Category Archives: David Pitt-Watson
Vertical disintegration
14 of the largest insurer offering pension plans have agreed to publish the true costs of the funds they off to people buying the personal and company pensions they run. These funds sit on “platforms” which provide investment administration , keep … Continue reading
Call out the instigators
The Office of Fair Trading has decided to get stuck into workplace pensions. Pension people fight grimly on like townspeople uner siege in the 100 years war. The OFT is the invincible siege engine wheeled to the gates. In August this year, the OFT … Continue reading
Savers put themselves first!
A happy result of dissing Michael Johnson’s attacks on pension saving early in the week was that I got a copy of his paper “Put the saver first” direct from the great man. He calls up the spirit of Ron Sandler– … Continue reading
Pensions dead by 2050 – taking the Michael?
The Daily Telegraph, which through Richard Evans has started writing sharp and provocative articles on pensions, came out with a corker just before Christmas. I read it on the beach and nearly choked on my sangria! Here it is in … Continue reading
Posted in annuity, Australia, auto-enrolment, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, Henry Tapper blog, NEST, Payroll, pension playpen, pensions, Treasury, with-profits
Tagged Actuarial science, Business, Business and Economy, Christmas, corporate governance, corporate risk, Daily Telegraph, DC Comics, dc pensions, Employment, Financial literacy, Financial services, Government, National Employment Savings Trust, pension, Pension Poverty, pensions, Politics, Retirement, Saving, social media, Steve Webb
11 Comments
It worked for Wendy- how Morrisons staged auto-enrolment
If I had a vote for “pensions personality of the year, I’d give it to Wendy Taylor of Morrisons and I’d give her understudy Claire Ramus a “highly commended”! They’ve inspired their Board, their staff and they’ve brought a breath of fresh air to the … Continue reading
A defined ambition scheme that would work
Members want two things from their pensions, a decent retirement when they knock off work and certainty that they’ll get it during their working lives. It is extremely expensive to achieve these things and beyond the means of most people. If … Continue reading
Posted in actuaries, annuity, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, de-risking, Management, napf, NEST, pensions, Popcorn Pensions
Tagged Balance sheet, Employment, Government, Michael Portillo, pension, Pension Protection Fund, Retirement, Scheme
5 Comments
Why we need to say “NO” to pension guarantees!
On Monday the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries delivered a paper stating that it would be able to deliver a system of lock-in guarantees at a price of less than 1% pa of the fund that could be used by … Continue reading
Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, Bankers, club pension, corporate governance, customer service, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, defined aspiration, EU Solvency II, FSA, happiness, Liability Driven Investment, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Personal Accounts, Retirement
Tagged Capital market, Financial Times, Government, Jarvis Cocker, National Employment Savings Trust, pension, Pensions in the United Kingdom, Steve Webb
15 Comments
Why I support Labour’s attack on pension charges
The reactions I’ve read to Ed Milliband‘s “all-out attack on pension charges” have been universally negative. They range from Robert Burgon’s “open letter to Ed Milliband” condemning the lumping of good and bad together to the broadside from Otto Thorenson of the ABI (linked). All … Continue reading
Abusing the voice of the people – a call for better pensions
Evangelists of social media cite the wisdom of the crowd. But wisdom and gullibility are two sides of the same coin and those who marvel at the capacity of groups to congregate around their chosen solutions, demonize their herd mentality when the crowd looks elsewhere. “Vox … Continue reading
Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, Change, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, defined aspiration, Henry Tapper blog, leadership, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Personal Accounts
Tagged Bernard Levin, David Pitt-Watson, Defined benefit pension plan, Dutch, pension, Steve Webb, Tesco, Totalitarianism
5 Comments
Can we get our business leaders to bother with pensions?
Our business leaders, a unique band of not more than a couple of thousand men (mostly), have not been leading the debate on workplace pensions. While Steve Webb and the DWP have proclaimed auto-enrolment as a transformational event, those charged … Continue reading