Debt holding back the young

According to engage Mutual Assurance, a quarter of Britons are waiting until they are over 30 to get their first home, while debt has pushed the average marriage age up from 24 in 1986 to 27 today.

Londoners suffer the most with half of the capital’s residents waiting until they are over 30 to wed, twice the national average, largely due to debt.

Karl Elliot, 3GB spokesperson for engage Mutual Assurance said: “These results reveal how increasing financial pressures in modern Britain are leading people to re-evaluate their aspirations.

“Money is often a key determinant in deciding when the time is right for young adults to move out of home, get married or buy their first property.”

He added that the increasing difficulty for young people to become financially independent is being extended to other family members who are having to support them.

Mr Elliot recommended that young people look at tax efficient saving methods, such as ISAs, to bolster their financial independence, while taking action to clear debt could be another method.