The future: I am going ... where?

Do you think about the future? Your retirement? Where am I going?

In this episode, host Robert Martin discusses the future with Dr. David Knox (Mercer Superannuation expert). They talk about retirement and the anxieties people feel about their future. They discuss how much money I'll need in retirement and what we'll be doing. We also discuss how the Apostle Paul considers the future and money. David shares something about a future horizon which we would all do well to heed.

This Bigger Questions episode is a re-edit and re-release of Episode 34 (recorded under the show's former title, hence the absence of episode number).

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Bigger Questions asked in the conversation

David, you’re passionate about superannuation. But superannuation isn't often the topic of conversation at parties. What drives your passion?

Smaller Questions

Our smaller questions are on retirement.

Retirement and the future

Jim Clements, the UK’s oldest staff member, says that the secret of staying young is to ‘go back to work’. Do you think we love our work so much that we won’t retire?

What does the future of work and retirement look like? Will we even have the concept of retirement?

Marketwatch website has a list of the Top 10 things to do in retirement. The number one thing was ‘get a job’ and the number two was ‘volunteer’. Why do you think these were the top two suggestions?

Many of us are not yet ready to retire, but we all have money going into superannuation funds. You think about retirement and superannuation all the time. How should we think about superannuation?

Do you think Australians think about the future enough?

It’s claimed that 1 in 4 Australians will outlive their retirement savings by more than 10 years. Almost half of working senior Australians are not confident in the adequacy of their retirement income. This is a particularly pressing issue for women. How much super will I need to retire?

David's story

David, what convinced you to become a Christian believer?

1 Timothy 6 - contentment

The Logos for the today is from the New Testament book of 1 Timothy. It’s a letter written by the Apostle Paul to his younger apprentice Timothy. In the sixth chapter Paul passes on some great wisdom by saying:1 Timothy 6:6-8,

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

How does this passage impact our view of the future and even retirement?

How do you think the ‘contentment’ spoken of here speaks to the anxiety often felt about superannuation and retirement?

What does someone working in financial services make of Paul’s phrase, ‘we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it’?

Do you think the Apostle Paul would have had a superannuation account?

Is there a sense in which we can be too obsessed with our retirement?

1 Timothy 6 - danger of wealth

Paul goes on to offer more advice to Timothy,

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Can the love of money impact our choices when it comes to superannuation?

The Big Question

So David, the future, I am going where?