Monthly Archives: February 2017
Unmortgage your kids into home ownership!
I guess most people who read this blog are old enough to own their own house. But what if you were one of those twenty or thirty somethings who have done everything right- and still could not buy … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
5 Comments
Elements of Truth – and Complete Misunderstandings (Con Keating and the DB Green Paper).
This is an era of fake news, half-truths and outright lies. Spin and distortion have become the fabric of a false DB pension narrative; their unjustified ruination. Some “fact checking” is appropriate. We hear again and again that … Continue reading
5 Things I want from today’s DB Green Paper
The DWP is due to publish its Green Paper this morning. It’s an important initiative; -our defined benefit schemes are under threat but they have the potential to do much good not just to those in them, but to those who … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged CDC, conditional benefits, DB Green Paper, de-risking, DWP, Green paper, guarantees, pension playpen, pensions, Richard Harrington
3 Comments
Same old Watsons – taking the p*ss!
The FT is not known for having a laugh but I suspect that Chris Flood was snickering a little when he composed this little beauty I hope they don’t mind me sharing a great article that exposes the extraordinary arrogance … Continue reading
Choosing a workplace pension
Last week, Parliament debated an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill, suggested by the Shadow Pension Minister and quoting this blog. I am happy to have put words in Alex Cunningham’s mouth, the Government have been cavalier in … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged DWP, pension, pension playpen, Pension Provider, Providers, Richard Harrington, workplace Pensions
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Can technology solve our savings problems?
We are putting too large a trust in technology to manage our pensions. The brave new world of Fintech may give us the pension dashboard, pot aggregation and robo-advised spending mechanisms, but are we ready for self-empowerment? In this article I … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged Andrew Young, Financial adviser, Fund Choice, Government Actuary, music, Robo-adviser, Technology, Technology solutiosn
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Which would you rather live in- a house or a car?
I’m fond of our current pension minister; he makes me laugh! He does a good impression of the “pension’s idiot” and enjoys being thought rather less on the ball than he actually is. But scratch the surface and … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged AE, auto enrolment, Car, House, Pensions Minister, Richard Harrington, TPR, workplace pension
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“People taking their own decisions”?! How the Lewis’ gang up on IFAs.
I don’t know if there’s something in a name, but if I was an IFA, I’d be butting my head against anything called “Lewis” this morning. There’s Martin Lewis, talking to us on the TV of taking control of our … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged IFA, Lewis, Martin Lewis, Paul Lewis, pensions, RDR, Sue Lewis
17 Comments
Was DC the only choice for the Tata Steelworkers?
Speaking on the radio yesterday, John Ralfe called the decision of Tata Staff to accept the loss of future accrual into a final salary scheme in exchange for a 10% contribution into a DC pension fund as … Continue reading
Posted in actuaries, advice gap, FinTech, Jersey, pensions, Pensions Regulator, Politics, pot
Tagged British Steel, Defined Ambition, Freedoms, pension freedom, pensions, Ros Altmann, Steve Webb, tata, Tata steel, Technology
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The employer’s “duty of care” to choose a workplace pension; the parliamentary debate.
In my most recent blog, I expressed a hope that the amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill would be accepted (in the full knowledge that it wouldn’t). It was withdrawn by the Shadow Pensions Minister but not without debate. I … Continue reading
Posted in pensions
Tagged alex Cunningham, Pension Schemes Bill, pensions, Richard Harrington
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