The Paradise Papers.

SteakAndCake

This is misleading. The reason for this is that the top 1% now hold record wealth and the middle class continues to decline and thus pays less tax because there are just fewer in that class.  Those at the bottom has also increased and they pay zero tax.

We either boost middle class employment and pay so that tax revenue from this traditionally large bracket increases, or we have to increase tax rate on the few at the very top.   So production owners need to either pay more and hire more, or pay more tax themselves.   Obviously, having more middle income tax payers is preferable to a few high tax payers because having large numbers of people with disposable incomes stimulates the economy more than a handful of billionaires does.

NewfieDrool

My companion lost her pension investment with the well known company went belly up and she knows her investments pull more.
Pensions are a gamble, it’s only when you reach the end when you know what’s what with many. I also lost my pension that was company funded, it’s worth peanuts now and it’s too late to even think about investing in one at my age.
But as you say it’s down to the individual how they handle their money.

Jezza99

You could call it the "Virtue-Signallers Equity Income Fund"

But seriously, people "sacrificing profit" to invest in a more ethical scheme? Really? Why would you do that? There are to be fair existing investment funds that claim to be ethical if that's important to you, but they are niche.

SteakAndCake

True, but who benefits from a high FTSE?   Not the millions working minimum wage with no pension or investments.  It only benefits those who already comparatively wealthy.

The success of a company's stock is now totally unconnected to the remuneration of its employees.   
Capitalism just doesn't work for millions right and a high FTSE doesn't change that.

SteakAndCake

Why buy more expensive free range eggs?  They're not any better for us, they only benefit some random chicken who will just end up in a Nugget anyway.  Some people just have stronger ethical boundaries than others.

Jezza99

Well, I wouldn't agree with that, people with UK company pension schemes are protected by the Pension Protection Fund, which will pay 90% of their expected pension entitlements, so I'm not understanding how anyone could "lose" a UK pension.

Don't conflate "pensions" with "investments". Pensions are just a wrapper, the investments are inside that wrapper, but are just the same as investments outside that wrapper. It's the investments that are uncertain and not guaranteed, and therefore a "gamble" as you put it.

Jezza99

Because everyone wants the highest pension they can get. Show me someone who doesn't, and I'll show you a liar or an idiot.

Jezza99

Cobblers.

With auto-enrolment, more people than ever now have a pension, and the majority of that pension will be invested in UK stocks. Many low-middle income people have benefitted, and those that have lost out only have themselves to blame.

IronGiant

I'm not sure you can blame someone if their company pension was raided, or just plain disappeared.

NewfieDrool

I think you are right about knowing more but unless you have a large amount of capital a lot of better advice will be shut off to you.
I can’t dream of investing like my companion does, Those doors will never be open to me.

I think the main difference is that I could invest in stocks and shares through an investor but I could lose where it’s pretty safe if I had access to other investment organisations.

I look at life as I’ve got what I have and I’m happy. Ive never gone down the route of looking at others as it’s a never ending story.

I’ll let you into a little secret but she’s worked from day one, her parents never helped her as they believed she should work like everyone else. She had to save for a studio flat in London and worked most of her life as a secretary. She ended up doing a bit of bed and breakfast and then retired.
She lives a modest life, no internet, no big flashy car, no jewellery. She is very generous but at the same time hates wasting money.
She’s happy and that’s all that counts. She’s old school.