Category Archives: advice gap

The value to me of “set and hold”!

Posted on June 27, 2017 by

  The FT is masterful with understatement. A 2% charge can take quite a chunk out of the overall portfolio return If your predicted investment return is (say) inflation +3%, having to earn 2% to pay your investment manager, custodian … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, advice gap, pensions, pot, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A make or break week for UK investors

Posted on June 26, 2017 by

Are fund managers the new bankers? If you’ve read the excellent  (draft) FCA Asset Management Market Study, you’d be forgiven to think they were – (and that investment consultants were their knowing flunkies). The question now is how far the FCA … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, consultant, corporate governance, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Restoring victim’s confidence in pensions

Posted on June 24, 2017 by

The confidence I have in pensions is because I know the people who are at the helm give a damn. I am lucky, I can bump into them in all kinds of ways. It is easy for me to say … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, advice gap, annuity, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

CETVs; the flight from quality

Posted on June 23, 2017 by

Both the Times and the Financial Times report today on the anticipated voluntary withdrawals from Britain’s DB pensions through cash equivalent transfer values (CETVs). The FT, relying on Mercer as a source, estimate the withdrawals to be as much as … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, advice gap, pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Pension promises- “second hand not second rate”.

Posted on June 22, 2017 by

There’s an old Elvis Costello song (Senior Service) which talks about the DWP They took me in the office and they told me very carefully The way that I could benefit from death and disability I thought of it as … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Earth isn’t flat. How contingent fees can deliver the best outcome for customers – Peter Doherty

Posted on June 20, 2017 by

“This article has been sent me by Peter Doherty, CIO of Tideway Investment Partners  It makes the case for fees for transfer advice only to be charged in the event of a completed transfer and not in the case of … Continue reading →

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Don’t get strung up on pension ministers!

Posted on June 15, 2017 by

News that Richard Harrington is leaving his post as Pension Minister for BEIS shouldn’t surprise readers of this blog. The move had been heavily flagged in the DWP and tPR even before the election, @Richard4Watford put “pensions first” for his … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, auto-enrolment, pensions, Politics | Tagged , | 3 Comments

What are we to make of the Financial Ombudsman?

Posted on June 13, 2017 by

The Financial Ombudsman’s annual report – published yesterday – shows strong demand for its services. But the perception of what FOS does seems to be wider than it should be. Many people use FAS as a money advice service , … Continue reading →

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

The great pension transfer debate

Posted on June 13, 2017 by

There is still time to register yourself a free place at the Great Pension Transfer Debate organised by IFA Al Rush. It will take place throughout the day of June 19th at the East of England Showground just west of … Continue reading →

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If you see bad advice – say something!

Posted on June 11, 2017 by

  I was very pleased to read Natalie Holt’s article in Money Marketing, we need a better way to deal with bad advice. It deals with public perceptions of financial advisers and is uncompromising. The reality of advice is lost … Continue reading →

Posted in accountants, actuaries, advice gap, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments