Monthly Archives: October 2018

Payroll are tomorrow’s Pension Experts!

I spoke at the CIPP Conference at the National Exhibition Centre at what payroll can do to help staff understand pensions and in particular – the pension freedoms. Here are my slides I think there are three things that hold … Continue reading

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

Will “DC deficits” become a thing of the past?

News of HMRC’s “change of position” with regards the “net-pay- anomaly” is welcome, and long overdue. It came in the form of a letter sent in response to a request from respected journalist Jo Cumbo of the FT. Govt to … Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, annuity, auto-enrolment, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The conflicts of interest facing pension trustees

  Robin Powell of the Evidenced Based Investor, interviewed me this week. You can find the original interview here, Robin’s work is important, I hope a few readers will come to his seminar- advertised at the bottom of this piece. … Continue reading

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So what’s unfair about a Pension Wealth Tax?

In this article I argue that any tax increases levied on the rich are ok by me, and I’m rich. The bias of vested interest The vast majority of people get tax relief on their pension contributions. Some people are excluded by … Continue reading

Posted in accountants, Henry Tapper blog, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

“Should I use my pension to pay off my mortgage?”

This article appeared in the Times on Saturday (Oct 6th). David Byers is a good journalist who allows people’s money issues to be properly addressed . Recently I’ve been helping out with one or two of the answers, so if you want to see … Continue reading

Posted in pensions | 3 Comments

34 firms under investigation by FCA for non-disclosure of investment charges

    The Times are running this story as a result of a tip-off by professional charge-busters and founding members of the awkward squad SCM Direct. If you don’t know what SCM Direct is, that’s because you aren’t one of … Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, age wage, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The net-pay scandal gathers momentum

Key “net pay” (or variations on the phrase) into the keyword search on this blog and you will find over 30 articles going back to early 2015. It was Kate Upcraft who first put me on to the problem which emerged … Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, pensions | 4 Comments

FCA – kicking the transfer can down the road

£37bn flowed out of DB schemes last year in transfers, the vast majority of the money was transferred with the help of IFAs and the vast majority of IFAs charge for transfer advice on a contingent basis. To ordinary people … Continue reading

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

Tax and “net-pay fallibility”.

A curious feature of British middle-class life is the belief in the infallibility of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The old certainties of “death and taxes” are comforting. When tax-evaders are found out, it reinforces our sense of the rectitude … Continue reading

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NOW writes to the Chancellor on behalf of the pension unloved.

  Now pensions and a host of us  have written to the Treasury and this is what we’ve said. Automatic enrolment is a policy success story with nearly 10 million people saving into a workplace pension because of its introduction. … Continue reading

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