Category Archives: Henry Tapper blog

Pensions crisis: one in 10 forced to delay retirement

Pummeting annuity rates and poor investment returns means thousands cannot afford to stop work.   One in 10 of those due to retire this year will delay taking their pension, as a combination of plummeting annuity rates and poor investment … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, de-risking, Fiduciary Management, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, Martin Lewis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Aspirational pensions – popcorn pensions!!

There are going to be a lot of objections to aspirational pensions over the weeks and months to come, but for me they are popcorn pensions – delicious, affordable and while they may not be the haute cuisine of the guaranteed Final Salary plans pragmatic.

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Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, dc pensions, de-risking, EU Solvency II, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, Management, pension playpen, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Public sector pensions, Retirement, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

How’s this for a rip-off?

I’m not sure if it’s my job to whistle blow and so far they have only followed 82 people on twitter (including me) – but don’t you reckon this kind of offer is a little dubious? Continue reading

Posted in customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, Management, Martin Lewis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The NAPF point the finger at the £1bn annuity scandal

The picture shows the current view of member behaviours in DC and it’s been around long enough for us to feel reasonably confident that it works . The diagram promotes investment strategies that suit the needs of the three member … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, dc pensions, FSA, Henry Tapper blog, NEST | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

WE’VE GOT OUR POPCORN PENSIONS!

There have been a few times in my life that I have felt completely happy, the birth of my son, winning a scholarship to Bryanston and a telephone call received yesterday evening are three that spring to mind. Moments when your sense of self-worth is captured completely in the realisation that something wonderful has happened. Continue reading

Posted in customer service, Henry Tapper blog, Management, pension playpen, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A hunger to educate – more on Popcorn Pensions

Hunger is not a word you’d associate with actuaries. One of our clients described the team working for her as “happy puppies” who approached the task of educating members with ” hunger“. These are not words that exist in the … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, customer service, dc pensions, happiness, Henry Tapper blog, mallowstreet, Management, pension playpen, pensions, social media, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Rose Metcalf- dancing seafarer to the rescue.

Did anyone hear the full interview on Radio Five Live this morning with Rose Metcalf? The 22-year-old dancer told of her night helping passengers, staff and herself off the stricken Costa Concordia with a poise and understatement that suggests she has rather more … Continue reading

Posted in costa concordia, Cruise boats, Henry Tapper blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Sorting the pensions of the “squeezed middle”.

There are three distinct streams among those old enough to work and young enough not to, Stream One is for  those who can look forward to retirement with a degree of confidence because their employer is guaranteeing it. They are primarily … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, Bankers, corporate governance, dc pensions, de-risking, EU Solvency II, Fiduciary Management, FSA, Henry Tapper blog, Liability Driven Investment, Martin Lewis, NEST, pensions, Personal Accounts, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 30,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at … Continue reading

Posted in Henry Tapper blog | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment