Monthly Archives: January 2023
A worthy project on value for money
I am surprised , pleased and impressed to read the following on linked in. Happy new year everyone! Something to distract you from the polycrisis – Darren Philp and I have started our own podcast – VFM… geddit?! What could a podcast … Continue reading
David Fairs will be missed
David Fairs has announced he is leaving his role as policy director at the Pensions Regulator.He will be leaving in March, which is a pretty short run off for such a senior post and he is leaving before the delivery … Continue reading
Tegs Harding of the L&G MT in conversation at Pension PlayPen
It’s great that Tegs Harding has agreed to have a conversation with me at the first Pension PlayPen coffee morning of 2023. Tegs has taken the reins at L&G’s two mastertrusts (yes there are two) and I’m really looking forward … Continue reading
The state pension age for those who can work no longer.
During Jeremy Hunt’s autumn budget the Conservative chancellor announced that he was bringing forward a review of the state pension age. The review is expected to report in early 2023. Over the Christmas period , Unite revealed that the … Continue reading
Burnt at the stake – the 2022 “lifestyle” fiasco is no joke.
End of the sub-zero bond yield era https://t.co/4iygBZ3Z4o — Josephine Cumbo (@JosephineCumbo) January 5, 2023 Over the Christmas period , Japan decided to join the rest of the world and call time on “free money”. You now have to pay … Continue reading
How private pensions became a synthetic version of SERPS
Once upon a time , the Government used to pay pensions based on contributions made by employers and employees. There was no formal pension fund that backed up this pension scheme but the Government , if it did not have … Continue reading
Pensions are the poorer for Putin and Truss
“From February’s Russian invasion of Ukraine to the gilt market meltdown in October, 2022 pension schemes find themselves in a much healthier position than at the start of the year”. So here’s to economic incompetence and state sponsored terror https://t.co/qtQTHDerbI … Continue reading
USS – Con Keating
I do not envy the task of the new CEO of USS, though I must state that I have no insight who this might be. Over the past decade, the governance of USS has degenerated into a disgrace, … Continue reading
Is leverage in private equity funds ok for pensions?
I’m troubled by a question we got from Stephen Timms at the WPC meet in November. Timms asked if we knew of any other areas in which the pension market could be facing liquidity risk. I was going to … Continue reading
For Information: payment schedule for new Cost of Living Payments
In a week when we have no trains and precious little available NHS, we can console ourselves that it is not as cold as it was before Christmas. And for many people, stuck at home and dreading having to find … Continue reading