The Big 5 0 Survey What To Do Before You Hit 50 What Worries Those Most At 50

Published / Last Updated on 29/05/2017

Big 5 0 Survey.

Sun Life’s Big 5 0 survey in March of over 50,000 people revealed that in the top 50 things people hoped to achieve by the time people were 50 included, interestingly, it is pensions that is one of the biggest worries.

Top things to have done by the time you are 50

  1. Buy a house
  2. Have kids
  3. Get married
  4. Fall in love
  5. Eat fish and chips on the pier
  6. Donate blood
  7. Read 100 books
  8. See your favourite musician/band live
  9. Learn a language
  10. Attend a music festival
  11. Own a dog
  12. Learn to say no to your mother
  13. Stay out all night partying
  14. See the Northern Lights
  15. Visit Stonehenge
  16. Be able to remember which side of your car the petrol cap is on
  17. Travel somewhere alone
  18. Sleep underneath the stars
  19. Watch a meteor shower
  20. Dance in the rain
  21. Become an expert at something
  22. Quit a job
  23. See a volcano
  24. Visit all seven continents
  25. Throw a coin in the Trevi fountain
  26. Take a helicopter ride
  27. Have sex on a beach
  28. Swim with dolphins
  29. Go skinny dipping
  30. Ride a gondola in Venice
  31. Make a snow angel
  32. Take part in a protest
  33. Own your own business
  34. Go in a hot air balloon
  35. Ride an elephant
  36. Climb Snowdonia
  37. Jump into a pool fully clothed
  38. Backpack across Europe
  39. Perfect a signature dish
  40. Drink beer at Oktoberfest
  41. Run a marathon
  42. Get a tattoo
  43. Ride a Vespa
  44. Watch comedy at Edinburgh Fringe
  45. Write a novel
  46. Write a journal
  47. Spend a month technology free
  48. Try drugs
  49. Have a threesome
  50. Go to an airport and pick a random flight

There are a few that we have missed out on but we certainly won’t tell you which ones!

So What Worries the Over 50s?

It’s pension funds.  So whilst you were happily jumping into pools fully clothed, skinny dipping in far off shores or dancing the night away with your 5 days passes at Boardmasters or Glastonbury, could this money have been spent elsewhere?

  • 28% of people said having a large enough pension fund was their biggest concern
  • 38% of people said that pensions were one of their primary concerns.

One of the key drivers behind this is of course when younger, you are living life, making a home, bringing up children and building your career.  It is no wonder that pensions are lower priority in 20s, 30s and 40s.

The reality does hit at 50.

Many retirees also suggest that they retired too early.

They underestimated their income needs, overestimated how big their pension fund would be and how long it would last.

What to do?

Work out how much you will need.

Not just today but when you have retired.

Pension Shortfall Calculators

We have built two calculators to help you:

Pension Target Funding Calculator and Pension Shortfall Calculator

Explore our Site

About
Advice
Money MOT
T and C