What makes Britain completely crap?
#181
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
It all depends what your personal wants and needs AND FINANCES are which could be entirely different from somebody else's and tax can be an issue in France too. English language, schools, isolation, pubs, shops, bureaucracy allergy, family..............
For instance, you mentioned that you have a significant holding of land. Funnily enough when I was in France a couple of years back I spoke to a retired Brit who lives in Morbihan in Brittany who said that in retrospect the biggest regret he had was that he had TOO MUCH LAND to the point where he is a slave to it. I agreed with him wholeheartedly and would run a mile now to have less land than the acre-plus I have to maintain, let alone the property/house itself if only because unlike many others, I am not green-fingered or handy, though am a reluctant bride to it all these days out of necessity.
For instance, you mentioned that you have a significant holding of land. Funnily enough when I was in France a couple of years back I spoke to a retired Brit who lives in Morbihan in Brittany who said that in retrospect the biggest regret he had was that he had TOO MUCH LAND to the point where he is a slave to it. I agreed with him wholeheartedly and would run a mile now to have less land than the acre-plus I have to maintain, let alone the property/house itself if only because unlike many others, I am not green-fingered or handy, though am a reluctant bride to it all these days out of necessity.
#182
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
That's exactly it. We have horses and goats. In the UK it would be impossible to own enough land. Too many people come here and think ooo, land! and not the amount of work that goes in to it. The UK doesn't allow people who'd like land to have it, unless they're very wealthy. Even in remote Wales, this sort of holding would be 3k£!
I'll be tempted by a UK leasehold, share of freehold -type place where the management takes care of the exterior in the service charge. The St Lucia place will be the land if we should ever return to occupy it.
#183
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
It all depends what your personal wants and needs AND FINANCES are which could be entirely different from somebody else's and tax can be an issue in France too. English language, schools, isolation, pubs, shops, bureaucracy allergy, family..............
For instance, you mentioned that you have a significant holding of land. Funnily enough when I was in France a couple of years back I spoke to a retired Brit who lives in Morbihan in Brittany who said that in retrospect the biggest regret he had was that he had TOO MUCH LAND to the point where he is a slave to it. I agreed with him wholeheartedly and would run a mile now to have less land than the acre-plus I have to maintain, let alone the property/house itself if only because unlike many others, I am not green-fingered or handy, though am a reluctant bride to it all these days out of necessity.
For instance, you mentioned that you have a significant holding of land. Funnily enough when I was in France a couple of years back I spoke to a retired Brit who lives in Morbihan in Brittany who said that in retrospect the biggest regret he had was that he had TOO MUCH LAND to the point where he is a slave to it. I agreed with him wholeheartedly and would run a mile now to have less land than the acre-plus I have to maintain, let alone the property/house itself if only because unlike many others, I am not green-fingered or handy, though am a reluctant bride to it all these days out of necessity.
Finances play the same roles in Chris's arguments. If you don't need to live somewhere to earn a living, have a good pension (thanks GB I don't), and can afford to buy somewhere outright, UK may be the place to be.
#184
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
That's exactly it. We have horses and goats. In the UK it would be impossible to own enough land. Too many people come here and think ooo, land! and not the amount of work that goes in to it. The UK doesn't allow people who'd like land to have it, unless they're very wealthy. Even in remote Wales, this sort of holding would be 3k£!
#186
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 175
Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
The reason your arguments cant be taken seriously is you generalise and falsely generalise. It's absolutely ridiculous to say it is impossible to own enough land in the UK to keep horses and goats, what about all the people that do just that ? You most certainly do not need to be very wealthy to do it. Our friends in Wales have a lovely big property, they have sheep, horses, pigs etc and most certainly are not wealthy. We could easily keep goats on our property and we are not wealthy.
It's impossible for me to own land in the UK.
One can't generalise more than you do Chris.
Last edited by Harvester523; Mar 4th 2014 at 11:43 am.
#187
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
I understand you love France and good for you and you clearly had a hard life here but your experiences dont automatically become those of everyone.
Sorry but you have certainly beaten me
#188
Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
Terms like wealth (and poverty, to an extent) are so subjective and have so many definitions that I think it's difficult for many people to say they are definitely one or the other, or definitely not one or the other.
On various measures of "wealth", I'd guess I am anywhere between about the 25th percentile and the 95th percentile, compared to the rest of the population.
On various measures of "wealth", I'd guess I am anywhere between about the 25th percentile and the 95th percentile, compared to the rest of the population.
#189
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
Terms like wealth (and poverty, to an extent) are so subjective and have so many definitions that I think it's difficult for many people to say they are definitely one or the other, or definitely not one or the other.
On various measures of "wealth", I'd guess I am anywhere between about the 25th percentile and the 95th percentile, compared to the rest of the population.
On various measures of "wealth", I'd guess I am anywhere between about the 25th percentile and the 95th percentile, compared to the rest of the population.
Try this survey for a measurement of affluence in terms of income:
http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/
Most Brits clearly don't have a pot to p _ _ s in.
While I'm still busy pushing funds into my UK State Pension, I take pleasure in knowing I'm increasing my wealth there, to the level of the present value of future pension rights. As nun mentioned somewhere, annuities pay precious little these days, making a UK State Pension one of the most valuable assets one could have, along with other indexed government pension streams. If you croak you do of course get nothing, unless it is guaranteed or survivor.
Last edited by Pistolpete2; Mar 4th 2014 at 2:42 pm. Reason: While I'm still busy pushing funds into my UK State Pension
#190
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
I'm not comparatively wealthy at all. It clearly isnt impossible for people to own land in the UK otherwise nobody would own land in the UK. Many of the houses in our village have at least an acre of land and I doubt many here would consider themselves wealthy.
I understand you love France and good for you and you clearly had a hard life here but your experiences dont automatically become those of everyone.
Sorry but you have certainly beaten me
I understand you love France and good for you and you clearly had a hard life here but your experiences dont automatically become those of everyone.
Sorry but you have certainly beaten me
#191
Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
Having a house which is paid for doesn't count for much if you are asset rich and cash poor.
Try this survey for a measurement of affluence in terms of income:
http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/
Most Brits clearly don't have a pot to p _ _ s in.
Try this survey for a measurement of affluence in terms of income:
http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/
Most Brits clearly don't have a pot to p _ _ s in.
It seems rather strange that it asks you how much your council tax is, but not what your mortgage or rental payments are - that is a major cash outlay for some, and zero for others.
#192
Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
Having a house which is paid for doesn't count for much if you are asset rich and cash poor.
Try this survey for a measurement of affluence in terms of income:
http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/
Most Brits clearly don't have a pot to p _ _ s in.
While I'm still busy pushing funds into my UK State Pension, I take pleasure in knowing I'm increasing my wealth there, to the level of the present value of future pension rights. As nun mentioned somewhere, annuities pay precious little these days, making a UK State Pension one of the most valuable assets one could have, along with other indexed government pension streams. If you croak you do of course get nothing, unless it is guaranteed or survivor.
Try this survey for a measurement of affluence in terms of income:
http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/
Most Brits clearly don't have a pot to p _ _ s in.
While I'm still busy pushing funds into my UK State Pension, I take pleasure in knowing I'm increasing my wealth there, to the level of the present value of future pension rights. As nun mentioned somewhere, annuities pay precious little these days, making a UK State Pension one of the most valuable assets one could have, along with other indexed government pension streams. If you croak you do of course get nothing, unless it is guaranteed or survivor.
However, I sense there is change in the air - lots of rumblings about insurance companies being held accountable for the crap annuity rates - hopefully the options will be batter in 5 or 10 years.
#193
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
I agree with you that it's simplistic but if you consider your ability to survive financially today, for the most part it is based upon your cash flow and whether paying a typical mortgage or rent, the cash flow position right now is roughly the same, assuming you haven't bought a high-maintenance heap of a house with never-ending damp and structural issues.
#194
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
Current best buy annuities are about £6,000 p.a. for a £100k pot (single life annuity, fixed income), or about £3,500 p.a. (inflation-linked annual rises). The latter is the closest analogy to UK pension (which also has annual inflation-linked increases) - so, 3.5% yield, pretty pathetic.
However, I sense there is change in the air - lots of rumblings about insurance companies being held accountable for the crap annuity rates - hopefully the options will be batter in 5 or 10 years.
However, I sense there is change in the air - lots of rumblings about insurance companies being held accountable for the crap annuity rates - hopefully the options will be batter in 5 or 10 years.
When private pension issues actually come up for us down the road, we are hoping to be able to get the option where you leave the funds with the administrator/manager along with agreed investment parameters and just get the income stream and gains.
The indications ref future pensions at retirement date that they supplied based upon annuities are a real joke.
#195
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Re: What makes Britain completely crap?
Yes some bizarre and very inaccurate generalisations. Of course in the towns and cities people dont keep horses and goats generally speaking but I'm sure that is true in France as well. As you say not everyone or even I would imagine a majority of French people have loads of land.