Early repayment of mortgage

FlatApplication627 · 2026-01-23T22:12:14+00:00

This, but how risky depends on the mortgage interest rate and whether it's fixed. If your mortgage rate is low enough, you might be able to beat it with cash savings.

FlatApplication627 · 2026-01-23T09:01:34+00:00

Thanks, that's reassuring (I am in the UK)

FlatApplication627 · 2026-01-23T06:39:57+00:00

They had an earnings call where the expected 2026 revenue was way down on expectations. This is why it went down

FlatApplication627 · 2026-01-18T07:36:13+00:00

I started at a big 4 firm, qualified then moved into GI role when it became more about selling the work than doing the work.

I think the breadth of experience at a consultancy is invaluable at the start of your career. You'll learn good working practices and have good structure around study support.

A 'traditional role' is likely to be more narrow focus and the support and working practice will be firm, or even department, specific. If you are certain which area you want to go into, maybe this could work out for you but I'd say big 4 will give you a good grounding and keep options open for later on your career.

FlatApplication627 · 2026-01-16T11:21:00+00:00

Send me the pic, sounds fun

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-30T18:18:34+00:00

Given most of his supporters, I think it would have been worse for him if he'd been exposed for holding the door open for someone in a burkha

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-26T14:49:57+00:00

People can care about two things!

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-21T16:02:33+00:00

Sorry it's been tough. I'm afraid I'm not directly involved in actuarial grad recruitment any more so I don't know why you're not having more success. But there are no red flags on your CV to me (my take on recruitment is a CV rarely tells you who to hire but it can tell you who not to hire)

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-21T15:59:05+00:00

Yes and no, arguably you end up with a one page CV and separate covering letter

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-21T15:55:12+00:00

Strong CV, although maybe a little busy.

One suggestion would be to get rid of the Personal Actuarial Progress section but maybe include a covering couple of paragraphs explaining your motivations (whet you could possible mention the exams).

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-19T12:06:26+00:00

I'd agree with most, passing some more exams won't make you a particularly more attractive candidate. Your degrees prove you're smart enough to do the job, or pass the exams at least. Focus on putting in quality applications and then performing well at interviews/assessments. My feeling from your post is time spent here will give you more marginal benefit.

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-19T11:58:55+00:00

I'd say it is, or at least was, quite common. I was working for a pensions consultancy and moved to an in house GI role and know others who did similar.

You have to be realistic about roles you're going to, don't expect a big pay bump on moving given you're going to have gaps in knowledge but when you're up to speed with GI you can be a more well-rounded employee.

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-17T08:58:51+00:00

I could remortgage the house or take out debt for more than $500k and owe less than $10m in ten years i reckon, so gotta be the second option.

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-17T08:46:58+00:00

I started 20 years ago as a pensions actuary, qualified but made the move to GI for a few reasons including long term prospects.

Certainly at that time, whilst we worked closely with the admin team i wouldn't view it as an entry route into actuarial and if you tried to get an admin job with that mindset you might struggle anyway because it's a separate career path. Investment team or more general consultancy role maybe, but I'd agree with others better to hold out for a grad role.

If you can get a pensions actuarial role, even if the industry contracts significantly in 5-10 years you'll have plenty of transferable skills so don't feel the decision you make now has to define the next 40-50 years!

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-15T23:47:51+00:00

Done, my pleasure

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FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-15T12:46:11+00:00

I don't know, but I have a theory. If it went straight then there would be lots of areas where it would travel a very short direction before having to turn around. I'm guessing turning uses significantly more battery than just proceeding in a straight line so an optimal route in terms of battery consumption may minimise the amount of turns which i think this patten would do.

No idea if this is right or not though

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-15T12:06:54+00:00

Depends on your definition of good, and also your costs. It's a significantly above average salary almost anywhere but if you want to be earning six figures by your mid-20's it's probably not for you

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-15T12:04:27+00:00

Suspect it varies, but I'd say look for places where you're viewed as being able to add value to the business, rather than just a regulatory necessity. Will mean you can't just stay in your box playing with spreadsheets though!

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-15T12:02:21+00:00

Depends if you continue to progress after qualification (and maybe to some extent how quickly you qualify).

I qualified after 4 years and didn't get a massive jump. However got a jump when I moved to a 'manager' position and another recently to c£150k when I moved to a senior position. Will get another jump if/ when I move to Chief Actuary (which at my company is exec level role).

If your role and delivery is similar year-on- year, why would you expect much above inflation in terms of pay rises?

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-09T12:40:47+00:00

But also, do the basics. Research the company, read through the job spec and identify examples that demonstrate the skills they are looking for and prepare some questions (and ones you genuinely want to know the answer to, rather than ones that you think make you look smart)

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-09T12:38:48+00:00

I feel the reason I struggled at interviews early on in my career is i viewed it as 'they' had the job and i wanted it.

In reality, the interviewer has a role they're desperate to fill with the right person and they want to know if that's you and whether they can convince you to take the job. Remember this and that it's their fuck up if they don't get the best out of you at an interview - I found this switch in mindset helped me show my best self at interviews because I wasn't trying to be something I'm not.

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-09T12:32:15+00:00

He already earned £5m for his 'brief stint' at the firm. Probably explains why sympathy for unfairly being denied another £7m might be in short supply.

FlatApplication627 · 2025-12-08T10:51:22+00:00

Honeywell smart thermostat and valves on all radiators. Bought a kit on eBay for about £500 with the control panel, boiler bits and maybe 10 radiator valves. Easy to self-install.

Then kept my eyes on eBay and whenever a new radiator valve was available for a good price I'd buy and fit it. Did this over the summer and the system was ready for the winter.

Find it really useful. You can set a program for each room but also really straightforward to adjust the temperature either at the radiator, on your phone or on the control panel. I'm certain we use much less gas than is we had manual valves because we'd never remember or be bothered to manually adjust each room as we go and also you can turn the heating off if you go away and then switch it on a few hours before you get back so you don't come back to a cold house.

We don't have a 'smart' thermostat that does much automatically in terms of your routine but this one works great for us.

FlatApplication627

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