Category Archives: leadership

Paying for other people’s pensions

Posted on December 22, 2015 by henry tapper

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

Can the pension insurers win back their customers’ respect?

Posted on December 8, 2015 by henry tapper

IGCs are ours to use and not the insurers to castrate. Continue reading →

Posted in governance, investment, later life, leadership, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Terry Smith – What I have learned from Fundsmith in the Past Five Years

Posted on November 24, 2015 by henry tapper

Fundsmith is my favourite fund manager. Like Aberdeen (another favourite whose conference I’m going to today), it is an organisation with a strong purpose (moral and social). Terry Smith is an extraordinary man who’s views are always worth reading. He … Continue reading →

Posted in investment, leadership, Management | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Everything you wanted to know about the AE Common Data Standard (in 500 words)

Posted on September 18, 2014 by henry tapper

  What’s the point? There are around 30 pension providers an employer can choose to set up their workplace pension and around 40 further providers who will convert their existing workplace pension into a scheme that qualifies for workplace pension. … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, leadership, pensions, Pensions Regulator, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time to be clear on what’s a good workplace pension.

Posted on January 18, 2014 by henry tapper

We are losing sight of what the charges consultation is about. It is about improving pension outcomes. Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, auto-enrolment, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, leadership, Payroll, pensions, Personal Accounts, stock lending | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It looks like we won’t get a cap on pension charges – do we need one?

Posted on January 17, 2014 by henry tapper

A battle may have been lost but there is still a war to be won. Continue reading →

Posted in leadership, pension playpen, pensions, steve webb, target date funds | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Innovation – what innovation?” – Pension PlayPen confounded by DC investments

Posted on January 6, 2014 by henry tapper

The 50th London Pension PlayPen lunch took place as ever at the Counting House (attendees listed below). At the opening show of hand six of us could see no great innovation happening in UK DC and three saw “potential” or … Continue reading →

Posted in investment, leadership, London, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A promise or a guarantee?

Posted on January 4, 2014 by henry tapper

If Steve Webb wants AE to work, he should stop turning promises into guarantees and burdening employers with unforeseen liabilities and huge consultative and administrative costs. Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, auto-enrolment, corporate governance, EU Solvency II, Fiduciary Management, leadership, Liability Driven Investment, pension playpen, Popcorn Pensions, steve webb | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Large Pension Schemes raise standards for all

Posted on November 24, 2013 by henry tapper

One of the odd things (asymmetries) about pensions is that 90% of the attention is focussed on 10% of the schemes. The top 100 pension funds in Britain have more assets under management than the next 900 . And if … Continue reading →

Posted in investment, leadership, London, NEST, pensions | Leave a comment

Whatever happened to insurance?

Posted on August 17, 2013 by henry tapper

If the man on the Clapham Omnibus was able to feel secure that he was insured against living too long, dying too soon or losing an income through sickness, mightn’t we have a simpler and more stable platform on which to build? Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Bankers, brand, leadership, Payroll, pensions, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment