Category Archives: defined aspiration

Abusing the voice of the people – a call for better pensions

Posted on September 29, 2012 by henry tapper

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 , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Can we get our business leaders to bother with pensions?

Posted on September 28, 2012 by henry tapper

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 →

Posted in auto-enrolment, CDC, Change, corporate governance, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Maybe consumer cynicism about pensions is right..

Posted on September 24, 2012 by henry tapper

I want to restore faith in a pensions system we were once proud of. Yesterday I wrote about the Plumbing and Mechanical Services Pension Scheme – which you can read about here. Today I am praising a brilliant pamphlet published by … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, defined aspiration, Financial Education, Management, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Plumber’s Pensions are safe with Penny Plumb

Posted on September 23, 2012 by henry tapper

It’s been a funny week; my firm, First Actuarial, has “won” a number of awards but we don’t feel particularly elated. As one of my colleagues asked me “do we know what we did right?”. Rewarding people for doing outstanding … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, dc pensions, defined aspiration, pensions, Personal Accounts, Retirement | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Investing in the sunny uplands!

Posted on September 14, 2012 by henry tapper

A common theme in my blogs is the frustration that people get stuck in the wrong kind of investments wrong in terms of charges, wrong in terms of management and wrong in terms of the suitability of the fund to a … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, FSA, happiness, leadership, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, with-profits | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Can pension saving really grow the economy?

Posted on September 6, 2012 by henry tapper

Putting a stealth tax on an employer’s wage bill of 3% and frog-boiling millions to reduce their take home by up to 4% doesn’t fit comfortably with a growth strategy for the economy. Less money to spend. Many regard UK pension policy … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, NEST, Payroll, pension playpen, Popcorn Pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Does your pension scheme need advice?

Posted on August 14, 2012 by henry tapper

WARNING- THIS BLOG CONTAINS A SHAMELESS PLUG FOR OUR SERVICES! (transparent as always!) I’m travelling up to Nottingham this morning to talk to Employers and Trustees who are asking themselves “Does our pension scheme need advisers”. Meeting similar groups recently, the answers I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, Change, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, Financial Education, FSA, happiness, leadership, Linkedin, mallowstreet, Popcorn Pensions, Retirement, social media, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

“Ambitious” pensions can save you from staging a disaster

Posted on July 31, 2012 by henry tapper

Organisations with 500 or more employees have been written to recently by the DWP with a reminder that in 2013 they have to “stage” auto-enrolment. Companies which historically provide and promote pensions to their staff will take all this in their stride But staging … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, auto-enrolment, corporate governance, dc pensions, defined aspiration, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“The first cut is the cheapest” – transferring legacy pensions

Posted on July 24, 2012 by henry tapper

We all know the song. The revised phrase was coined by stockbrokers who’d tell their customers to sell out of a failing stock before it’s price fell again. The phrase use to be sung to Equitable Life policyholders who hung … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, Change, dc pensions, defined aspiration, pension playpen, pensions, Personal Accounts, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Savvy punters will drive down pension charges.

Posted on July 21, 2012 by henry tapper

Inefficient markets – don’t you just love ’em! We all love a bargain whether at the local boot or in the stock market. There was a time when I believed I could pick a stock or a horse and beat … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, Bankers, dc pensions, defined aspiration, economics, Horse racing, leadership, Management, Martin Lewis, NEST, pensions, Retail Distribution Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments