Monthly Archives: June 2012

Lady Lucy in Henley day one

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

It didn’t rain- well it hardly rained! That’s a positive The river does strange things to your sense of time and place since the compass of your travel is limited to a narrow band of water threading through the countryside. … Continue reading →

Posted in henley | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thank RBS for a Pension and Payroll lesson .

Posted on June 26, 2012 by

The last few days have not been good for those relying on RBS - be it their own , their employers’ or of their creditors’ RBS bank account. We have become reliant on our banking system and as Robert Peston put it … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions, NEST, RBS, Bankers, Management, auto-enrolment, Financial Education | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Gloriana through Hurley Lock in midsummer sunshine

Posted on June 24, 2012 by

Posted in gloriana, henley, jubilee | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sponsor affordability and the use of security

Posted on June 24, 2012 by

This is an excellent article from my friend Simon Kew who trades as the Pensions Jackal on twitter. The subject may seem obscure but it isn’t – if you are in a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme you should know about … Continue reading →

Posted in de-risking, defined aspiration, Financial Education, Pension Rocks III, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pensions Bindweed- pretty and deadly

Posted on June 24, 2012 by

Management is a carrot and stick affair. If you are managing a company  pension plan you can reward your pension manager with ongoing support or you can give it the sack. That’s  governance for you. But if you are sponsoring a … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Japanese Knotweed – the spread of passive defaults.

Posted on June 23, 2012 by

While investment consultants ponder the fifty shades of grey of diversification, I ponder just who , outside a small number of “experts” is prepared to take a decision on the default investment option of a company’s defined contribution pension scheme. This question … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, Financial Education, NEST, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Retail Distribution Review | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

What do Jimmy Carr, the FTT and the film industry have in common?

Posted on June 21, 2012 by

Simples- they are today’s top stories and they’re all about personal greed. This article condemns that greed and suggests that people can have fun without ripping off others. Jimmy Carr has been caught using K2 - a Jersey loan back arrangement that left … Continue reading →

Posted in corporate governance, Cruise boats, customer service, happiness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The economic history of the world in one little graph

Posted on June 20, 2012 by

  That headline is a big promise. But here it is: The economic history of the world going back to Year 1 showing the major powers’ share of world GDP, from a research letter written by Michael Cembalest, an analyst … Continue reading →

Posted in economics, Facebook, Financial Education, twitter | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Performance enhancing rugs

Posted on June 20, 2012 by

News is coming in that Wayne Rooney has tested positive for a performance enhancing rug.  His magnificent header from all of 6 inches crowned another fab night’s footie in Ukrania. And this in a game that but for Capello’s pleading, our … Continue reading →

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Pensions or Porn? – The Jury’s out

Posted on June 19, 2012 by

The choices we have when we have time to ourselves vary from immediate sensual gratification (porn) to deferred financial gratification (pensions). Put like that it’s not surprising that porn sites get rather more hits than pension sites. This post is … Continue reading →

Posted in pension playpen, pensions, Retirement, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment