For years, we’ve been told that financial security comes from working hard, saving money, and trusting the system.

But as inflation soars, AI decimates whole industries, pensions get raided, and banks quietly prepare for bail-ins, it’s clear that the rules have changed.

The question now isn’t if another financial crisis is coming - it’s when it will hit, who will be ready for it and who won’t.

If you’re following the financial advice given to previous generations, you’re already at risk.

• Savings accounts are losing value daily. Inflation is outpacing interest rates, meaning money sitting in the bank is actually shrinking in real terms. And they are a sitting target for a collapsing banking industry.

• Pensions may not even be there when you retire. The government is already looking at ways to raid pension funds to fund their financial commitments. If you think your savings pot is safe, think again.

• Property is no longer the safe bet it once was. Recent legislation has made it increasingly difficult to be a private landlord, making property investment, once a solid pension supplement into a legal and financial minefield. Every landlord I know is selling up fast.

I dont' want to be all 'doom and gloom, but I'm worries about you if your financial plan depends on any of the above. If it does, it’s time to rethink your strategy.

For most people, their pension is the foundation of their retirement plan. But what happens if it doesn’t even exist by the time you retire?

If the current government has its way, that’s a very real possibility. Pension funds are being eyed as a way to prop up government spending, with new policies allowing them to be dipped into when it suits the state.

I know what it’s like to have retirement expectations shattered overnight.

All my financial planning was based on retiring at 60. Then, without warning, the government moved the goalposts. Suddenly, the retirement age for women jumped to 66, and millions of us—3.8 million Waspi Women - missed out on around £46,000 of pension payments and had our futures rewritten without so much as a letter in the post.

Instead of a clear announcement, they hid a tiny ad in The Lady magazine, expecting us to somehow stumble across it. Many women could not cope and took their own lives out of sheer despair.

We fought a court battle and won, yet still, nobody has been paid, much less compensated for the years of hardship.

If the government can do that to an entire generation of women, what makes you think your pension is secure?

The people who come out ahead in times of financial uncertainty aren’t the ones who react to a crisis—they’re the ones who get their head out of the sand and position themselves before it happens.

Most people’s wealth is tied up in things that are just paper promises—pension statements, bank balances, stock market portfolios. But what happens when the system holding those promises together starts to crack?

History shows that during times of economic turmoil, real assets—not numbers on a screen—are what hold their value.

If you rely on pensions, bank deposits, or government-backed savings schemes, it’s worth asking: who really controls your money? Just try and move large sums of money out of your bank account and you'll soon find out.

Those who survive and thrive in financial crises don’t hold onto cash—they move into assets that hold real value.

• Precious metals like gold and silver have been used as stores of value for centuries. Unlike fiat currency, they can’t be printed out of existence.

• Land and productive assets—things that generate real income or provide essentials—tend to increase in value when currencies are devalued. You can also protect all these types of assets in a private trust.

• Alternative income streams—businesses that aren’t dependent on any one country’s economy—can provide stability when traditional investments fail.

Owning one or two extra rental properties used to be a sensible way to supplement a pension.

Not anymore.

Successive governments have made it increasingly difficult to be a private landlord.

• Tax changes mean landlords can no longer offset mortgage interest the way they used to.

• Legislation is shifting power entirely to tenants, making it harder to regain possession of your own property.

• Proposed rent caps and eviction bans mean landlords are losing control over their investments.

Instead of being an asset, rental property is quickly becoming a liability. Everyone I know is selling.

If you’ve been relying on property as part of your retirement strategy, it’s time to rethink how your wealth is positioned.

I attended a Mastermind in Mexico that focused on these exact challenges - how to protect and grow your wealth when the system is shifting beneath our feet.

Now, for those who couldn’t travel, there’s a rare chance to attend the same Mastermind in the UK in June covering the same critical insights.

If you want to learn more, DM me or email me now via my Contact Page and I'll make sure you get the details in the next week or so.

Photo by Jeff Pratley on Unsplash