E50: Starting a pension from £0 at 50 years old with Hannah Martin, Simonne Gnessen and Sarah Durber

An estimated 7 million people aged over 50 in the UK have no private pension savings at all. Here's the reality: if you're one of them, it can feel too late to start. It isn't. Whether it's career breaks, the cost of living, a divorce, or simply never getting round to it - millions of people reach 50 with little or nothing put away. So how do you go from £0 to a pot that actually makes a difference?

Join our host, Philippa Lamb, and our expert panel as they discuss starting a pension from scratch at aged 50:

• Founder of Rich Retiree, Hannah Martin;
• Founder of Wise Monkey Financial Coaching, Simonne Gnessen; and
• VP Customer Success at PensionBee; Sarah Durber.

  Episode breakdown

01:41 When did our panellists start saving?

03:31 Why so many people reach 50 with no pension

06:56 The real cost of opting out

11:16 Pension Sharing Orders and divorce

13:11 How to start from £0 at 50 years old

17:27 Making the most of your workplace pension

19:26 How contributing just a little more adds up

26:26 Property, side hustles, and creative retirement strategies

Further reading, listening and watching:

To learn more about building your pension later in life, check out these articles and podcasts from PensionBee:

• E37: The easiest way to retire with more money (Podcast)
• How much should I pay into my pension? (Article)
• Pension Sharing Order (Article)
• What is compound interest? (Blog)
• Six ways to put together your emergency fund (Blog)
• I'm 40, is it too late to start a pension? (Blog)
• How to grow your pension in your 40s and 50s (Blog)
• The power of 1%: how small pension increases can make a big difference (Blog)
• What is compound interest? (Video)
• What happens to my pension during a divorce? (Video)
• Increasing your pension contributions (Video)

  Other useful resources

• The Cost of Disengagement (PensionBee)
• The Carer's Pension Gap (PensionBee
• Pension Calculator (PensionBee)
• Almost 7 million over-50s have no private pension (Pensions Age)
• The Retirement Living Standards (Pensions UK)
• Pension sharing orders slump despite growing number of divorces (Pensions Age)
• Four out of five Brits plan to downsize to fund retirement (MoneyWeek)
• Rent a room in your home: the Rent a Room Scheme (GOV.UK)
• Proposed benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 (GOV.UK)
• Compound Interest Calculator (The Calculator Site)

Catch up on the latest news, read our transcripts or watch on YouTube:

• The Pension Confident Podcast
• The Pension Confident Podcast on YouTube

Follow PensionBee (@PensionBee) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Threads.

Follow Rich Retiree (@rich.retiree) on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest.

Follow Wise Monkey Financial Coaching (@simonnegnessen) on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

Enjoying the podcast? Tell us what you think below and give us a review or rating. As always we'd love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Send us an email: podcast@pensionbee.com.