Hi
You're right to the extent that one half of this current g'ment in particular,
is obsessed with more people having a similar income in retirement.. and they aren't obsessed with making sure that amount is particularly high. Pensions can be fabulous force multipliers; I'm seeing one of my few civilian clients at lunchtime and they're using their pension to buy their business premises for instance.
But its not just a pension that you can use (although I keep saying 'If your partner doesn't use her annual allowance, then use it'!). You
should diversify and keep your options open; the sooner you start, the more chance you'll have of success - higher risk funds/onshore or offshore bond for instance? It all depends on individual needs and aspirations.
Pension companies do lobby, frantically, but the issue is, much of society sees anyone in financial services as well.. bankers. Anyway, thank you for the inspiration. I say that because this morning's blog was done especially with you in mind.
Top 10 YouGov consumer thoughts on retirement planning - Echelon Wealthcare