Monthly Archives: April 2015
Auto-enrolment needs payroll and advisers on the same page.
News reaches me from up north of an abrasive public meeting in which a major payroll disputed the value of financial advice in staging auto-enrolment. I need not name names, sadly it comes as no surprise to hear a payroll software providers … Continue reading
The dark hour of the innovator
Access to knowledge remains a stumbling block to financial education in this country. It is extremely difficult to convert information on what we own into knowledge about how we can use it. This is not a problem peculiar to the financial … Continue reading
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Tagged Actuarial science, Business, Business and Economy, innovator, payback, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, Pollen, Previnet, Quietroom
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A new dawn for UK Pensions – or groundhog day? A guest blog from Ralph Frank
This week marked the coming into force of a large number of changes to the UK pensions landscape that were announced in 2014. Some of these changes will have a greater impact than others, although not necessarily in proportion … Continue reading
Advisers advise, fiduciaries govern.
I am going to New York next month to talk about risk sharing in the UK. I will be sharing my session with Simon Nelson of Eckler, a Canadian actuary and we’re comparing notes at the moment. I’d like to … Continue reading
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Tagged advice, Consultant, empoloyer, Fiduciary, governance, pension, trustee
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Investing for drawdown – How L&G are responding to the challenge
Nigel Wilson, L&G’s CEO- recently ran a hang-out to discuss key issues. My question to him, was a bit technical and I’m glad that easier questions were put on the day! I asked what solutions L&G could come up with … Continue reading
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Tagged Actuarial science, Actuary, corporate governance, corporate risk, customer service, L&G Drawdown, Multi-asset fund
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Should we be trusted with our pension pot?
Today’s the day those over 55 can start taking their pension pots as they like;- except you can’t because the insurance companies are closed for the Bank Holiday except your defined contribution pension provider may not have adapted its systems yet except you … Continue reading
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Tagged annuity, Blog, Business, CDC, corporate risk, dc, dc pensions, de-risking, Defined benefit pension plan, Employment, Government, pension, pension freedom, Pension new, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement, Steve Webb
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Easter sets us free
It’s an amazing day; it’s the day the Christian Church remembers Christ’s resurrection. On a secular note, it’s the final day under the old pension regime. Maybe pensions will have it’s resurrection tomorrow! With all the talk of multi-cultural Britain, … Continue reading
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Easter Saturday – time for a little harrowing.
Easter breaks oddly this year. Having got itself into full on debating frenzy on Thursday , thoughts turn to the sombre events we commemorate on Good Friday. In the meantime, we wait. For pensions people, the wait is particularly potent … Continue reading
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Tagged Dante, Easter, Harrowing, Langland, Piers Plowman, Saturday
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A chill wind from the north
Did anyone feel a draft between the hours of 8 and 10pm last night? Some would call it an icy blast of reality or even a breath of fresh air. Nicola Sturgeon is without doubt what the Westminster Village calls an … Continue reading
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The English have much to learn from these enlightened Scots.
The Library of Innerpeffray sits in rural Perthshire close to Crieff. It is one of the oldest lending libraries in the world and was established by Henry Drummond in around 1680. I visited it on a snowy day in April and … Continue reading