Category Archives: Public sector pensions

Taxpayer subsidy for public service pensions to double over 6 years

Posted on March 29, 2013 by

This is an article from Michael Johnson. I agree with the numbers but I’m not so sure about the sentiment that lies behind it. As a nation we can afford anything if we chose to prioritise the spending and we … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Education, First Actuarial, pensions, Public sector pensions, Royal Mail, smelly | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hats off to Steve Webb for our new pensions system!

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

It’s good to see the publication of the DWP’s white paper Security in Retirement – towards a new pension system. It announces an initiative first promoted by Frank Field in the late 1990s but thought then “unthinkable”;. While I agree with … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, pension playpen, pensions, Public sector pensions, Retirement, steve webb | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“Pensions aren’t dead yet!” January pension play pen lunch

Posted on January 8, 2013 by

At an unusually passionate lunch, notable for the absence of the principal villain, Michael Johnson, the Play Pen set about putting pensions to rights. For those not in the loop, the Telegraph posted an article espousing the views of the aforementioned Johnson which … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, Bankers, pension playpen, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Public sector pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

It’s charges not contributions that are on the “race to the bottom”!

Posted on December 31, 2012 by

I’ve been reviewing the 2013 charging options available to advisers using Scottish Widows – “Corporate Pensions; RDR and charging shape options”. The document gives advisers numerous options to pass on fees to members of their workplace pension plans. I wonder whether … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, dc pensions, governance, pensions, Public sector pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Government 9 v Pensions 0 (HT 4-0 (Brown 3 NAPf 1(og)) 2nd half Osbourne (5))

Posted on December 5, 2012 by

Today was billed as the biggest showdown between the pension bigwigs and the Chancellor since Gordon‘s tax raid in 2007. In between meetings I tried to keep up with events from Westminster and it seemed the second half of the … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, infrastucture, napf, pension playpen, pensions, Public sector pensions, Retirement | 1 Comment

Is there a future for defined benefit pensions?

Posted on November 2, 2012 by

The TUC has published a working paper written by my colleague Hilary Salt entitled “the future of defined benefit pensions provision” which is a very good read. You can reach it here. The wags among you may consider that you could … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, Fiduciary Management, Financial Education, First Actuarial, NEST, pensions, Public sector pensions, Retirement, Trades Union Congress | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

More cobblers from investment experts on DC pensions

Posted on October 31, 2012 by

I am afraid I have to report yet more moronic thinking from the investment community showing their  disconnect with the ways and means of everyday folk. Example one is from Lyxor, who used to be called Societe Generale until they screwed … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, Bankers, club pension, Consolation, dc pensions, defined aspiration, happiness, Liability Driven Investment, mallowstreet, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Personal Accounts, Public sector pensions, with-profits | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A return to old-fashioned pensions

Posted on October 3, 2012 by

I enjoyed reading this from Jenny Phipps of Banknote; For many people, having an old-fashioned, defined benefit pension is a real retirement planning advantage. People who have them feel much  more financially secure, both as they plan for retirement and … Continue reading →

Posted in pension playpen, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Public sector pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why we mustn’t let the Royal Mail “pension solution” become a precedent

Posted on August 6, 2012 by

In Pension Age’s May edition, Paddy Briggs argued that the member’s best interests were not being served by the Government’s “sequestration” of the assets of the Royal Mail’s pension fund. Roger Turner produced a cogent riposte in your July/August issue … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiduciary Management, Financial Education, Management, pensions, Public sector pensions, Royal Mail | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Payroll strikes back!

Posted on July 4, 2012 by

While the DWP consultations on auto-enrolment was going on , I had a nagging feeling in my stomach, like you do when you vaguely remember there’s something you’ve promised but haven’t delivered – but you can’t remember what it was. At … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, Bankers, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, NEST, pensions, Personal Accounts, Public sector pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments