Category Archives: Treasury

Two into one will go!

Posted on September 4, 2014 by henry tapper

Steve Webb’s admission that we need a single regulator is a sign of his strength . It takes guts to admit you’ve been wrong for four and a half years! I’d come to the same conclusion myself reckoning;- That the geographic split between Brighton … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions, Pensions Regulator, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A tale of two Cities

Posted on September 3, 2014 by henry tapper

      Have you ever turned up at a place and realised you shouldn’t be there – but stayed anyway just to see what it was like? That’s what happened to me yesterday. I went to an event about … Continue reading →

Posted in Bankers, Blogging, London, Treasury, welfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is this Master Trust Assurance Framework fit for purpose?

Posted on May 11, 2014 by henry tapper

There is an important debate to be had on the regulation of master trusts. That debate is about how we prevent poor standards invading what is currently a very well run part of workplace pensions. Until the past two weeks, I … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, de-risking, DWP, governance, pension playpen, pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 73 Comments

Small is beautiful – a good news story from Investment Solutions

Posted on August 15, 2013 by henry tapper

Have a look at the Investment Solutions website or http://www.firstactuarial.co.uk or http://www.pensionplaypen.com – you’ll see a common thread- SMALL BUT BEAUTIFUL. Continue reading →

Posted in investment, pensions, Personality, Popcorn Pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Has Webb scotch’d the commission snake – or killed it?

Posted on May 12, 2013 by henry tapper

All the advisers needed to do was to make promises. They did not have to keep them. Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Fred Goodwin, pension playpen, pensions, poetry, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Budget – Becalmed in the middle of the lost decade!

Posted on March 21, 2013 by henry tapper

This wasn’t really a budget about pensions and the usual scare stories about threats to pension saving proved groundless. It certainly didn’t do much for those in retirement. Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, dc pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“We grow old, we grow old” – a budget day blog

Posted on March 20, 2013 by henry tapper

It’s budget day. I was asked to be a commentator on a budget briefing this afternoon but I’m not good on economics – more interested in nuts and bolts. All the same, it’s useful sometimes to stick your head up and … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, doctors, Henry Tapper blog, pension playpen, pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The growing epidemic of stats misuse

Posted on February 17, 2013 by henry tapper

Hilary Salt is founder of First Actuarial plc. She is currently the Actuarial Post’s Actuary of the Year. Late in 2011 she was asked to contribute a piece to the Independent’s Battle of the Ideas. This is what she wrote . Twenty years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, Martin Lewis, Music, pensions, Trades Union Congress, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

ABI finally comes clean on pension charges

Posted on January 11, 2013 by henry tapper

Here, not before time, is the ABI’s capitulation in the face of pressure from Government, opposition, the NAPF and all right-thinking people in pensions. Special thanks go to Gregg and his team on the Labour pensions bench! The agreement is … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, annuity, auto-enrolment, FSA, governance, Henry Tapper blog, mallowstreet, pensions, Treasury | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Pensions dead by 2050 – taking the Michael?

Posted on January 3, 2013 by henry tapper

The Daily Telegraph, which through Richard Evans has started writing sharp and provocative articles on pensions, came out with a corker just before Christmas. I read it on the beach and nearly choked on my sangria! Here it is in … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, Australia, auto-enrolment, David Pitt-Watson, dc pensions, de-risking, defined aspiration, Henry Tapper blog, NEST, Payroll, pension playpen, pensions, Treasury, with-profits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments