Tag Archives: Blog

“We want freedom and choice and we want simplification too”.

Posted on February 23, 2019 by

Pensions. Tax. Benefits. Each over-complex. When combined: lethal. We shouldn’t blame pension freedoms for the mistakes caused by governments’ habit of making everything too complicated. We want freedom and choice and we want simplification too. — Stuart Fowler (@fowlerdrew) February … Continue reading →

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#beetroots, #biscuits – how the battle for truth @USS is being won.

Posted on August 3, 2018 by

I find myself embedded in a bizarre discussion on #transparency between some of the brightest bods on twitter. This ill becomes me, I am out of my depth, a TUC cracker in the posh biscuit barrel. #beetroot #biscuits pic.twitter.com/Hywkpf8U2W — … Continue reading →

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GDPR – a contrarian view

Posted on May 23, 2018 by

I was going to entitle this piece “f*#k GDPR” but I have too many people I like, who live that dream, to risk offence. But I’ll be glad after 25th May, not to have to spend 30 minutes a day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, brand, journalism, pensions | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

10 best read blog posts of 2017

Posted on December 24, 2017 by

In search order Why some transfer values are ridiculously high?     2017 was a year when the cash equivalent transfer value became fashionable again. When we look back at what CETVs have done to Defined Benefit pensions over the past 24 months, … Continue reading →

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3000 blog posts up!

Posted on October 30, 2017 by

  At some point over the weekend I published my 3000th blog post. Time for celebration- no? Time for 500 words of reflection – yes! I think publishing stuff that might interest others is now an activity of daily living … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, journalism, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Can pensions be more playful (please)!

Posted on April 18, 2017 by

  I’ve waded through a number of IGC chair reports this Easter weekend and a smile has seldom  been on my lips. With the exception of the Virgin Money report, I hardly felt I knew who I was talking to. Ironically, … Continue reading →

Posted in IGC, pension playpen, pensions, Personality | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Plugging phoney deficits does no good!

Posted on January 14, 2017 by

We have become fixated with phoney pension deficits, now a British pension consultancy is suggesting we can plug phoney deficits with real money, the dividends that support “other people’s pensions. This is what we think of the phoney deficits. Our … Continue reading →

Posted in accountants, actuaries, pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Sunspots” (Con Keating)

Posted on January 11, 2017 by

Although not at this week’s Pension PlayPen lunch, Con asked for an account of the conversation; I mentioned that those in the room were pleased that schemes owning large amounts of index-linked gilts, had enjoyed bumper returns last year. It … Continue reading →

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End of the road for LDI?

Posted on January 10, 2017 by

Thanks to those brave souls who braved “Southern”, the tube strike and filthy weather to attend yesterday’s lunch which asked “has LDI had its day?”. One answer to that question was clear, I learnt that the top performing asset class … Continue reading →

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Self sufficiency – another idiocy! (Con Keating)

Posted on December 29, 2016 by

  The idea that DB pension schemes should be self-sufficient, funded to such a level that they are capable of paying all pensions when due from their own resources is now rather popular. It is also completely idiotic, as the … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments