Category Archives: workplace pensions

Standard Life comes up trumps

Posted on April 1, 2014 by henry tapper

Four years ago I sat in a crowded room in the DWP’s offices, to hear insurer after insurer refuse to commit to providing a service to small and medium sized companies, let alone the micro employers of which there are … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, dc pensions, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Your life for sale – what a liquid annuity market could mean.

Posted on March 1, 2014 by henry tapper

Why people like me get cross with him is that he is dangling carrots and waving sticks but the donkey is locked in the stable. To get the animal moving, Steve Webb or his successor is going to have to open the stable door. Continue reading →

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The quality of savings is constrained

Posted on January 28, 2014 by henry tapper

  Apologies to the bard – my point is this; the act of saving is laudable but its impact is variable. Saving is not always a good thing and as a spending choice has to compete with debt repayment and … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, Retirement, Start ups, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How much certainty do we need?

Posted on January 12, 2014 by henry tapper

Only in the public sector is the security of totally guaranteed income a genuine prospect, the rest of us seem happy to compromise Continue reading →

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The trusted word

Posted on January 3, 2014 by henry tapper

This is the model for what we are doing with Pension PlayPen, an attempt to harness the energy and credibility of a linked in group, the probity of an actuarial practice and the needs of advisers, employers and regulators to see through a great endeavour, the wholesale adoption of funded workplace pensions into our business culture.
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Posted in actuaries, advice gap, Consolation, First Actuarial, Linkedin, mallowstreet, poetry, Retirement, welfare, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another year older..

Posted on December 24, 2013 by henry tapper

I am not a year older – I am two years younger than I was five years ago – at least I’m two years further from retirement (relatively speaking). Continue reading →

Posted in Popcorn Pensions, Retirement, steve webb, welfare, with-profits, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why HMRC is right on peer to peer lending (and Polonius got what he deserved)

Posted on September 1, 2013 by henry tapper

Dan Hyde writes in the Telegraph that HMRC are considering allowing peer group lending as a legitimate investment for an ISA. Peer Group lending is the Betfair of debt. You lend your money through a portal such as ZOPA who … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, advice gap, pensions, wonga, workplace pensions, zopa | 4 Comments

You want a workplace pension for your staff? – delighted to help!

Posted on August 27, 2013 by henry tapper

Mrs HR Dee Smallco Ltd. Sunny Uplands GB Dear Mrs Dee, Thanks for your enquiry. I can see you are sold on the idea of offering a workplace pension for your staff. You know you have to anyway, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, auto-enrolment, Liability Driven Investment, mallowstreet, Management, NEST, pension playpen, pensions, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Turning the amber light green”; – creating a buzz around #auto-enrolment.

Posted on August 26, 2013 by henry tapper

We should not minimise the impact of the employer duties, they are onerous and will be disruptive. But we must put them in the context of the greater good. Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, auto-enrolment, Payroll, pension playpen, pensions, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The politics of pensions – how the landscape has changed since 2010.

Posted on August 22, 2013 by henry tapper

Let us hope that the head of steam that has been built up since 2010 can be maintained.
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Posted in advice gap, annuity, auto-enrolment, Financial Education, First Actuarial, NEST, pensions, steve webb, workplace pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment