Monthly Archives: May 2018

The absence of any guarantee supporting the promises of a CDC pension scheme makes the question of financial guarantees topical. The most important point to understand is that a guarantee does not ensure certainty of performance. It may be: “an … Continue reading →

“A hit – a very palpable hit”, cries Osric as Hamlet lances Laertes. So reads this triumphal  supertweet to the Bondanistas. 1 A DB pension promise has the same economic characteristics as as long dated secured bond. 2 We know how to value … Continue reading →

The DWP are exhorting us to get to know our workplace pensions, but they might do better to start with the bosses who set them up! How many employers could answer these five simple questions? How do I transfer my … Continue reading →

I’ve talked about the impact of higher transfer values on people living in Port Talbot and Redcar, and in the British Steel Pension Scheme. Around March last year, those transfer values in some cases doubled. Why? There were two reasons. … Continue reading →

This piece is in part a peace offering to Steve Lowe and Steve Groves, for my laying into the Just CETV kit, earlier this weekend (see above). I don’t buy the argument that two wrongs make a right, Just could … Continue reading →

In yesterday’s blog I berated insurers and consultants for promoting a culture of de-risking to the great dis-service of ordinary members of defined benefit schemes. Understandably , I have got some stick for this from insurers (and the odd pension … Continue reading →

“Bloody” and “Furious”, the two adjectives that describe me this morning after reading this. ICYMI: Just Group develops new business to disrupt the individual defined benefit transfer market https://t.co/tXnGIiP6ld @WeareJust_PR @SpencePartners #fintech #innovation #trustees pic.twitter.com/HIjZgeNs2g — Stephen Lowe (@slowe1968) May … Continue reading →