To think it’s unusual to know how much friends or colleagues have in savings?

[OneLoftyPoster]

I’ve noticed on here that quite a few people seem to know how much their friends or colleagues have in savings. That really surprised me, as I wouldn’t have a clue what most people I know have saved. It’s just not something we talk about.

AIBU to think that’s unusual?

I have no idea.

Anyone who says they know; either has a loose lipped friend/colleague - i wouldnt say its commonplace to discuss your financial information with friends, definitely not colleagues.

They can be guessing? Perception?

And anyway how do we know what any party tells us is true?!

I have no clue.

I know what close friends have in terms of savings and investments because we have discussed salaries, future plans with housing, helping kids get on the property ladder, retirement etc. No idea what colleagues have.

I have a few friends in very open with in terms of finances - I know their and their partners income, how much they have left on their mortgage, what their monthly repayments are, how much they spend on various things but no, I don't know exactly how much they have saved.

I don't think anyone would know how much I have saved and to be honest I think if they were to guess based on everything they do know about my financials they'd be wrong.

Yes, it’s unusual imo. It’s also unusual to know how much people are getting in benefits and details of all the neighbours’ medical history, but it’s standard fare on mumsnet and mostly complete goady bollocks.

Yeah it's very unusual. Especially colleagues?! Possibly a friend might drop it into conversation if you were discussing such things.

But I'd be unlikely to remember the details as it makes no difference to me whether they have ten p or seventy million pounds.

But yeah. There's lots of people on here who seem to know exactly how much money people they seemingly barely know have in their possession.

How they got it, how hard their lives are, what benefits they're on, what illnesses they have...and are usually seething with barely disguised jealousy.

Whether the person is a billionaire or a benefits claimant.

Very unusual with colleagues, maybe less so with close friends but that depends on the individuals and the type of relationship surely.

There's a whole spectrum of how people are with friends and what they share from very little to absolutely everything.

I agree. I also don't know how much money is floating about in my immediate family, i.e. parents and grandparents.

I know a few close friends due to specific saving goals "we are halfway to saving the 40k we need for a house deposit but it's hard to save much due to cost of living' type conversations. And my DH discusses cryptocurrency and stocks and shares investments with his mates 'my Amazon shares made X this month, i suggest you try investing in that". But not just randomly knowing them - that would be a bit weird?

Irl I don't ask and I don't tell, YANBU.

Colleagues, no. Some friends I do have an idea. We are quite happy discussing finances.

It's not something I've ever discussed with friends in detail, other than the occasional comment about someone paying off their mortgage etc.

Strangely, some of my colleagues are much more open about finances, talking about how much their house cost, amounts in premium bonds etc. One of them recently asked me how much our building work was costing and how we were funding it. I would never be that nosey myself!

I have no idea though I could make an educated guess with one because she told me how much she had been left by a relative recently. Plus she says she has maxed out her premium bonds. I never discuss how much money we have.

Not all colleagues of course but I had one chronic oversharer of a colleague.

We all saw her credit score, debts, universal credit claims, everything! I personally don’t share this level of details about myself but some people do.

Yeah there's one friend that I know about their savings and them mine but it's not a thing that really comes up often.

My friend and I both have premium bonds and we know how much each other has and whether we have won prizes each month. It's something we joke about a lot!

But neither of us knows what the other has in ISA's, savings accounts etc

I have a very good idea of finances of two close friends and they of me. That's because we discuss career moves etc so salary is part, and because we've each been through various life events (parental bereavement, redundancy, divorce etc) which impact on finances and which we've asked each other for advice about. It's important for women to talk about money with their friends if they can I think. It helps to build financial literacy and confidence with salary conversations etc. But I only discuss with these two friends, they are close and long term and this kind of sharing has built up gradually over the course of years.

I reckon there may be a generational difference. I am pretty open with my friends, we discuss taxes, ISAs, etc & then colleagues who become friends.

I’ve had my friends for years though.

Oh yes and they know exactly how much income they get, how much in each benefit they get, what they spend it on.......

I don't know how much any of my friends or colleagues have. I don't even know what my siblings have.

I know how much my closest friend has because she has just bought a house by herself and is tying herself in knots over an unexpected change in circumstance. She us freaking out about how much she has left in savings. I know how much she earns because dhe us in the same cosy scale as me at the same level.

I know roughly how much my other friend has as she sold her house and has a nomadic lifestyle for the time being and we discussed pension pots before the house sale went through.
I know which friends are mortgage free but I dont know or need to know how much everyone else has.

I know some older relatives financial situations. Mainly due to discussions about wills and estates and who the individual wants to get what.

But no-one else's. Let's face it, as a country we barely talk about what we earn. Savings and investments are just another step beyond that.