Category Archives: FSA

Pensions; holy grail or wholly fail?

Posted on April 20, 2013 by

The least we can do is to try and make life a little easier for them, than it has been for us! Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, de-risking, FSA, Henry Tapper blog, pension playpen, pensions, Personality, smelly | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Cometh the hour;- the Regulator gets its man

Posted on March 16, 2013 by

I’m really pleased that they have chosen as their new Executive Director for DC – Andrew Warwick-Thompson Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, dc pensions, FSA, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Personality, Retail Distribution Review | 9 Comments

No win no fee – one way to clean up asset management

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

I met yesterday with a Swiss firm whose business is to reduce the investment costs for large investors (typically with €500m +). The model is simple, no retainer – they receive 50% of the savings from their work. They are a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Change, corporate governance, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, de-risking, Fred Goodwin, FSA, Management, napf, pension playpen, pensions, RBS, redington, Retirement, twitter | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is this what your savings are paying for?

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

We have another Twickenham home international coming up, look out for your favourite analyst , he’ll be in one of the glass-fronted boxes . Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, FSA, Twickenham | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

ABI finally comes clean on pension charges

Posted on January 11, 2013 by

Here, not before time, is the ABI’s capitulation in the face of pressure from Government, opposition, the NAPF and all right-thinking people in pensions. Special thanks go to Gregg and his team on the Labour pensions bench! The agreement is … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, FSA, governance, Henry Tapper blog, mallowstreet, pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

RDR and AE – what future for commissions and advisor-charging?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by

Every week we get a few more enquiries from concerned employers who are being told by their pension advisers about the changes coming next month from the Retail Distribution Review. There is variation on the theme but the overall message is clear. Pensions ”advice” is … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, auto-enrolment, club pension, dc pensions, de-risking, FSA, Payroll, pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Why we need to say “NO” to pension guarantees!

Posted on October 25, 2012 by

On Monday the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries delivered a paper stating that it would be able to deliver a system of lock-in guarantees at a price of less than 1% pa of the fund that could be used by … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, Bankers, club pension, corporate governance, customer service, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, defined aspiration, EU Solvency II, FSA, happiness, Liability Driven Investment, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Personal Accounts, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Investing in the sunny uplands!

Posted on September 14, 2012 by

A common theme in my blogs is the frustration that people get stuck in the wrong kind of investments wrong in terms of charges, wrong in terms of management and wrong in terms of the suitability of the fund to a … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, FSA, happiness, leadership, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, with-profits | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“The Employer’s Duty”

Posted on August 15, 2012 by

We talk blithely of the employer’s duties as if these obligations were pre-ordained. Economic Liberals may ask how we got to a world in which the Pension Regulator can issue a document entitled “Employer Duties and defining the workforce – an … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, Bankers, dc pensions, Financial Education, FSA, Henry Tapper blog, leadership, Management, pension playpen, pensions, poetry, Popcorn Pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Does your pension scheme need advice?

Posted on August 14, 2012 by

WARNING- THIS BLOG CONTAINS A SHAMELESS PLUG FOR OUR SERVICES! (transparent as always!) I’m travelling up to Nottingham this morning to talk to Employers and Trustees who are asking themselves “Does our pension scheme need advisers”. Meeting similar groups recently, the answers I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, Change, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, Financial Education, FSA, happiness, leadership, Linkedin, mallowstreet, Popcorn Pensions, Retirement, social media, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments