Tag Archives: Politics

This is no country for old women


I haven’t been a great fan of academic pensions research or researchers for that matter. The research is typically a big whinge about people not getting a fair deal, the researchers comfortably cocooned in university sponsored sinecures or pensions. So I … Continue reading

Posted in actuaries, annuity, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Pensions dead by 2050 – taking the Michael?


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

We should be proud to have an opt-out!


An old friend of mine tweets me beginning “I’m a libertarian but…!” The but is an objection to the feckless being able to opt out of their pension plan. Of course she is a fascist though you cannot tell her that any … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, auto-enrolment, corporate governance, dc pensions, doctors, happiness, iphone, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Club Pension!


Words resonate in strange ways and when they come in pairs new resonances emerge. Last week, Martin Lewis called “pension” a broken brand (worrying to the owner of the Pension Play Pen). The idea behind the word “club” seems to be under … Continue reading

Posted in club pension, Financial Education, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, Martin Lewis, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

“Pensions people can trust” – a proper kick in the nuts.


If we could only lift up our eyes from our spreadsheets and do some strategic thinking, we’d be grateful that Labour are trying to clean up our act. Continue reading

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, dc pensions, defined aspiration, mallowstreet, pension playpen, pensions, Retail Distribution Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Should pensions be personal?


I’m surprised to say that for the first time, the Pension Play voted unanimously after the 25th London lunch held at the Counting House on Monday December 5th. What, you might ask, could bring the following fine minds together in … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, customer service, dc pensions, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Mothball NEST till 2017


Should we mothball NEST and brush it off in 2017? Maybe a little drastic but we certainly need to scale back the amount it is spending both in events and it its payroll.
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Posted in dc pensions, NEST, pension playpen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Play Pen on Public Sector Pensions


Following robust debate over pie ale and an October Pimms, the 16 members of the Pension PlayPen split 8/8 on the motion  ”the pensions paid to the public sector are unfair”. However there was a healthy majority of 13 to 3 that … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, corporate governance, Jersey, NEST, pension playpen, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pension choices for smaller companies


Smaller companies- those with less than 50 employees are the beating heart of Britain’s economy. It is from among their number that the next Virgin or Tesco will come and though many of them will be toast in ten years … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, pension playpen, pensions, Personal Accounts, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Yes – things are this bad in DC land!


We all know that equity markets have sent the value of our pension savings into free fall and some people understand that low prospective interest rates mean the amount of pension you can buy from your savings has fallen lower. But did … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, dc pensions, de-risking, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments