Tag Archives: Society

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

Reformation The Mallowstreet Party


Vincent Franklin looked out from what used to be the roof of City Telephone Exchange. The Exchange (according to Con Keating) had walls fifteen metres thick and had been built to withstand a nuclear bomb. They’d pulled it down to … Continue reading

Posted in Bankers, Change, Church of England, corporate governance, economics, Fred Goodwin, leadership, mallowstreet, Olympics, Olympics 2012, pension playpen, pensions, redington, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 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

Where it’s all going wrong for English rugby


If you want fun, stick with your local club, enjoy mini and youth rugby and stay away from the RFU – it is toxic. Continue reading

Posted in Twickenham, World Cup | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Green shield stamps ( how to buy a pension)


Lawrence Churchill of NEST and John Hutton (of the report) spoke eloquently yesterday of the need for people to focus on a desired retirement outcome (for instance;-”I want an income of £15,000 pa”) work out what it takes to get it … Continue reading

Posted in customer service, de-risking, NEST, Retirement, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

You can’t buy a sausage with a brick


Abe Bacchus, the guy who taught me to sell life insurance in 1984, used this great phrase when a  prospect objected to creating a “capital reservoir” for the future. Of course a geared investment into bricks and mortar over the … Continue reading

Posted in dc pensions, de-risking, NEST, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 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

“Our weapon is the camera”


Perhaps the measure of political control in Libya is calibrated by fear.
Continue reading

Posted in Facebook, Libya, Middle East, OECD, social media, Syria, twitter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scotland has hexed our cricket team.


Let’s make this clear- we do not want your support- your support is toxic. Now you have hexed our cricket team. Continue reading

Posted in cricket, The Ashes, Twickenham, World Cup | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Feeding frenzy at the claims management zoo!


I was t-boned by an entrepreneurial garage owner on Saturday who , after shunting me off the road enterprisingly suggested that he would be happy to do the repairs on my car. I politely declined feeling it vaguely inappropriate. I … Continue reading

Posted in corporate governance, cricket, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment