Category Archives: Change

“Would you pay a social care premium?”

Posted on November 12, 2018 by

This was the question Radio Five Live’s Wake up to Money asked its audience this Monday morning. 2.5% off wages for the prospect of insurance against things going really wrong with your health in later life? The idea is being trailed … Continue reading →

Posted in CDC, Change, Charity, pensions | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

“Probing” IFAs is not enough; we need simpler more transparent transfers.

Posted on January 14, 2018 by

  Allegations of “mis-selling” against IFAs are premature and unsubstantiated. My eye was caught last night by a linked in post by Andrew Warwick-Thompson, formerly of the Pensions Regulator. Here we go again. The personal pensions miss-selling scandal all over … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, BSPS, Change, FCA, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“A decision to take a transfer cannot be reversed and should not be rushed”

Posted on October 31, 2017 by

This blog is mainly written for deferred members of the British Steel Pension Scheme, but many other people may find it interesting. There’s no doubt that what is going on in Tata-land, will go on with other employers who feel … Continue reading →

Posted in accountants, advice gap, Bankers, Change, drawdown, Facebook, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Common sense needed on transfers

Posted on June 30, 2015 by

Whether you’re moving house or moving money, the process is fraught. We are no closer to pots following member than when the “portable personal pension” was established in 1987. The friction involved in moving money from scheme to scheme, fund … Continue reading →

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Care or hubris? – How Tesco got in such a pensions mess.

Posted on April 23, 2015 by

Every little helps? The right old mess that Tesco has found itself in , is blamed partially on its mishandling of its pension strategy. How can an organisation with the motto “every little counts” have such a large pension deficit? … Continue reading →

Posted in Change | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Probably the worst flagship tax ever?

Posted on April 13, 2015 by

George Osborne says his proposed tax break for high value homes is about “values”, it is no such thing. This policy is about votes. What is going on with the conservatives on tax? They have become obsessed with the “retail … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, Change | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Magic beans and “negative capability”

Posted on March 22, 2015 by

Negative capability describes the capacity of human beings to transcend and revise their contexts. If we dismiss it as “magic beans” we are committed to repeating the mistakes of the past – and- as we all know – that way is madness. Continue reading →

Posted in Change, corporate governance, drawdown, Financial Education, happiness, Pension Freedoms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Meaninglessly big data.

Posted on January 29, 2015 by

I don’t like this infographic, it just appeared on my twitter feed to attract me to an article that would lead me to the conclusion that I was helpless and needed the assistance of some organisation to create me a … Continue reading →

Posted in Change, Management, pensions, Politics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

What are your CDC property rights?

Posted on July 19, 2014 by

Some pension promises are easy to value If I promise to pay you a monthly amount over the next five years, it is fairly easy to work out the value of that promise. At it’s simplest level the value is … Continue reading →

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

Business relies on transparency – it’s time platform managers come clean

Posted on June 28, 2014 by

General principles Buying low and selling higher is the basis of all commerce. Intelligent purchasers seek to cut out intermediaries to buy direct. Smart intermediaries use their financial muscle to bulk-purchase, getting a better price than a single purchaser can … Continue reading →

Posted in Change, FSA, pensions, smelly | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment