Category Archives: Pension Freedoms

Auto-Enrolment needs more Training and less Selling

The standards adopted by those administering auto-enrolment have been high. Compliance to some complex problems that payroll, HR and pension providers have faced has been impressive. Sure there have been failures but countries (such as Ireland) reviewing the progress of … Continue reading

Posted in First Actuarial, Management, Pension Freedoms, pensions, Pensions Regulator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What employers can do to get their members better pensions

Yesterday I had a chance to talk with a large employer about what they can do to help improve the outcomes of their DC plans. Influencing employees to get the best out of their pension savings means getting them to … Continue reading

Posted in Payroll, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions, Pensions Regulator, Popcorn Pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Free to overpay tax?? – what kind of freedom is that?

Question – when is a freedom a pension freedom? Answer- when its got a big tax-bill attached! The pensions minister Ros Altmann has said the government’s proposals to tax pensions in a similar way to individual savings accounts could be … Continue reading

Posted in Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When the dust settles…

For the second time in two years, George Osborne has produced a budget that will radically change the way we thing about retirement saving. If 2014 was the year we re-thought the way we spent our retirement spending, 2015 asks … Continue reading

Posted in auto-enrolment, Payroll, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, Public sector pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GARs – a simpler way out for insurers…

This blog offers insurers a simple way out of the problem they have with Guaranteed Annuity Rates- it means paying the reserved for value of the policy rather than the (lower) investment value of the contributions. By way of explanation.. … Continue reading

Posted in annuity, EU Solvency II, investment, London, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions, Pensions Regulator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Telling tales or tipping off?

There is a fine line between campaigning journalism and incompetent meddling. Those whose jobs it is to stamp on malfeasance see the campaigners not as crusaders but as a menace. Those who campaign see those in authority not as allies but … Continue reading

Posted in Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, Pensions Regulator, Ros Altmann | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Our parents’ houses.

property, downsizing, home, residence, sheltered housing, family, children, grandchildren Continue reading

Posted in later life, London, Pension Freedoms, pensions, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Two thirds of SMEs are pension virgins.

New research is out on the purchasing intentions of the remaining 1.2m employers who aren’t “in” to auto-enrolment. Of the  SMEs surveyed who are yet to stage, two thirds (66%) don’t have any existing pension arrangements for their staff while … Continue reading

Posted in accountants, advice gap, auto-enrolment, DWP, Payroll, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions, Pensions Regulator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Help is on its way.

For Britain’s flummoxed pensioners- help is on its way! Continue reading

Posted in advice gap, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions, Popcorn Pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Magic beans and “negative capability”

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