How can we bring statistics into the real world?

clock

I found it difficult to feel any sympathy for Heather Mills as she stood on the steps of the law court ranting about her divorce settlement of £25 million, when I read that many living in the UK are on the verge of bankruptcy.

This is a stupendous amount of money and most of us could live very handsomely on the interest on such a stack of cash. And there she is challenging whether Sir Paul is in fact worth £400 million or £800 million. I cannot imagine what having so much money would mean. The problem is that these days we are constantly exposed to telephone number amounts of money and equally excessive statistics that we almost become immune to the message they are trying to convey. For example in 2003 the UK Government spent £2.3 billion on job seekers allowance, just over £42 billion on pensions and £38 bi...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Protection

The return of redundancy cover – and why it's important

The return of redundancy cover – and why it's important

Standalone unemployment insurance is making a comeback

Kesh Thukaram
clock 02 April 2025 • 3 min read
PDG responds to FCA Pure Protection Market Study update

PDG responds to FCA Pure Protection Market Study update

Expanded terms of reference

Cameron Roberts
clock 31 March 2025 • 2 min read
FCA: Protection commission ban is potential 'extreme' market study outcome

FCA: Protection commission ban is potential 'extreme' market study outcome

FCA: 'We're going into this with an open mind'

Jaskeet Briah
clock 28 March 2025 • 3 min read