Monthly Archives: October 2021

“Safe as Houses” – Con Keating on investment and speculation

Posted on October 10, 2021 by henry tapper

This piece by Con Keating was first published in Professional Pensions  In early 2020, in order to explore the potential for Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pensions, I began an extensive project to investigate the investment performance of the major asset … Continue reading →

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Would you countenance a pensions pay-cut?

Posted on October 8, 2021 by henry tapper

We all want an annuity- we all hate annuities Back in the early noughties, Watsons had a powerful team of thinkers who had cottoned on to the problems of moving from DB to DC pensions. The insurance and investment teams … Continue reading →

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“Welcome to the corridors of corruption” (Con Keating unedited)

Posted on October 7, 2021 by henry tapper

This article first appeared in Professional Pensions , a little edited and under the title “state goals won’t override my duty. This is the unexpurgated version published the day after the Prime Minister outlined his vision for Britain at his … Continue reading →

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National Pension Tracing Day is 31st October

Posted on October 6, 2021 by henry tapper

I’ll be promoting National Pension Tracing Day all this month. Let’s hope we can find a way to get the National broadcasters interested in the issue. Alan Morahan has got the backing of many of the large insurers and I … Continue reading →

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The City’s not remotely working.

Posted on October 6, 2021 by henry tapper

  Today, the Prime Minister is going to urge Britain to go back to work. He’s been saying much the same since June. People don’t seem to paying him much notice. I thought to write a little about how I … Continue reading →

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IGCs duties to savers are clear, their duties to spenders aren’t.

Posted on October 5, 2021 by henry tapper

The latest statement of intent by the FCA to improve value for money in workplace pensions arrived yesterday as Policy Statement  21/12.  This is not a discussion paper but new rules which came into force yesterday and the not so … Continue reading →

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Returning to normal will be unpleasant unless we accept change

Posted on October 4, 2021 by henry tapper

Writing in the FT, Martin Woolf argues that the Treasury should lop off the hand that has kept taxation low and spending low and steer the ship of state to a European style welfare system of high taxation, high benefits … Continue reading →

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Why is the pension user journey so rough?

Posted on October 3, 2021 by henry tapper

People worry about their pensions, they do not enjoy the prospect of having a later life free of work, they worry that they haven’t saved enough, they’ve lost their pension rights , they worry about their money running out before … Continue reading →

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Vote Zola to bark back better.

Posted on October 3, 2021 by henry tapper

In a shameless attempt to win influence with those in high places, I have voted for Guy Opperman’s red labrador Zola in the Westminster dog of the year contest. Delighted to announce that Zola and I are entering this year’s … Continue reading →

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Why pension tax-relief isn’t about income tax anymore.

Posted on October 2, 2021 by henry tapper

I thought I had a reasonably good understanding of “cost of pension tax relief” stats (despite HMT’s reluctance to fill in the gaps by answering FoI requests). But I was shocked by new (to me) information on how these are … Continue reading →

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