Monthly Archives: November 2011
A necessary strike
If there’s one area of consensus among the politicians this morning, it’s that the national pensions strike called for today (30th November) is unnecessary and something this country can ill afford. I disagree – this is a necessary strike, not … Continue reading
Treasury 1 DWP 0 (Steve Webb o.g. 89 minutes)
I wouldn’t like to be Steve Webb this afternoon. Having protested for the past few weeks that the DWP‘s auto-enrolment timeline was carved in stone, we learn today that employers with 3000 or less employees (for details follow this link!) will have another year or so to … Continue reading
Why pay for advice? Take the poll!
[polldaddy poll=5703072] This is a question that troubles me – not surprising as I’m a pensions adviser who reckons his job is to get people to the point when they can manage their pension affairs by themselves. If advisory self sufficiency is … Continue reading
Posted in corporate governance, dc pensions, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement, social media
Tagged Actuary, Employment, Financial adviser, Financial services, Government, Little Boys, National Employment Savings Trust, pension, Retirement, Technical support, Time immemorial, WB Yeats, Yeovil Saturday
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Meaningless choice
“choices should only be offered where they are meaningful, timely and can be taken in the full understanding of both up and downside”.
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Posted in annuity, corporate governance, customer service, de-risking, Fiduciary Management, Liability Driven Investment, NEST, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement
Tagged Business, Debora Price, Decision making, Eagle Star, Eagle Star Insurance, Einstein, Employment, Fiduciary Management, Financial Capability, Financial literacy, Financial services, Galileo, Gallileo, Newton, pension, Quantitative easing, Social group, trustee, United States, Wittgenstein
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Lear- third age monarch- fourth age fool?
That Debora Price talk really got to me. Gone my cosy vision of a comfy third age, supplanted by nightmare dotage and dementia. The last time I really confronted the issue of growing really old was when I was involved in … Continue reading
Posted in pensions, Retirement
Tagged Cordelia, Cordelia Chase, Dementia, Fool, King Lear, Lear, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare
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Australia squeeze home against South Africa at the Wanderers
For posterity, here is the last page of ESPNcricinfo’s wonderful commentary of the last overs of the Jo’burg test twixt the Saffers and the Aussies. South Africa 266 & 339 Australia 296 & 310/8 (86.5 ov) Australia won by 2 wickets Australia RR3.57 Last … Continue reading
Posted in cricket
Tagged Australia, Cape Town, Cummins, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Johnson, Mitchell Johnson, South Africa
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Fair pensions at work.
How bosses decide to be paid is not just up to them. The shareholders, those lending money to the company and – not least – the rest of the workforce have a keen interest in making sure the company’s profits … Continue reading
Sacred cows at the abattoir
In her 45 minute talk, Debora led us to an abattoir of sacred cows where we saw strung up on meat hooks our most cherished hopes. Continue reading
Posted in annuity, corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, Fiduciary Management, NEST, OECD, pension playpen, Retirement
Tagged Assisted Living, Basil D'Oliveira, Business, Debora, Debora Price, Equity release, Government, Health, long term care, Nicola Horlick, Nursing home, pension, Retirement, Ros Altmann, Self-sufficiency, Senior Health, United States
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Ticking timebombs in the pension cupboard
When things go wrong in DC pension administration they go badly wrong. The old axiom is “right first time”. The cost of unravelling a mistake can be ruinous. Take the case of the Dutch insurer Aegon, whose UK subsidiary formerly Scottish Equitable– has had … Continue reading
Posted in annuity, corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, Liability Driven Investment, NEST, pension playpen
Tagged Aegon, DC Comics, Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Insurance, National Employment Savings Trust, pension, Pension Regulator, Scottish Equitable
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