You’ve seen Baba Seyi almost every day since you moved to your new street. Each time you see him, you silently ask yourself where his children are. At over 70-years-old, Baba Seyi is living in penury.
How could a man so well-spoken and so educated live in a one-room apartment with barely enough food for a three-square meal you wonder. When John, your oversabi neighbor who is always looking for opportunities to share gossip told you Baba Seyi worked 15 years in a bank, your mouth stayed open in shock for 20 minutes.
You pity this old man but inside, you reject his fate.
You want to be like Mr. Femi Wole – that equally older dude who lives near your younger sister’s fiancé in Lekki. The old guy had retired but is balling like kilode. He even just returned from a one-month holiday in the Bahamas and is planning a welcome party. That guy is living the life.
You so badly want to live the life when you get to his age. “Haba, ‘man’s got to be hot’ even in old age na”.
But when you think of the human hair you often have to buy for bae, the car loan you need to pay back, the new suits you buy from that Instagram vendor with every new stock arrival, your constant upgrade of mobile phone to the latest edition, your weekend splurge with the boys and the subscription to the most expensive DSTV bouquet (that you really don’t need) monthly, that little mocking voice within screams “Man’s not hot” .
When you hear that sentence, you cringe. Whether someone says it to another in passing, or you see it written somewhere or even hear it in a song – it just serves as a reminder that you have no plans for your tomorrow.
You know you need a plan, so you decide to ask Mr. Femi, the happening retiree the way to go. He tells you he not only had a Retirement Savings Account (RSA) when he was young, he also cut down on too much frivolities just, so he could make Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) to his retirement account. You thank him, nod your head and smile.
Finally, you have the secret to a balling life. You open and enter your gate with a swagger, laughing out loud not minding that Mallam Aliyu, your gateman was staring at you like you need a trip to ‘Yaba left’.
You turn to him, give him a wave and say under your breath “Man’s hot today but man’s tomorrow will definitely be hot”. Then just to make sure that annoying little voice heard you, you say it one more time – this time louder.
The next day, you reach out to your Pensions Fund Administrators with only one goal- to start making consistent additional contributions to your Retirement Savings Account.
Ah, tomorrow is sure looking good!
Let’s make your tomorrow look good. Get in touch with us via 0700 CALL ARM or email info@armpension.com
Weekly Commentary and Stock Recommendation: 7th October – 11th October 2024