Monthly Archives: September 2019

“Low paid” – must not mean “not paid”.

Posted on September 9, 2019 by henry tapper

Amidst all the political strife, people keep on saving money into workplace pensions , over 10m of the estimated 23m people saving in the workplace have been auto-enrolled and around 1.75m of us are not getting the Government incentives to … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Amber Dudd – anyone for Coffey?

Posted on September 8, 2019 by henry tapper

I cannot work out what the point of Amber Rudd’s resignation is. Rudd knows Johnson well, from what I’ve observed, Johnson is all over her in his slightly predatory way. They are often pictured as Tory pin-ups. Rudd knew exactly … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | 10 Comments

“What’s the best way to use my two pensions?”

Posted on September 8, 2019 by henry tapper

I’ve done another of those Portfolio Theories things from the Times. I was  billed a pensions expert, which suggests I’m something that Steve Webb and Ros Altmann aren’t. My apologies to the two real pension experts in the article! My … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, pensions | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

What would BREXIT mean to workplace pensions?

Posted on September 6, 2019 by henry tapper

  Europe has a great deal of influence on UK pensions; the influence includes fund reporting, funding requirements, reserving against risk and even competition between service providers. This can have very strange results. The reason that NEST has such a … Continue reading →

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

Auto-enrolment – what next?

Posted on September 6, 2019 by henry tapper

We have got so used to auto-enrolment contribution rates going up as phasing unwinds that it’s actually quite disappointing to think we have no further challenges on the horizon. The Government, in its 2017 auto-enrolment review, promised to introduce a … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, pensions | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The cost of turning pot to pension

Posted on September 5, 2019 by henry tapper

  I’m pleased to hear that Scottish Widows are planning to open their standard annuity product to the open market (previously only Scottish Widows customers could access this product). Their marketing people tell us It will be available directly from … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, age wage, annuity, pensions | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

I’m leaving First Actuarial

Posted on September 4, 2019 by henry tapper

It was kind of Kim at Professional Pensions to give my news some publicity I’m leaving First Actuarial on September 30th because I now need to spend all my time with AgeWage, which I think the most important company I have … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged | 7 Comments

The language that we use

Posted on September 4, 2019 by henry tapper

I am worried by the language that we are using in AgeWage. We are not being profane, or blasphemous, but we are not making ourselves understood , to each other , our investors and our future customers. We have not … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, age wage, pensions | 7 Comments

LEBC – the demise of “de-risking”?

Posted on September 3, 2019 by henry tapper

Yesterday LEBC  resigned its permissions to offer regulated advice on the transfer of safeguarded rights within a pension scheme (DB transfers). It also decided to stop advising on Flexible Retirement Options such as Pension Increase Exchange and Enhanced Transfer Values.  … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Is there wisdom in saving?

Posted on September 2, 2019 by henry tapper

Thanks to Dave Thompson who sent me this random picture, presumably with a hope of an answer! I suspect its a teaser for Pensions Awareness Day – which is now just a fortnight away! Well here goes Dave, I’m going … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, age wage, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment