Monthly Archives: December 2016
Pensions and the Media
We like to think that the media works well with the pension industry, but it’s a relationship based on our money, not on mutual respect. In this article I look at how the media really view pensions, concluding we have … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged Alan Higham, Blog, ft, John Ralfe, Media, Out reach, pensions, press, Ros Altmann, social media, Steve Webb, Technology, twitter, Value for Money
3 Comments
The funds that time forgot.
We’ve all got guilty secrets at the back of the cupboard, those packets of flour purchased at college that you could never throw away (knowing the beer sacrificed to buy them); I even have guilty secrets glued to the back … Continue reading
Never mind the quality, feel the width- AE review to nudge coverage not contributions!
Summary The Government has set out it’s stall for next year’s AE review. To the disappointment of providers, an increase in contributions is not on the agenda. But the breadth of coverage of AE is – including consideration of the … Continue reading
Posted in auto-enrolment, pensions
Tagged AE, auto-enrolement, coverage, nudge, pensions, Review, thresholds, triggers, workplace Pensions
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“Breaking ranks” with a pernicious orthodoxy.
In a significant interview with the FT, Michael Higgins, former chair of the Pension Regulator and chair of a £12bn pension trust argues that valuing pension liabilities using the gilt yield is leading to a …. “significant misallocation of resources — … Continue reading
Posted in accountants, Bankers, pensions
Tagged Consultants, contrarian, Deficit, FABI, Funding, Infrastructure, John O'Higgins, pensions, TPR
5 Comments
Prof Mike Otsuka on First Actuarial and USS’ different approaches to self-sufficiency!
This article has been published by Mike Osuka on his blog. You can read the original here; http://tinyurl.com/j82en9s . Mike is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Logic & Scientific Method at the London School of Economics. He’s kindly … Continue reading
Posted in actuaries, pensions
Tagged assets, equities, gilts, LSE, pensions, Professor Mike Ostuka, self suffeciency, USS
5 Comments
Why pensions pinch your pay packet
We now know that we are unlikely to get a national pay rise for the rest of the decade. We are worse off in terms of wages than we were ten years ago. What we get paid matters and with … Continue reading
Posted in accountants, actuaries, economics, pension playpen, pensions
Tagged costs, Pay, pension, Public Sector Pensions, Salary
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Why can’t we talk about investment returns?
Investment performance has become a taboo – a “no go zone”. This suits the auto-enrolment agenda which is “comply or die”, but NEST has broken ranks and asked defaqto to publish comparative investment performance and it was right to … Continue reading
Posted in actuaries, auto-enrolment, pensions
Tagged actuaries, auto enrolment, FCA, Performance, Risk, Statistics, workplace pension
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How do we manage the baby-boomers “huge” pensions?
The idea that £1m is a cap on huge pensions , beyond which we pay penal tax rates, is ludicrous. In answer to a question on this blog, I did some simple sums. Here first is the answer Nicholas, a … Continue reading
Posted in CDC, pensions
Tagged advice, CDC, CETV, cost of advice, DB, Drawdown, pensions, phased drawdown, Third way
6 Comments
Good and bad news for Tata’s pension scheme
BSPS members down but not out The deal facing members of the British Steel Pension Schemes(BSPS) isn’t great , but it’s a whole lot better than that predicted. What’s clear is that there won’t be much future accrual of defined … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged British Steel, BSPS, defecit, defined benefit, Defined Contribution, ft, pension, Pension Protection Fund, ppf, tata, TPR
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If past performance doesn’t matter- what does?
Performance measurement is a deeply unpopular science. If there is one phrase that financial services has given to popular parlance it’s that “Past performance is no guide to the future” This worthy sentiment would ring hollow to the person transferring … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged defaqto, first actuarial, Investment, NEST, pensions, Performance, Standard Life, workplace Pensions
6 Comments