Category Archives: Treasury

Has Webb scotch’d the commission snake – or killed it?

Posted on May 12, 2013 by

All the advisers needed to do was to make promises. They did not have to keep them. Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Fred Goodwin, pension playpen, pensions, poetry, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Budget – Becalmed in the middle of the lost decade!

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

This wasn’t really a budget about pensions and the usual scare stories about threats to pension saving proved groundless. It certainly didn’t do much for those in retirement. Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, dc pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“We grow old, we grow old” – a budget day blog

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

It’s budget day. I was asked to be a commentator on a budget briefing this afternoon but I’m not good on economics – more interested in nuts and bolts. All the same, it’s useful sometimes to stick your head up and … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, doctors, Henry Tapper blog, pension playpen, pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The growing epidemic of stats misuse

Posted on February 17, 2013 by

Hilary Salt is founder of First Actuarial plc. She is currently the Actuarial Post’s Actuary of the Year. Late in 2011 she was asked to contribute a piece to the Independent’s Battle of the Ideas. This is what she wrote . Twenty years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, Martin Lewis, Music, pensions, Trades Union Congress, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Pensions dead by 2050 – taking the Michael?

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

The Daily Telegraph, which through Richard Evans has started writing sharp and provocative articles on pensions, came out with a corker just before Christmas. I read it on the beach and nearly choked on my sangria! Here it is in … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Australia, auto-enrolment, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, Henry Tapper blog, NEST, Payroll, pension playpen, pensions, Treasury, with-profits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

All change on pensions – a positive outlook for 2013!

Posted on December 30, 2012 by

Neasa MacErlean has written a great article in the Independent which you can read here. I was asked to collaborate on one or two sections and I’m quoted as inciting members of workplace savings plans to up the ante and make sure that … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, dc pensions, Retirement, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

What Steve Webb must do now.

Posted on October 17, 2012 by

Well Mr Webb, you said it; I refer to your excellent talk at the IOD (16/10/12) First you said that you would legislate for “pot follows member” in 2014/15 .Then when asked what happens if a member transfers to a bad qualifying scheme, you … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, CDC, dc pensions, defined aspiration, Financial Education, Henry Tapper blog, Management, Payroll, pensions, Retirement, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 20 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

Too important to hide;- why the Government has to investigate pension default charges

Posted on August 8, 2012 by

LCP, the pensions consultancy, yesterday published its first DC Fees Survey and very good it is too. It confirms what we knew, that the investment fees and charges for some DC funds are not transparent, that they can be as much as 100% … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, Bankers, Change, corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments