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

This week on It’s All Relative, I’m unpacking one of the biggest economic shifts of the last 40 years: the rise of the dual-income household, and why it’s no longer a sign of feminist triumph, but financial necessity.We like to tell ourselves a story about progress. More women in professional careers. Greater equality. Higher household earnings. But beneath that narrative lies a quieter, more uncomfortable truth.Two incomes are no longer aspirational. They are structural and essential. The baseline requirement for accessing housing, affording childcare, and maintaining middle-class stability. In this episode, I explore:

00:00 Two Incomes Aren’t a Dream Anymore—They’re the Baseline

01:24 The Hidden Economic Story Behind ‘Feminist Progress’

02:35 What Changed: Housing, Childcare & Education Outpaced Wages

03:36 Why You’re Exhausted: Institutions Still Assume a Stay‑at‑Home Parent

06:00 Millennials vs. Their Parents: ‘Working Double to Be Half as Rich’

07:24 When One Income Is a Luxury: The 0.5% and the ‘Trad Wife’ Fantasy

08:51 The 1.5-Income Reality: Part-Time Work Driven by Childcare Costs

10:07 Class, Benefits Traps & the Rise of Female Breadwinners

12:11 Triple-Income Families: The Bank of Mom & Dad and Lost ‘Independence’

15:07 Quick-Fire Answers: Is It Progress, What’s the Fix, Are We Worse Off?

18:50 Community Questions: Feminism, Guilt, Resilience,Trad Wife, and Outdated Workplaces

27:42 Does This Fuel the Gender Wars? Final Thoughts & Sign-Off

This is about understanding the economic realignment that reshaped family life without rebuilding the structures to support it, not a critique of feminism. If you feel like you’re working twice as hard to be half as secure, there’s a reason. We are living through a structural shift in family economics. And until we name it, we’ll keep internalising what is actually systemic.

If you want intelligent, contextual analysis of generational change, work, wealth, family, and the economic forces reshaping our lives, hit subscribe to get notified when a new episode drops every week.

You can subscribe to my Substack here for deeper analysis and weekly essays.

Find me here:

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

This episode of 'It's Relative' explores the concept of meritocracy and argues why it has become a trap. Featuring Daniel Markovitz, Yale professor and author of 'The Meritocracy Trap,' the discussion dissects the rise of elite parenting, the collapse of the middle class, and how current labor markets are exacerbating inequalities. The conversation includes insights into the social and economic pressures faced by both privileged elites and middle-class professionals, along with the impact on future generations.

Additionally, it addresses how asset wealth and labor income contribute to this meritocratic disparity, shedding light on the paradoxical nature of today’s elite society.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Illusion of Meritocracy

00:27 The Reality of Social Mobility

01:15 Welcome to the Show

01:38 The Meritocracy Trap Explained

02:09 The Rise of the New Elite

03:41 Middle Class Stagnation

05:58 The Disappearing Mid-Skill Jobs

08:10 The Cost of Elite Success

09:16 The Burden of Expectations

16:15 Economic Justice and Inequality

16:43 The Changing Class Map

17:22 Challenges for Today's Young Generation

19:40 The Rise of Meritocracy: A Historical Perspective

20:42 Winners and Losers in the Meritocratic System

22:11 The Middle Class Squeeze

23:00 The Dualism of Labor and Asset Wealth

24:44 The Impact of AI on the Job Market

26:27 Meritocracy and Immigrant Success Stories

29:39 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Meritocracy

33:00 Gender Dynamics in the Meritocratic System

40:01 Advice for the Next Generation

41:21 Conclusion: The Future of Meritocracy

About It’s All Relative

Ever wondered why the world works the way it does? It's All Relative unravels the unspoken rules and hidden connections that shape our lives. We dig into the origins of privilege, power, and social structures, offering candid conversations that challenge assumptions and provide fresh insights into the intricate tapestry of modern society. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the forces that truly matter.

About Eliza

Dr. Eliza Filby is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author, broadcaster, and one of the world’s leading experts on generational change. Specialising in the shifts that define how we live, work, and connect across generations, Eliza delivers sharp insights, no-nonsense truths, and fresh takes on our parents' world, our present, and what’s next for our kids.

Her latest book, Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad (Biteback, 2024), became a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller, sparking global conversations about the future of wealth, family, and opportunity.

Buy Inheritocracy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritocracy-Should-Talk-about-Bank/dp/1785908588

Instagram

LinkedIn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we living in a world where hard work isn't enough? In this episode of It’s All Relative, join Dr Eliza Filby with guest Polly Toynbee as they dissect the societal implications of the profound shift away from meritocracy, discuss the impact on social mobility and examine what this means for the future of opportunity and economic justice.

This crucial discussion challenges the very foundations of how we understand success, exploring the undeniable rise of "Inheritocracy" – a system where inherited wealth, connections, and privilege increasingly dictate outcomes, replacing the long-cherished ideal of meritocracy.

Take a deep dive into

* The breakdown of traditional meritocratic pathways

* How intergenerational wealth perpetuates inequality

* The role of privilege in career and life success

* The challenge of achieving true social mobility

About It’s All Relative

Ever wondered why the world works the way it does? It's All Relative unravels the unspoken rules and hidden connections that shape our lives. We dig into the origins of privilege, power, and social structures, offering candid conversations that challenge assumptions and provide fresh insights into the intricate tapestry of modern society. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the forces that truly matter.

About Eliza

Dr. Eliza Filby is an award-winning speaker, bestselling author, broadcaster, and one of the world’s leading experts on generational change. Specialising in the shifts that define how we live, work, and connect across generations, Eliza delivers sharp insights, no-nonsense truths, and fresh takes on our parents' world, our present, and what’s next for our kids.

Her latest book, Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad (Biteback, 2024), became a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller, sparking global conversations about the future of wealth, family, and opportunity.

Buy Inheritocracy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritocracy-Should-Talk-about-Bank/dp/1785908588

https://www.instagram.com/dr_eliza_filby/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-eliza-filby/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Jade isn't even my real name. Jade began as my Starbucks name, because all children of immigrants have a Starbucks name.' Jaded is the must read novel of 2024, a debut from former City lawyer, Ela Lee. It's an interrogating exploration of race, class, work and sexual assault, not to mention what we tell ourselves (and others) in order to fit in at any cost. Ela sits down with Eliza and talks us through how she wrote Jaded in lockdown, millennial novels and heroines and the complexities and contortions involved in intersectional identity in the 21st century.

You can follow Ela Lee and purchase her book Jaded here. For all things Dr. Eliza Filby follow here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.