Category Archives: Big Government

“Nine years ago today, the Budget nearly killed me” – Guy Opperman

Posted on April 27, 2020 by henry tapper

    This blog is about and by Guy Opperman – our  pensions minister; it’s re-published with his permission. It was first published April 26th here Today’s date is etched on my memory, and it will be forever. On Tuesday … Continue reading →

Posted in age wage, Big Government, pensions | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Let’s not slide back into the swamp!

Posted on February 25, 2020 by henry tapper

After what they must consider a “decent period”, the insurers and the bankers have reappeared from the slimy depths like Grendel out to wreak revenge on consumers protected too long by Europe. The insurance and pensions industry is calling for … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Big Government, Brexit, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three little pots went to market

Posted on January 20, 2020 by henry tapper

The point of this blog is to show 1. One way of avoiding the damaging impact of the MPAA on future saving 2. The depth of knowledge needed to make good at retirement decisions (especially where there is no adviser … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, age wage, Big Government, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We almost got a pensions dashboard….

Posted on October 30, 2019 by henry tapper

It now seems unlikely that parliament will complete reading the Pensions Bill. The Bill introduces compulsion on employers to provide data to a pensions dashboard and it gives CDC the green light, at first for the Royal Mail and later … Continue reading →

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Re-deploying our pension winners!

Posted on December 8, 2018 by henry tapper

Webb for Regulator? This rumour has sparked a twitter storm among those who think Steve Webb is conflicted in potentially exercising the powers of the Pensions Regulator on policies he initiated as pensions minister. Exclusive: Sir Steve Webb, the former … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Blogging, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why pensions must bank on change! We need Open Pensions not a data monopoly.

Posted on November 14, 2018 by henry tapper

Bounding on stage like he’d just won the 3.15 at Hexham, Guy Opperman exclaimed The occasion – a Prospect discussion called “Banking on Change; the discussion “what open banking could mean for you”. On an evening where BREXIT was whistling … Continue reading →

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The dashboard is dead – long live dashboards!

Posted on September 4, 2018 by henry tapper

  The following statement was made by Simon Kirby, then a Treasury Minister , in my presence on 12th September 2016  I think there are three main principles that must underpin (the dashboard’s) whole design. Firstly, it will need to be open. No single … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, age wage, auto-enrolment, Bankers, Big Government, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thinking the unthinkable – Frank’s at it again!

Posted on August 5, 2018 by henry tapper

For a third inquiry in a row, Frank Field and the Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) – are asking difficult questions that need proper answers. Firstly they asked if the pension freedoms were working – a question that led to … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Government, Carillion, CDC, Dashboard, dc pensions, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Frank Field helps us spend our pensions

Posted on April 4, 2018 by henry tapper

  Here is the main recommendation of Frank Field and  the Workplace Pension Select Committee’sfinal report of its inquiry into Pension freedom and choice published today. We recommend every pension provider offering drawdown is required, by April 2019, to offer a default … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, auto-enrolment, Big Government, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are DB pensions benefiting from CETV de-risking?

Posted on March 26, 2018 by henry tapper

  It’s a fair question for a blogger to ask. I don’t have the answer and suspect that you’d get a different reply depending on who you asked. Here are the facts According to Hymans Robertson , The total value … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Big Government, BSPS, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment