Monthly Archives: December 2016
All that I admire
The main point of volunteering for Crisis at Christmas is to ease the pain of being homeless at this time of the year. But it also gives 11,000 people the chance to get to know each other without any of … Continue reading
A tale so sad I cried writing it down
I had my Christmas lunch with Brian. Brian is homeless. He is 69. He will not use hostels or night-shelters as this would mean mixing with people who drink. He does not drink as his family was a … Continue reading
Happy Christmas – VAR is over.
The conventional approach to pension scheme asset management has been a powerful instrument of mis–education. Consultants and trustees are taught about matching assets to liabilities, the use of standard deviation and the Brinson axiom. They may be told something about … Continue reading
Sobriety at Christmas
Crisis at Christmas Most of my 55 Chistmas’ have been “merry”, to the point of self-indulgence. This Christmas I am discovering that for other people, “merry” is a hard-earned word. Last night I saw people coming into Crisis At Christmas’ Bermondsey … Continue reading
Why pensions should become a big government obsession in 2o17!
In my article yesterday, I suggested we don’t need to change pension regulations, we need to stop looking at pensions as a threat but as a benefit. This applies to auto-enrolment too- where employers are not engaging with pensions, … Continue reading
Pensions -a benefit – or a threat?
This is a record of a conversation had between me and my colleagues Hilary Salt, Rob Hammond and Derek Benstead, there were other parties to the conversation , I won’t name them, but they were interested and interesting. Essay question … Continue reading
Posted in Big Government, pensions
Tagged Big Government, DB, DWP, DWP select committee, Number 10, pensions, ppf
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Well the days are getting longer again…
There is a cyclicality about the calendar that deflates the vanity of our earthly endeavours. We may feel we have reached rock bottom, our heads screaming for cold relief, party relief and release from the toad work, but guess what … Continue reading
Planning Finances or Selling Insurance?
I’ve written a couple of blogs this week about my need for financial planning and my fear of wealth management. To repeat again, I don’t want to be treated as wealthy, but I do need help planning my saving and … Continue reading
Posted in accountants, actuaries, advice gap, pensions
Tagged accountant, advice, HMRC, Insurance, pension playpen, pensions, VAT
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Of nuclear deterrents, sledgehammers and nuts – (DWP Select on DB)
The 90 page report on the state of our defined benefit pension schemes is published this morning. From first to last it is the work of Frank Field, it begins with BHS and ends with BHS, the confrontation with Philip … Continue reading
Posted in defined ambition, DWP, pensions, Pensions Regulator, workplace pensions
Tagged Derek Benstead, DWP, FABI, Frank Field, knee jerk, Nut, ppf, Sledgehammer
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Can succession succeed? An everyday story of IFA folk.
Yesterday I published an article about my fears of putting my money into the hands of a wealth manager. They can be summed up as Financial – the “money” bit of value for money , was skewed against me … Continue reading