Category Archives: Financial Education

NEST, technology and personalisation

Posted on August 18, 2019 by

I really admire this Rowlands chap. I’ve know him for the best part of 30 years and in all that time he has never been anything but a gent. He’s now a Director at NEST and I urge you to … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, age wage, dc pensions, DWP, FCA, Financial Education, NEST, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Isn’t this what millennials really want in the workplace? @locktoninfo

Posted on August 4, 2017 by

Although Pension PlayPen and First Actuarial do our work for employers and trustees, we rely on our partner- Lockton – to do the heavy lifting on workplace benefits. Here’s the first of two articles on what they’re research tells them … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, Financial Education, governance, happiness, pensions | 3 Comments

What do we mean by Independent Financial Education?

Posted on May 22, 2016 by

This is an article that my firm First Actuarial have been sending to their clients. It’s so clear and simple, I thought I’d share it. Of course we’ll be sending it to Andy Haldane at the Bank of England! What … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Financial Education, First Actuarial, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pension Freedoms need a Pension Dashboard

Posted on March 23, 2016 by

Jo Cumbo asks how the Pension Freedoms are bedding down. I don’t have access to the big data of an insurer but I am 54 and am now only six months from my entitlement to blow my savings on whatever I … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Education, First Actuarial, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Paying for other people’s pensions

Posted on December 22, 2015 by

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 →

Posted in de-risking, Financial Education, governance, infrastucture, investment, leadership, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The perils of Pre-Selection

Posted on June 19, 2015 by

Yesterday was dominated by one word – choice. During the day I attended the ICAEW Auto-enrolment conference with around 120 accountants. It was a very serious event, enlivened by an outburst from the floor as an accountant objected to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Education, First Actuarial | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Magic beans and “negative capability”

Posted on March 22, 2015 by

Negative capability describes the capacity of human beings to transcend and revise their contexts. If we dismiss it as “magic beans” we are committed to repeating the mistakes of the past – and- as we all know – that way is madness. Continue reading →

Posted in Change, corporate governance, drawdown, Financial Education, happiness, Pension Freedoms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Don’t underestimate SME’s hunger for investment know-how!

Posted on March 8, 2015 by

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 →

Posted in Australia, Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Education, First Actuarial, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions, Pensions Regulator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s only human nature after all!

Posted on February 16, 2015 by

  It’s natural for us to crave money but we are not natural money saving experts. Debate has raged on this blog and on the Pension Play Pen group pages as to whether Pensions Wise is doomed along with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Education, First Actuarial, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Haven’t employers done their bit?

Posted on January 1, 2015 by

Employers have a right to feel put upon. I hear that the Pensions Minister is disappointed that large employers are not interested in delivering pension freedoms to retiring staff. If he believed that employers were prepared to take on responsibility … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, auto-enrolment, Financial Education, pension playpen, pensions, Pensions Regulator, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment