Part 335: Retirement is Inevitable

Hello and welcome back to Mortgage Advisor on FIRE. This week, retirement is inevitable, and you need to prepare for it. Also, some First World Problems, and the next entry on my best sci-fi list.

Weekly Update

Out of all the weeks of my life, this was one of them. Not to say that it’s been a bad week, it’s just there’s not a huge amount of excitement in the Scothern household right now. We’re having to pay closer attention to Poppy though.

A few weeks ago it was determined that she had an overactive thyroid and the vet prescribed some meds to help. These meds may have helped with her thyroid, but Poppy was not the same cat. She lost her personality and started repeatedly scratching her cheeks, which started bleeding. We stopped the treatment and some of her personality is returning, but because her cheeks are scabbed over, she is still scratching. As we need to let the wounds heal, we’ve had to put her a collar of shame on. She’s now a pretty sunflower:

She doesn’t like the collar but it’s better than her constantly reopening the cuts and making them bleed. We give her a few monitored breaks from the collar to let her groom and clean, but she can be a sneaky little goose and we’ve had to rush to stop her scratching when she thinks we’re not looking.

First World Problems – Adverts

I reserve a specific type of rage for mobile/online ads, especially the sort that don’t just appear, but ambush. You’re halfway through a video, or you’re on a roll on a game, and suddenly your screen is hijacked by something loud, garish, and utterly irrelevant. 

Worse still, it’s never just one tap to escape. It’s a ritual. Tap the microscopic “x” in the corner, wait for the fake loading bar, tap another “x”, dodge the inevitable misclick that opens the app store, and only then, finally, you’re allowed back to what you were doing. The most clicks I’ve counted to exit an advert was six. Six screens to click through just to exit an ad for something that I’m never going to buy.

It’s not just intrusive, it’s adversarial. These ads aren’t designed to inform or persuade; they’re designed to trap. And that’s the fundamental issue. Good advertising should create a positive association with a brand. It should be memorable for the right reasons. But these formats do the opposite; they build irritation, resentment, and in many cases, outright hostility.

I’ve drawn a hard line. If I have to close an ad more than once, that brand has immediately disqualified itself from ever getting my money. And anecdotally, that sentiment seems widespread. Most people I speak to about this say the same thing; adverts are fucking annoying.

And this mindset doesn’t just apply to mobile games or websites. It carries straight over into streaming services. If I’m paying for a subscription, that should be the end of the transaction. The idea that I’m then expected to sit through ads, or worse, pay again for an “ad-free” tier, feels like double-dipping at best and outright contempt for the customer at worst. It reframes the entire relationship: I’m no longer the customer, I’m the product being monetised twice.

It’s the same underlying philosophy; extract maximum value with minimal regard for user experience. Whether it’s a mobile game forcing you through a maze of fake “x” buttons or a streaming platform inserting ads into something you’ve already paid for, the message is clear: your time is less important than their revenue model.

So why does it persist?

Because, depressingly, it does work, at least in the narrowest, most cynical sense. Mobile and digital advertising operate on scale and probability. If even a small percentage of users misclick, tolerate the ads, or upgrade to remove them, that’s enough to justify the model. It’s not about goodwill; it’s about conversion rates. It’s also similar to tins of baked beans in Tesco; they might only make 1p profit per tin, but they sell enough tins to make it worthwhile. It’s all about the numbers.

But there’s a long-term cost to this approach. Every forced interaction erodes trust. Every unnecessary ad nudges people closer to ad blockers, piracy, or simply disengaging altogether. And every time a paying customer is told, “pay more if you want a better experience,” it chips away at the perceived value of the service itself.

There’s a better way. Advertising doesn’t have to feel like a siege, and subscriptions shouldn’t feel like a negotiation. But until the incentives change, we’re stuck in this loop, furiously tapping tiny “x” buttons, skipping ads on services we already pay for, and quietly writing off brands that decided annoyance was an acceptable strategy.

It reminds me of a post I saw a while back from YouTube’s official account somewhere. They asked what people were going to watch first when they opened YouTube. Some legend replied, “probably an advert”. 

The Greatest Science Fiction Shows 

I’ve noticed a few posts recently listing sci-fi shows and movies with titles like “best ever” and “greatest of all time”.  I thought I’d enter the chat and list my top ten sci-fi shows of all time, starting at number ten and working my way to the best one of all over the next ten weeks.

Note: for a show to qualify, it has to have finished.

So far, I’ve covered:

10 – The Outer Limits

9 – The X-Files

8 – Space: Above and Beyond

Now for number seven…

Quantum Leap (1989–1993)

Created by Donald P. Bellisario, the series follows Dr Sam Beckett, a physicist who becomes trapped in his own time travel experiment, leaping from life to life within his own lifetime. Although there is a very loose overarching plot, it’s very much an episodic series.

Each episode drops Sam into the body of a different person. He retains his own consciousness, but to everyone else, he is that person. A pilot, a boxer, a doctor, a prisoner. Each leap comes with its own set of challenges, relationships, and consequences. His task is simple in theory but often complex in execution: put right what once went wrong before moving on to the next leap.

Guiding him is Al, a holographic observer from Sam’s own time, visible only to him. Armed with information from the supercomputer Ziggy, Al helps Sam piece together what needs to change. But the information is often incomplete, the stakes unclear, and the moral choices anything but straightforward.

What makes Quantum Leap stand out when compared to many of the shows on this list, is its scale. There are no galactic wars or existential threats to humanity. Instead, the show focuses on smaller, more personal moments.

Because Sam is living these lives rather than observing them, the show carries a level of empathy that feels earned. Each leap forces Sam (and by extension, the audience) to confront the realities faced by people in different circumstances and different eras.

At its core, Quantum Leap is about identity. Sam is constantly looking in mirrors and seeing someone else staring back. He exists in a kind of limbo, never fully himself, never fully the person he’s inhabiting. 

Sam and Al

The emotional anchor of the show is the relationship between Sam and Al, which benefits from the amazing chemistry between Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Sam is driven by compassion and a desire to help, often to the point of self-sacrifice. Al is more pragmatic, occasionally irreverent, but deeply loyal.

Their dynamic gives the show its balance. Without Al, Sam’s journey would feel isolating. Without Sam, Al would have no purpose. Together, they create one of the most memorable partnerships in science-fiction television. On a side note, it was great seeing the actors perform together again in Star Trek: Enterprise.

Over time, their relationship deepens, revealing that while Sam is the one physically leaping through time, Al is also carrying the emotional weight of what that journey costs.

Standout Episodes

Because Quantum Leap is largely episodic, its legacy is built on individual stories that resonate long after they’ve finished.

“The Leap Home (Part 1 & 2)” stands as one of the show’s emotional high points. Sam leaps into his own past and reconnects with his family, including his brother Tom. Knowing what will happen to his brother, Sam is faced with a deeply personal dilemma; should he try to change his own history? It’s a powerful collision of the show’s premise with Sam’s own life.

“M.I.A.” shifts the spotlight to Al, exploring his past during the Vietnam War and his relationship with his first wife, Beth. It’s a reminder that Sam’s mission has consequences not just for those he helps, but for the people waiting for him back home. The episode adds emotional depth to Al and reframes his role in the series.

Then there’s the finale, “Mirror Image.” Rather than offering a neat resolution, the episode leans into ambiguity. Sam encounters a mysterious figure, possibly something more than human, who suggests that Sam may have more control over his leaps than he realises. Faced with the choice to return home, Sam instead chooses to continue helping others.

It’s a quiet, understated ending. Bittersweet, heroic, and tragic. And then comes the coda.

A simple title card explains that Sam never returned home, continuing to leap through time, putting right what once went wrong.

Except his name is spelled incorrectly. “Sam Becket.” One “t” missing. It’s a small detail, but it has become one of the most enduring quirks in television history, with much debate about whether it was always that way, or if the “t” was initially there and then dropped on repeat airing. Whether it was a genuine production error or something more symbolic, it feels oddly appropriate. A man lost in time, drifting between identities, and even history itself can’t quite fix who he is.

What Quantum Leap demonstrates better than most is that science fiction doesn’t need spectacle to be powerful. It needs ideas, characters, and emotional truth. While other shows explore the fate of galaxies or the future of humanity, Quantum Leap focuses on something smaller but no less important: the idea that one person, in one moment, can change a life.

It’s a different kind of sci-fi. It’s quieter, more reflective, and more human.

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What I’m Doing

Listening: 30Seven by Jeremy Robinson

Watching: I Swear (Netflix)

Reading: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Earlier in the week I finished the Chess Team series, also known as the Jack Sigler series. I loved it. The series tells the story of a US special forces unit, the Chess Team, who are tasked with dealing with the threats conventional units can’t handle. It’s a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and military thriller. In total there are nine novels, and a number of other novellas and short stories. So, whilst it’s an investment in time to get stuck into it, I’d thoroughly recommend it. 

You may be wondering why they are called Chess Team and the answer is simple; each operator’s callsign is the name of a piece in chess; King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight.

I Swear is a harrowing watch, but it’s also a very well made movie. The undoubted star of the movie is Robert Aramayo who delivers a career defining performance. I don’t want to say too much about the film as I think it’s best to watch it with no prior knowledge. If you have Netflix, check it out. I Swear will punch you in the gut one moment and reaffirm your belief in the goodness of people the next.

Financial Update

Assets

Premium Bonds: £3,000.00.

Stocks and Shares ISA: £124,558.89.

Fuck It Fund: £5,114.83.

Pensions: £110,484.91.

Residential Property Value: £243,430.00. 

Total Assets: £486,588.63.

Debts

Residential Mortgage: £174,145.84. 

Total Debts: £174,145.84.

Total Wealth: £312,442.79.

The economy continues to take a hammering because of the Orange Tyrant and his incredibly smooth brain. It’s remarkable that someone can be so stupid and yet hold on to a position of power.

Anyway, his latest round of ideas have wiped tens of thousands of pounds worth of value from my investments over the past few weeks. I’m not losing sleep over it as the value will return. However, there will be people out there that will be losing sleep. There will be people on the brink of retirement who have seen vast sums of money wiped off their retirement accounts. And for what? Just so the rich can get richer, or just so Trump can feel more like a man than a joke?

When looking at a long-term FI plan, you need to remember that there will be bumps in the road, and the market will take the occasional hit. It’s easy to get drawn into the doom and gloom, and when this happens you need to take a step back and really think about your options without giving in to fear or knee-jerk actions. 

Perhaps the most important thing to remember in all this economic insanity is that losses are only realised if you sell. Balances dropping in your investment accounts can be scary to see, but the numbers are only a guide, or a point of reference. It only becomes real when you hit the sell button.  

More Thoughts on Retirement

You don’t need to “picture” retirement in some romantic, sun-drenched fantasy to take it seriously. You don’t need to visualise yourself walking along a beach at 65 with a cocktail in hand and not a care in the world. Retirement isn’t a dream. It’s a financial inevitability. At some point, you will either choose to stop working, or you won’t have the option to continue. Either way, the requirement is the same: you’ll need money to live on. That’s not a vision board exercise. That’s a liability sitting in your future, quietly accruing whether you acknowledge it or not. It’s going to happen, and not thinking about it will not change that fact.

The bigger issue isn’t imagination. It’s friction. We hear a lot about how people “can’t afford” to save, and there’s truth in that. Living costs are high, rent is punishing, and wages haven’t exactly been racing ahead to compensate. But there’s a subtle shift in language that often goes unnoticed. When people say they can’t afford to save, what they often mean is that they can’t afford to save comfortably, or meaningfully, or in a way that feels like it will make a dent. And so the conclusion becomes that it’s not worth starting at all.

That’s where things go wrong, because retirement planning doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards time. Small, consistent contributions made early will outperform large, heroic efforts made later far more often than people expect. The problem is that small amounts feel pointless in the moment. They don’t move the needle today. But retirement isn’t about today. It’s about giving your future self a fighting chance, even if the steps you take now feel insignificant.

Layered on top of that is the idea that pensions are too complex, too opaque, too difficult to understand. And to be fair, they’re not exactly marketed in a way that inspires confidence. They’re wrapped in jargon, buried in statements that most people don’t read, and presented as something you’ll deal with “later”. But the irony is that you don’t actually need to understand every moving part to benefit from them. You don’t need to become an investment expert. You don’t need to optimise every decision. You just need to engage enough to not miss out entirely. Being in the system, contributing, and nudging things in the right direction over time will do more for most people than endlessly researching the “perfect” approach and never acting.

Retirement planning doesn’t require clarity, or certainty, or even confidence. It doesn’t require you to have your life mapped out decades in advance. It just requires you to start, however imperfectly, and to keep going. Because in the end, the biggest risk isn’t getting it wrong. It’s waiting so long that you never really get started at all.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions in this blog are my own, and do not represent the views or opinions of my former, current, or future employers, nor should they be considered advice.

If you want personalised financial advice, seek an appropriate professional.  If you are in financial difficulty, seek advice via the resources below:

StepChange

MoneyHelper

Biolink 

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