Category Archives: Retail Distribution Review

Japanese Knotweed – the spread of passive defaults.

Posted on June 23, 2012 by henry tapper

While investment consultants ponder the fifty shades of grey of diversification, I ponder just who , outside a small number of “experts” is prepared to take a decision on the default investment option of a company’s defined contribution pension scheme. This question … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, Financial Education, NEST, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Retail Distribution Review | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

How to buy a pension

Posted on May 5, 2012 by henry tapper

Buying your pension is one if not the biggest financial decisions you will take (or have taken). It’s fearfully difficult and most people take it with little help and – worse-information. Almost everyone is going to have to do it and that so … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Bankers, Change, Consolation, dc pensions, defined aspiration, happiness, pensions, Public sector pensions, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Hose down RBS and Coutts before you put them on the forecourt.

Posted on March 27, 2012 by henry tapper

There is a Coutts cash point in my high street – Eton High Street. It charges other bank’s customers for the privilege of using it. You can do that if you have the banking cachet that Coutts believes it has. Most … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Change, corporate governance, customer service, Fred Goodwin, Management, RBS, Retail Distribution Review | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Who pays for a register of pensions?

Posted on March 6, 2012 by henry tapper

I’ve been writing this week about the small pension policies that most of us have “lying around” in some drawer or other. Maybe they came from well intentioned pension savings plans that just couldn’t be kept up, maybe from company DC schemes that … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, Management, Martin Lewis, pensions, Popcorn Pensions, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement, social media, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 54 Comments

Sorting the pensions of the “squeezed middle”.

Posted on January 5, 2012 by henry tapper

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

Don’t tell me what to do – give me advice!

Posted on January 2, 2012 by henry tapper

In a recent polldaddy poll I asked whether people would pay for advice to get information, find out their options or to be told what to do. 60% of people wanted options , 30% wanted to be told what to do and 10% … Continue reading →

Posted in corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, pensions, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Unexpected risks – people just don’t get pensions (education).

Posted on December 19, 2011 by henry tapper

We’re all aware that investing in the stockmarket is a “risky” business, it’s easy to understand how the sharp falls in stock markets impact on your savings and as stock market falls are the staple of media reporting, it’s not surprising that … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Bankers, corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, Fiduciary Management, FSA, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Why pay for advice? Take the poll!

Posted on November 26, 2011 by henry tapper

[polldaddy poll=5703072] This is a question that troubles me – not surprising as I’m a pensions adviser who reckons his job is to get people to the point when they can manage their pension affairs by themselves. If advisory self sufficiency is … Continue reading →

Posted in corporate governance, dc pensions, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Meaningless choice

Posted on November 25, 2011 by henry tapper

“choices should only be offered where they are meaningful, timely and can be taken in the full understanding of both up and downside”.
Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, corporate governance, customer service, de-risking, Fiduciary Management, Liability Driven Investment, NEST, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Perverse incentives; Sexycash or prudent pension?

Posted on October 29, 2011 by henry tapper

The problem we all face when we are asked to choose between cash or pension is very complicated. It is possible to put a cash price on a pound’s worth of pension but that’s just the beginning of the story. … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, corporate governance, customer service, dc pensions, de-risking, mallowstreet, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, Retail Distribution Review, Retirement, social media | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments