04

If you're under 22 or on a low income, a pension is probably the furthest thing from your mind, but what if I were to tell you there's a totally legal way, that doesn't need any negotiation, to make your employer pay you more money – possibly £1,000s over the years? Hopefully that piques your interest, and means you'll forgive me for not mentioning pensions in the blog title – but I wanted to ensure you read this.

This is a warning for every worker in the UK. Have you turned down a pay rise without realising it? Millions have – around 10% of the workforce currently – and many others risk doing it, unaware of the consequences. It happens when your employer 'auto-enrols' you into a pension scheme, but you decide to opt out – in most cases, a huge mistake.