Pensions, retirement planning, millennials, Gen X, and money. Why ignoring your pension could cost you hundreds of thousands.At 28, I made what I now think is one of the most expensive decisions of my life.I opted out of my pension.At the time, it didn’t feel reckless. It felt… rational. I needed cash. I was freelancing. I was living month to month. Retirement felt abstract, distant, irrelevant.But looking back, that one decision likely cost me hundreds of thousands of pounds.And I know I’m not alone.In this episode of It’s All Relative, I unpack why so many people, particularly older millennials and younger Gen X, have under-saved for retirement, and why pensions have become one of the most overlooked (and misunderstood) financial issues of our time.Too young for the gold-plated pensions our parents had.Too early for auto-enrolment.And navigating careers that were anything but linear.In this episode, I explore:

00:00 Intro02:19 Why I Opted Out of my Pension05:12 Family Money Lessons07:01 Millennial Money Squeeze09:09 The Pension Crisis Data10:55 Renting in Retirement11:59 Ant and Grasshopper Wakeup Call16:06 Preventive Wealth Mindset19:38 Community Questions28:59 What Does This Mean For Me?

👇 SUBSCRIBE & STAY IN THE CONVERSATIONSubscribe to the channel for weekly episodes of It’s All Relative with Dr Eliza FilbyRead the full essay on Substack & subscribe to the newsletter: https://drelizafilby.substack.comFollow Eliza on socials:InstagramLinkedInExplore Eliza’s work, speaking, and research: https://www.elizafilby.comBuy Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad:https://www.elizafilby.com/books

Gen Alpha charts, Gen Alpha data, Gen Alpha parents, Gen Alpha childhood trends – 8 charts every parent must see. This week on It’s All Relative, Dr Eliza Filby reveals Gen Alpha data on the rise of only children, gaming addiction, myopia crisis, Sephora tweens, shadow schooling, and why Gen Alpha calls parents "overwhelmed."Gen Alpha (born 2010–2025) is hitting teenage years amid the AI revolution. Will they be "Gen AI"? Forget speculations, these 8 Gen Alpha charts expose structural shifts in family size, screen/digital economies, education arms race, and parenting pressures. Are Millennial parents stressed out and failing their Gen Alpha kids? From Roblox pocket money to 9-year-olds with £50 moisturisers, the data truly shocks and relieves at the same time.

If you’re decoding Gen Alpha parenting, millennial family trends, childhood screen time, or AI kids’ future, subscribe for weekly data‑driven insights.Subscribe to my Substack for deeper essays: https://drelizafilby.substack.comFind me here:Website: https://www.elizafilby.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drelizafilbyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizafilby

Are prenups just for billionaires, celebrities and oligarchs… or are they becoming a normal part of modern marriage?In this episode of It’s All Relative, I explore the surprising rise of prenups among millennials and Gen Z, and why attitudes toward money, marriage and inheritance are changing rapidly.Nearly 40% of Americans under 34 who are married or engaged now have a prenup. In the UK, attitudes are shifting too, with a growing number of young people, particularly women, saying they would consider signing one.So what’s going on?I don’t think this is about cynicism or the death of romance.I think it tells us something profound about the changing economics of marriage.Because today, marriage sits at a strange intersection of love, law, wealth, and inheritance.In this episode, I explore:00:00 Prenups and marriage01:05 US/UK divide02:56 From celebrities to everyone05:24 Why prenups are rising06:47 Asset mapping and family wealth09:41 UK legal turning point: Radmacher vs Granatino11:00 Female wealth and vulnerability12:29 Inheritance example14:32 Cohabitation and debt15:52 Quick fire and Community QuestionsThis conversation also touches on a deeper shift happening across Western societies.Subscribe for weekly episodes:This show explores generational change, work, wealth, family and the economic forces shaping our lives.👉 Subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss next week’s episode.Subscribe to my Substack newsletter:For deeper essays on inheritance, generational change and modern family economics:https://drelizafilby.substack.comBuy InheritocracyMy book exploring how inheritance is reshaping society:https://lnk.to/InheritocracyPBFind me here:Websitehttps://www.elizafilby.comInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/drelizafilbyLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizafilby