There can’t be many people who approach their 50th birthday filled with delight at the prospect.
But some take it worse than others and David Boyle, resident Peter Pan at the Commission for Financial Capability (the organisation behind Sorted), was dreading it.
Until his son produced a present he’ll never forget: a 50-plus survival kit. As a massive music-lover he was hoping for great things: concert tickets, albums and who knows what else.
Well, it certainly had the “what else”. Inside was a bag of marbles, for when he loses his; a magnifying sheet to help his fading eyesight; prune juice to keep things moving; and adult nappies for, well you can work that bit out.
Once his son had stopped laughing, and David had stopped sulking, it got him thinking about the things that should go into a more welcome retirement survival kit, so we’re all better prepared.
So we've come up with two kits: one aimed at people over the age of 40 and the other for those who are over 65.
They're each packed with information including tips, links to tools and useful websites, and a checklist that you can print out and use to track your progress.
And, unlike David's birthday present, this time music found its way in: every item on the checklist is associated with a song title that we hope will bring a smile to your face and might even get you singing along. If you're racking your brain to remember which artists wrote which songs then click here for the full playlists.
You get points for the checklist, so why not challenge your family, friends and colleagues to see who gets the highest score? Then follow the links in the kits for ways you can change your current situation.
Over 40?
Over 65?
