Monthly Archives: January 2013

NEST Insight; what the 11m+ “unpensioned” think.

Posted on January 31, 2013 by henry tapper

NEST has produced a chunky report that “takes the temperature of automatic enrolment”. This promises to be the first of a series and as the first has five years of accumulated insights to lay before us. I thoroughly recommend it … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, corporate governance, customer service, David Pitt-Watson, First Actuarial, leadership, Liberal Democrats, napf, NEST, Payroll, pensions, Personal Accounts, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Who’ll pay the price for an auto-enrolment train crash?

Posted on January 28, 2013 by henry tapper

So far – so good! Large companies that have staged auto-enrolment have thrown money at the problem (Lloyds Bank claim more than £1m). But we haven’t had a failure – yet! The DWP thought the average enrolment costs for large … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The sunny uplands of Wiltshire

Posted on January 27, 2013 by henry tapper

Above the Donheads and the villages of the Chalk Valley rises White Sheet Hill the western end of a ridge that runs 16 miles to Salisbury. Few buildings are on this ridge other than agricultural barns protecting hay, straw and … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Don’t worry – be happy!

Posted on January 26, 2013 by henry tapper

“It’s a worry – such a worry..” Like mother Hen I was clucking around the farmyard worrying about auto-enrolment. “Calm down Plowman” – I told myself, it might never happen, as yet the sky has not fallen on my head nor … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | 1 Comment

Taking meaningful investment choices off the shelf

Posted on January 25, 2013 by henry tapper

  I’m  pleased to hear that NEST is planning to explain its investment plans that everyone can understand.I visited their offices last week and spoke with their chief investment officer about this. I hope that as part of this explanation , he’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, club pension, dc pensions, de-risking, London, NEST, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Dear OFT….

Posted on January 24, 2013 by henry tapper

I see you are looking into pensions and will be completing a “market study” by August that  will focus on value for money and the size of pension pot savers end up with at retirement. I hear it will look … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, dc pensions, First Actuarial, NEST, pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

From aubergines to Amazon- the unstoppable Vivi Friedgut

Posted on January 23, 2013 by henry tapper

I had been hoping to make an Amazon bulk purchase of Vivi Friedgut’s book “Money Smarter- a Family Guide” but have been frustrated by the book’s  being virtually sold out. It’s turning into a phenomenon and is on the verge of breaking into Amazon’s top … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, auto-enrolment, Bankers, dc pensions, Financial Education, governance, leadership, Linkedin, mallowstreet, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why we must get resolution on pension charges

Posted on January 22, 2013 by henry tapper

We shouldn’t underestimate the task the 14 members of the ABI have set themselves in promising to fully disclose charges and costs (see previous blog). 14 insurers have made the pledge but there are many insurers that haven’t nor are … Continue reading →

Posted in Henry Tapper blog, Horse racing, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Vertical disintegration

Posted on January 20, 2013 by henry tapper

14 of the largest insurer offering pension plans have agreed to publish the true costs of the funds they off to people buying the personal and company pensions they run. These funds sit on “platforms” which provide investment administration , keep … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, hargreaves lansdowne, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

OFT rattles pension consultant’s cage -shock!

Posted on January 19, 2013 by henry tapper

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. – Machiavelli There’s a lot of change … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | 20 Comments