evoque fixed this week and putting it up for sale . I previously mentioned a 30% increase in my annual premium on that car but had confused oh with another car we own . The increase was double. The renewal has just come in on the old Audi A2 we've owned since 2007 and use as the dog/shop transport. Last year £141. Renewal £331. Running the comparison sites the best I can get is £206 or £187 if I went TPF&T. Renewals on the other three cars when they land will be interesting
It’s scandalous
I have a LR 2015 Discovery Sport 2.2 SD4 HSE Lux, had it for 7 years. I do about 10,000 miles pa. We live mid Surrey. Renewal premiums were 2022: £677, 2023: £736. This is with a full NCD for fully comp, only driver me. Policy renews March each year. A 9% increase suggests that I got a reasonable deal.
Going to be interesting to see if there's any "loading" in 2024 now I've turned 80!
R.
Many years ago, FIL grumbled about his car insurance, then grumbled he would be too old to move companies. Would have been about when he was 80.
I spent a short time via TopCashBack on the comparison sites: *halved* his premium for him
He spent a long time asking me questions, convinced the cover would be reduced.
Nope: his insurers were taking him for granted (& a ride at his expense!).
Eventually, he was happy with the savings
Same with their home insurance.
Not suggesting this is you, btw, but many older people, often not tech savvy, are very intransigent in their ‘buying habits’!
I get older, I have full no claims , the cars are worth less each year and we pay more !
GT3Manthey said:
I always use the comparison sites and was astounded by the cheapest quote. I’m thinking next time around I’ll see if I can multi car policy if this makes things cheaper.
I get older, I have full no claims , the cars are worth less each year and we pay more !
Galling, isn’t it.I get older, I have full no claims , the cars are worth less each year and we pay more !
Several years ago, we found that Admiral multi-car worked well for us (ie, best price for the cover we needed)….then the next year it went up enough to make me search around, and we split them out again….
Always worth a look, but I feel rarely makes things cheaper, just perhaps ‘easier’.
If insurance companies go up less than inflation, then I don’t (generally) search to change. Once they take the mickey, it’s time to move
Spot of gardening today, followed by (gasp) my first volleyball match in almost 6 months tonight….must do a proper warm-up with my creaking joints
‘The kids’ are properly taking things over at our Club: we have a very snazzy new kit designed by them & shipped over from the Philippines at the grand price of £15 a shirt, including individual names & numbers, etc. Really nice to see (& encourage - I won’t be playing much longer!)
mikeiow said:
Galling, isn’t it.
Several years ago, we found that Admiral multi-car worked well for us (ie, best price for the cover we needed)….then the next year it went up enough to make me search around, and we split them out again….
Always worth a look, but I feel rarely makes things cheaper, just perhaps ‘easier’.
If insurance companies go up less than inflation, then I don’t (generally) search to change. Once they take the mickey, it’s time to move
Spot of gardening today, followed by (gasp) my first volleyball match in almost 6 months tonight….must do a proper warm-up with my creaking joints
‘The kids’ are properly taking things over at our Club: we have a very snazzy new kit designed by them & shipped over from the Philippines at the grand price of £15 a shirt, including individual names & numbers, etc. Really nice to see (& encourage - I won’t be playing much longer!)
Hi Mike tks I’ll stick to the comparison sites on an individual basis . I do have a 2014 fiesta eco boost worth very little but zero road tax & does 50mpg so I’ll be driving that as much as poss. I do feel the days of owning big cars are over for me now. Several years ago, we found that Admiral multi-car worked well for us (ie, best price for the cover we needed)….then the next year it went up enough to make me search around, and we split them out again….
Always worth a look, but I feel rarely makes things cheaper, just perhaps ‘easier’.
If insurance companies go up less than inflation, then I don’t (generally) search to change. Once they take the mickey, it’s time to move
Spot of gardening today, followed by (gasp) my first volleyball match in almost 6 months tonight….must do a proper warm-up with my creaking joints
‘The kids’ are properly taking things over at our Club: we have a very snazzy new kit designed by them & shipped over from the Philippines at the grand price of £15 a shirt, including individual names & numbers, etc. Really nice to see (& encourage - I won’t be playing much longer!)
Volleyball ! Great game. I remember the days in my teens playing on a beach in Ibiza then running to the sea to cool off . Enjoy and keep going as long as poss
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