Category Archives: defined aspiration
“Pensions that are no more”
Cardinal O’Brien Scotland‘s most senior Catholic, has been very specific in his comments on social inequality. Ostensibly they are aimed at David Cameron, but if the pensions industry think they are absolved, they should think again. (Cardinal O’Brien) said: “When I say poor, I don’t … Continue reading
500,000 pensioners who will get no help from the Government.
If you have purchased an annuity in the past three years of are likely to purchase one in the next three years you will be buying into pension conversion rates artificially depressed by the Government‘s quantitive easing program and by insurance … Continue reading
Posted in Change, corporate governance, dc pensions, defined aspiration, NEST, Retirement, Treasury
Tagged CDC, Defined benefit pension plan, Government, Holland, Life annuity, Louis Theroux, pension, Steve Webb
6 Comments
Collective Defined Contribution Schemes – A Shameful Missed Opportunity
An article by Kevin Wesbroom. In December 2008 the Government published the response to its paper on risk sharing pension schemes. The opening sentence of the Executive Summary states “The Government is committed to encouraging good practice pension provision.” In December … Continue reading
The Spurious Certainty of Chicken Licken
There are two certainties – death and taxes; oh – add to that a pension in payment! Or so the officers of the DWP , the Government Actuary and the Pensions Regulator would have it. GAD tried to knock the idea … Continue reading
Posted in annuity, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, Management, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement
Tagged Amsterdam, Dutch, DWP, Holland, Jersey, pension, Steve Webb, Terry le Sueur
125 Comments
How shares work (for us and our pensions)
Shares haven’t worked well for us over the past twelve years. World stock markets, especially the mature markets in Britain , Japan and the US, are worth less today than they were at the turn of the millenium. While some company’s shares … Continue reading
Posted in auto-enrolment, Bankers, Change, corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, defined aspiration, FSA, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, Retirement
Tagged Alastair Ross Goobey, Association of British Insurers, BlackRock, Investment management, National Association of Pension Funds, pension, Standard Life, Zurich
12 Comments
More pensions nonsense from the “investment community”
How have have the people who invest pension funds become so out of touch with the people who retire from them? This question occurred to me several times yesterday as I listened to a large numbers of charming and intelligent people … Continue reading
I’ve just worked out why wrap rhymes with crap
I had an interesting meeting yesterday with a fellow who has accumulated over £4bn on an investment platform within a few years. The money comes from high net worth individuals who invest in funds. The service he provides allows IFAs to … Continue reading
Posted in auto-enrolment, corporate governance, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, FSA, pensions
Tagged ascentric, nucleus, Standard Life, value, wrap .corporate wrap
4 Comments
Pension Corporation points the way to “ambitious pensions”
A timely report arrived yesterday from the Pension Corporation estimating that the cost of replacing a standard DB benefit structure using DC had risen to 55% of salary. PIC’s business model is based on managing out DB plans on a … Continue reading
Steve Webb’s good week
Now anyone who can talk of a “regulatory regime which allows 1000 flowers to bloom” has got to have been taking the happy pills. Continue reading
Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, dc pensions, defined aspiration, Liberal Democrats, Management, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Treasury
Tagged Defined benefit pension plan, Department for Work and Pensions, DWP, National Employment Savings Trust, pension, Pensions Management Institute, Ros Altmann, Steve, Steve Webb, Tesco, UK State Pension, Webb
17 Comments
What have the Australians done for us – not much!
I’ve been asked to talk to some pension people later this month on Supertrusts and what we can learn from the Australian Superannuation System. I have attended a number of lectures on this subject over the past few years, mainly … Continue reading