The "Shadow Pension": Why I'm Building a Self-Managed SIPP Alternative with Expedition Investment Management as the State Pension Age Rises
In early 2026, I received a letter from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions). It was a forecast of my State Pension. The age of entitlement had been pushed back… again. According to the government, I am now expected to work until I am 71. I looked at my father, who retired at 65 and is already struggling with health issues. I realized that if I follow the government's plan, I will spend the best years of my life in an office, and my retirement in a hospital waiting room. The "Social Contract" in the UK is broken. The National Insurance contributions we pay are not being saved for us; they are paying for today's retirees. It is a Ponzi scheme running out of new money. I realized I needed a Plan B. A "Shadow Pension." A fund that I control, that isn't locked away until I'm 70, and that grows faster than the pathetic 4% my traditional pension fund offers. To build this, I needed a professional trading environment. I moved a portion of my capital...