Author Archives: henry tapper

About henry tapper

Founder of the Pension PlayPen,, partner of Stella, father of Olly . I am the Pension Plowman

One word for schools, one word for pension schemes

Posted on April 25, 2024 by henry tapper

The single word Ofsted judgment The public loves it, education hates it, the one word that describes the state of the school our children go to, is how we measure education matters in a busy world. The system of one-word … Continue reading →

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

Michelle Ostermann – the PPF’s new CEO

Posted on April 25, 2024 by henry tapper

Here is how the PPF’s new CEO , Michelle Ostermann introduces herself on Linked in. I have over 30 years of pension investment and senior leadership experience. I am currently the CEO of the Pension Protection Fund and Chair of … Continue reading →

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

At the graveyard gate; TPR’s DB funding statement

Posted on April 25, 2024 by henry tapper

The Pensions Regulator has published an annual DB funding statement that is their snapshot of the state of funding of the 5000 or so remaining schemes in the PPF 7800. Buy-out is going well, consolidation not so, but the general … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Frank Field is dead

Posted on April 24, 2024 by henry tapper

  Frank Field has died and our world is the poorer for it. We have known of his illness for a long time, but that doesn’t soften the loss. Only yesterday we remembered his work on behalf of the misadvised … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged | 4 Comments

TPT hint at better times ahead for those wishing to spend their pension savings

Posted on April 24, 2024 by henry tapper

Well done the Pensions Trust which continues to explore the mismatch between what people want at retirement and what they get. This from Professional Pensions. Only one third (35%) of pension savers say they are confident in making retirement decisions, … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Leave a comment

Paint my bandwagon

Posted on April 24, 2024 by henry tapper

There are some consultants who see the funding of DB pensions as a mercurial science where schemes can be magically elevated from zero to hero at the click of a chancellor’s mouse. For them the gilt rate determines pension funding … Continue reading →

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

Pension PlayPen says “Don’t give magnets to bad people”- Mr Webb!

Posted on April 24, 2024 by henry tapper

Steve Webb’s presentation to Pension PlayPen was both fun and fierce. You can see it play out in this video. I hope those who were not at the event will take the chance. There are four distinct camps emerging The … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Leave a comment

Magnetic pots or pots for life? The face-off’s at 10.30 this morning

Posted on April 23, 2024 by henry tapper

  It’s being billed – “the battle of the Steves”. There are two visions for workplace pensions  out there and this morning’s Pension PlayPen  will see Steve Webb and Groves’ clash. Steve Webb argues for continuity and for employer chosen … Continue reading →

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

FCA offers steelworkers £150 compensation for their loss of redress

Posted on April 23, 2024 by henry tapper

It has been six years and four months since Frank Field wrote this letter to Megan Butler at the FCA. Following evidence on the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) in Parliament in November , the Work and Pensions Committee wrote … Continue reading →

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

Crashing down from “peak savings”

Posted on April 23, 2024 by henry tapper

It’s a great analogy. You may get exhausted riding to the top of a hill but you aren’t going to break anything. People’s savings get broken (by sequential risk) on the way down from “peak savings”.  When you look … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , | 1 Comment