Category Archives: Financial Conduct Authority
Don’t underestimate SME’s hunger for investment know-how!
I am frustrated by the capitulation of many in the pension industry to the challenge faced by inducting 1.2m new employers into our funded pension culture. The Pension Apartheid practiced by the investment elite At a recent event, Joanne Segers, CEO … Continue reading
As clear as a frosted window – the IA on charges (again)
The Investment Association (IA) have published another paper as their contribution to the ongoing debate on what the public and their fiduciaries should know about their funds. The paper fails on a number of levels 1. It ignores the fact that … Continue reading
Can we afford financial services in times of austerity?
Thomas Philippon , the celebrated economist, gave a lecture on Tuesday Morning as part of London University’s Leading Minds series. The gist of his talk is that the cost of financial services (the collective name for everyone who is an … Continue reading
The true cost of pensions; UK vs Netherlands – guest blog from Emma Craig of KAS Bank
Yesterday the Financial Services Consumer Panel released a paper outlining key issues for long term savers created by opacity in the true cost of investing in pensions. As auto-enrolment of workers into (predominantly) Defined Contribution pensions continues apace the … Continue reading
Straight talking from the IMA on charges?
In one of the least incisive video interviews I’ve seen this year, here’s Ian Smith of Pensions Week quizzing Jonathan Lipkin- IMA Director of Public Policy Decision- on how the IMA and its members are facing up to the … Continue reading
Why we have no time for “Banker Immunity”.
We have not seen bankers marched in handcuffs from their desks but now it seems we might. The regulators have put-out a consultation paper that seeks to pin accountability on Directors (including non-executive Directors). A good friend of mine … Continue reading
“What we need and what we want” – financial education in schools
Many congratulations to Tracey Bleakley and all at pfeg for getting personal finance onto the national curriculum from today. Speaking on Wake Up To Money this morning, Tracey was asked what the one piece of financial advice she’d give to those in her … Continue reading
“Retirement reforms and the Guidance Guarantee” – The Pension PlayPen’s response
This is the Pension PlayPen submission to the FCA’s consultation CP14/11 Pension PlayPen is a website dedicated to helping small employers and their advisers find good quality workplace pension plans. It was founded in 2013 by Henry Tapper with … Continue reading
Sign up for The First Actuarial Monkey League -2014 !
You can save yourself reading 644 words of Pension Plowman pontification and sign up for the Monkey League here. Or you can read the blog and take your decisions at the end. Here’s why I’m promoting our Monkey … Continue reading
As for saving- our kids could be teaching us!
The punters just do not want what the pensions industry is trying to sell them These are the words of the financial editor of the Evening Standard, Anthony Hilton. Hilton expresses his frustration not at the public but … Continue reading