Monthly Archives: March 2018

Taking one for transparency!

My colleagues at First Actuarial will hate me for it – but I accepted an award from Mr Transparency – Andy Agethangelou, at the Transparency Task Force’s Auto-Enrolment event yesterday afternoon. The point was that 30 people got together with … Continue reading

Posted in pensions, trustee | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

My call for an end to contingent fees on DB pension transfers

  Calls to keep contingent pricing fall on my deaf ears. I champion the pension rights of those with low incomes and I champion the rights of those likely to get lower pensions (women). I don’t champion the right of … Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The herd mentality that leads us to DC

Luke 8:32-33 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into … Continue reading

Posted in pensions, USS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is the tide turning in the University pension dispute?

The  lecturers at Oxford University have received a significant email. I don’t have the email but I have Mike Otsuka’s tweets of it. This is how the dispute will be resolved. There is some powerful emotional intelligence at play here and I … Continue reading

Posted in pensions, USS | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

There is only so much pension risk, an ordinary person can take.

This diagram shows us the points where we can do well in our “journey” as DC investors. It’s a useful starting point in working out how we create value for money for ourselves. This article shows that how much we … Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, pensions | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

An American view on the collapse of “traditional pensions”.

This article was first published in the NEW YORK TIMES under the headline The Real Reason the Investor Class Hates Pensions No issue in America today better illustrates the divergent interests of working Americans and the 1 percent than pension … Continue reading

Posted in dc pensions, pensions | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Auto-enrolment pension savers could face significant losses due to poor climate risk practice

    A new report by ClientEarth and ShareAction has revealed that millions of pension savers, including those signed up under the government’s auto-enrolment legislation, may face significant future losses due to lack of action from pension providers and their … Continue reading

Posted in auto-enrolment, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Pensions and Pornstar Martinis

Question ; what have pensions and pornstar martinis got to do with each other Answer; after announcing they would have a day off from negotiating, the UUK pension team appear to have deferred to the bar for some of these … Continue reading

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where did we go wrong?

    For those who consider I am faltering in my campaign to restore confidence in pensions, think again. I have found the way to cover my back and stab others in theirs!   Cognitive bias explains everything! But sometimes … Continue reading

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The CMA and IDWG are looking for the right grubs under the wrong stones.

The Competition and Markets Authority has produced the first of a series of working papers (only 90 pages) looking at the buy-side of institutional intermediation (e.g. what happens between buying an asset and the return the customer gets). “The evidence reviewed … Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, brand, BSPS, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments