Monthly Archives: January 2026

Q. “If DB pensions had been invested for growth?” A. “Actuaries would have a DB pension future…”

Posted on January 8, 2026 by henry tapper

That’s my answer on what would happen if Pension Funds had followed a pathway modelled by Barnett Waddingham’s Andrew Smith This blog is his…apart from some comments from Andrew Young at the end. Andy Smith If UK private-sector DB pension … Continue reading →

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State Pension needs celebrating and updating – say Karen and Andrew.

Posted on January 8, 2026 by henry tapper

 The State Pension needs celebration says Karen Quinn The old-age pension has its birthday . Karen Quinn endorse this headline from the Economist. Here is her contribution (snipped from Linked in) and one of a triplet of blogs this morning … Continue reading →

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With pensions, we want things to be easy – says David Brooks

Posted on January 8, 2026 by henry tapper

Here is David Brooks , finding his way back to the part pension experts find hardest to accept, that most of us do not want to have something that takes a lot of effort. This is a sister blog to … Continue reading →

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I understand my state pension but not these statements about my private pension pots.

Posted on January 8, 2026 by henry tapper

Richard Smith is angry. He has five pension pots but he has no idea what income he will get when from 2027 there’s a default pension he will be able to draw. That is apart from Scottish Widow’s explanation that … Continue reading →

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Dan Mikulskis and Martin Lewis have a simple story, an investment message!

Posted on January 7, 2026 by henry tapper

This needed to be said.  The article in question can be read from here Dan talks of DC master trusts but you could have got roughly the same returns whether you were invested in a the default of a DC … Continue reading →

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Risk preferences in DC pensions.

Posted on January 7, 2026 by henry tapper

The Pension PlayPen coffee morning on Tuesday 7th January was a father and son act with Arun and Sid Muralidhar talking with us. Here is the video We were delighted to hear Dr Arun Muralidhar  and his son outlining a … Continue reading →

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Can trustees go against the laws of parliament? Members elect Governments.

Posted on January 7, 2026 by henry tapper

So runs this morning’s headline in the FT (Mary McDougall). The argument that has been put forward by Pensions Minister Torsten Bell and argued for by political economists such as Will Hutton. The debate by an FT journalist (Jo Cumbo) … Continue reading →

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The scandal of our “DB capitulation” to “de-risking”.

Posted on January 6, 2026 by henry tapper

Meg Baynes’ piece in the Times which I featured on this blog is beginning to get some traction around the world Astounding. I think because investment literacy is so low in the UK and saving-via-homebuying is so embedded, people don’t … Continue reading →

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Why unions should take CDC to employers and their under pensioned members

Posted on January 6, 2026 by henry tapper

A large part of the British workforce have trade unions working for them to provide them with decent conditions at work, pay for work and benefits when work ends and retirement begins. We had in unionised companies a DB culture … Continue reading →

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The legacy of risk aversion haunts superfunds

Posted on January 6, 2026 by henry tapper

I no longer have anything to do with superfunds, of whatever form, but I am sorrowful that part of  the Government has yet again shown it is captured by an aversion to growth. There is nothing that superfunds are exempted … Continue reading →

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