Monthly Archives: December 2015
Deja vu all over again (with apologies to Yogi Berra) – guest blog from Ralph Frank
The recent announcement that the Third Avenue Focused Credit Fund (“FCF”) has blocked investor redemptions brings flashbacks to 2007. The suspension of redemptions from three BNP Paribas funds, following similar actions by Bear Stearns and Union Investment Management, passed relatively … Continue reading
From source to sea – the consolidation of master trusts
As part of some work for one of our intermediaries, I’ve been asked to make sense of the smaller master trusts and give a view on which of them are likely to be around in their current form in … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged Bluesky, Carey, Corpad, ICAEW, MAF, master trust assurance frmework, master trusts, PQM, Smart pesnions, TPR
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How defined is your benefit?
Today the Pension Institute, those “left-leaning losers” who shaped the Labour manifesto before the last election, will publish an uncompromising paper setting out the state of our defined benefit pensions, especially those supported by private sector “promises to pay”. … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged CDC, Conditional Indexation, David Blake, dc, Debbie Harrison, defined benefit, Netherlands, Pension Insitute
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Choice – we love to have it – we hate to use it!
Choice – a mass of contradictions I’ve noted before that choice is something we feel we cannot do without but is something we generally cannot deal with. It is rare that the phrase ” I had no choice” is used in … Continue reading
Is Vanguard changing everything?
In February I heard Thomas Phillipon tell a London audience there had been little change in the cost of financial services over the past 120 years. You can read all about it here. It seems that every time a vacuum … Continue reading
Problems? Is AE technology an end or a means?
It’s something of a joke in the Pension PlayPen that if anyone is going to break our systems and processes , it will be the Pension Plowman. I have an uncanny knack of finding weaknesses on our development site and … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged auto enrolment, Helen Dean, hills, NEST, problems, punk, Sex Pistols, TPAS, TPR
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“Not complaining, just saying” – DWP + HMT screw-ups + how to deal with ’em
Yesterday saw two issues re-emerge from Government announcements that were inaccurate and confusing. Both show that even with their army of lawyers, the Treasury and DWP still make fundamental errors that were they to be made from the private sector … Continue reading
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Tagged advice, auto enrolment, compliance, FCA, Guidance, net-pay, Pension Wise, pensions, relief at source, TPR
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Only we can tell who’s giving VFM on auto-enrolment support!
There’s been plenty of controversy in the last quarter about providers making upfront and regular charges for support. NEST have said they won’t charge – but employers need to be self- sufficient, People’s and NOW will both charge for support … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged auto enrolment, Aviva, NEST, NOW, pensions, People's Pension, Standard Life, support
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SHARE OF WEALTH OWNED BY THE RECENTLY RETIRED HAS NOW OVERTAKEN THE UNDER 45s
This is good stuff from the Resolution Foundation . The baby boomers really are doing for Gen x/y David Willets is an interesting chap. Once known as “two brains” he may have jettisoned one – now he’s gone to the … Continue reading
The Nigella Lawson of workplace pensions
I met Hayley Jaggers at a recent Capacity Crunch Conference and linked in with her. We agreed to meet at our Tonbridge offices and we had a business meeting yesterday. She has re-defined my expectation of what can be achieved … Continue reading
Posted in auto-enrolment, pension playpen, pensions
Tagged advice, annuity, auto enrolment, Automatic Enrolment Solutions, Business, Business and Economy, corporate governance, corporate risk, dc pensions, National Employment Savings Trust, Payroll, pension, Pension new, pension playpen, pensions, workplace Pensions
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