Monthly Archives: August 2016
The weight of a nation v the next Philip Green
The DWP Select Committee, currently the only centre of pension’s expertise in the House of Commons, has called for written evidence on Defined benefit (DB) pensions regulation by the Pensions Regulator (TPR), including: the adequacy of regulatory powers, including anti-avoidance provisions … Continue reading
So who gave Mark Carney the keys?
Ros Altmann, along with many others is concerned that a side-effect of the measures announced to bounce our economy out of Brexit blues, will be to require employers to pump money into pensions and not into jobs, research and building new … Continue reading
“Only rich people think small amounts don’t matter”
That’s a quote from Debora Price and I’m making it a strap for whatever campaign I can cobble together to make Government Incentives happen for those who qualify for them , but can’t get them because their trustees don’t collect … Continue reading
Pensions Minister in the house – shout out for Richard Harrington!
A new man In one of the lowest keys of appointments, Richard Harrington crept into the DWP as an under-secretary and inherited all the issues for rather less pay than he’d have got if he’d got the usual ministerial salary. … Continue reading
NOW – for something completely different.
Amid all the noise of auto-enrolment , one master trusts has put its head down and got on with mending a damaged reputation by hard work and through decent behaviour. I’m talking about NOW pensions. NOW was set up by … Continue reading
Paul Trickett – a big thank you!
I understand that Paul Trickett is joining Aviva as a Director of the Life Company. Paul tells me he has resigned his posts as Chair of the Trustees of the Zurich Staff Pension Scheme and of the L&G Master Trust. … Continue reading
If you’re going to do it – do it right (now) – yes L&G!
This blog (and the Pension Plowman) have been a fan of L&G for some years. We admire L&G for its pioneering work on auto-enrolment, for its support of Pension PlayPen and for its work on engagement through what its CEO … Continue reading
Is contract-based versus trust-based really the question? Guest Blog from Ralph Frank
Automatic Enrolment (“AE”) has resulted in an increase in Defined Contribution (“DC”) pension saving through Master Trusts (“MTs”). This trust-based approach has overtaken contract-based arrangements, such as Group Personal Pensions, as the most popular form of DC saving. A key … Continue reading
Midsummer Madness as £3.5bn’s lost to real assets!
The Investment Association reported yesterday that jerks kneed £3,500,000,000 out of funds in June – “clearly Brexit has been unsettling, with property and equity funds particularly affected” – the report opined. Well £2.8bn was lost from equity funds and £1.4bn … Continue reading
Pensions and the triple lock – some context for the debate
I’ve been listening for the last two days to heated debate about the triple lock for State Pensions, with two former pension Ministers slugging it out, Ros Altmann and Steve Webb, and increas… Source: Pensions and the triple lock – … Continue reading