Category Archives: de-risking
Pension Advice; it’s all about getting paid.
I have read and listened to a lot about professional integrity. Having been an IFA and being now a fee-based consultant, I know that the first thought you go to bed with (and wake up with) is “how am I going to get … Continue reading
Finger in the dyke stuff! DC pricing is just too leaky Jon!
Jonathan Stapleton has written a deliberatively provocative piece in Professional Pensions which will be applauded by the operators of workplace pensions but is going to get short shrift from me. You can read Jonathan’s opinions here. The gist of Jonathan’s … Continue reading
DB pension heading for the PPF? – Read this!
Here are some things you didn’t know about the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). If you are in a pension scheme heading in that direction you should read this! While most people think it would be an unmitigated disaster to see … Continue reading
Tax-subsidies on retirement advice; a waste of public funds!
The Government intends to extend tax breaks on pensions to allow those with pension pots to use them to pay for advice. The details are in this consultation document. The fundamental premise is that taking financial advice on retirement matters … Continue reading
Secondary annuities- more questions than answers
I’ve been asked for my views on secondary annuities. I asked myself would I trade my annuity. Of course, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t buy one. I wouldn’t sell my state pension, I wouldn’t sell my rights to my defined … Continue reading
Paying for other people’s pensions
I’ve said it before on this blog, but I’ll say it again. The amount of Council Tax many people pay to fund other people’s pensions exceeds their own contributions into pensions, even when they’ve been auto-enrolled into “workie”. “You … Continue reading
Facing up to mental health
This article’s by our friends at Lockton. It’s on an important subject that impacts us all! I’m really pleased they’ve asked me to put it on this blog. It doesn’t surprise me that Nigel Wilson is pioneering work on this. Like … Continue reading
Why DB pension promises may need a credit rating.
How do you rate the creditworthiness of your scheme’s funding? Trustees of defined benefit schemes now have to properly assess the employer’s ability (and willingness) to fund the promises made to the members of the scheme. The assessment helps them in negotiations with the … Continue reading
Going for the “no”.
I spent yesterday lunchtime in the challenging company of Saul Djanogly , a Rabbi who looks after investment portfolios for those who can’t look after themselves- typically those who have been incapacitated through personal tragedy and find themselves in … Continue reading
“Investing for the long-term” – guest blog from Ralph Frank
The Financial Services Consumer Panel (“FSCP”) recently published a number of suggested options for reform of the governance, disclosure and pricing of investment products. These options were based on the findings of two studies, one by Rajiv Jaitly and the … Continue reading