Monthly Archives: December 2012

2011 in review

Posted on December 31, 2012 by

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 30,000 times in 2011. If it were a … Continue reading →

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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

The RDR has scotch’d the snake not killed it!

Posted on December 31, 2012 by

the FSA has “scotched the snake not killed it”. Continue reading →

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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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Spamta Claws coming to town

Posted on December 24, 2012 by

It took me 51 years to clock it , but Santa is a spammer. Spamta. as I will now call him has invaded my inbox at least ten times a day throughout advent sending me seasons greetings in the names … Continue reading →

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Wouldn’t you rather be in Tenerife?

Posted on December 23, 2012 by

Tenerife is my holiday destination of choice. I love it because it is so chavvy. Get on the plane at Gatwick North and you and 400 enthusiastic party going geriatrics are on their way to a winter wonderland where flood … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions, Tenerife | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Pension Play Pen Christmas Party

Posted on December 20, 2012 by

Morning everyone! Well it would be were it not for It being the last school day of the year It raining cats and dogs- enought to make Noah give up! My head suggesting I am on fast spin in my beautiful … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, pension playpen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Auto-enrolment – stay cool – hang loose!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by

Here’s a technical update for readers getting their companies ready to auto-enrol staff into pensions! The Government has announced new automatic enrolment thresholds for 2013/14 The Government has to review annually the various automatic enrolment thresholds.  On 14 December 2012 the DWP … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, auto-enrolment, NEST, Payroll, pensions | 4 Comments

The still small voice ..and Trenton Oldfield

Posted on December 18, 2012 by

The British nation took a dislike to Trenton Oldfield earlier in the year, we don’t take kindly to Australian nutters messing with our institutions, especially the public school  kind who claim to speak for our disenfranchised . I blogged about him when he … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, Change, defined aspiration, governance, happiness, Occupy London, Olympics, Olympics 2012, Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How was the Plowman’s vision? – 2012 #pensions predictions revisited

Posted on December 17, 2012 by

Here were our pension predictions from a year ago (you can read the full blog from December 2011- here) Artificially depressed interest rates drive up DB deficits and depress annuities but the pressure on life companies and pension schemes to adopt … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, pensions, steve webb | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments