Tag Archives: Defined benefit pension plan

Beware the vanity master trust

Posted on December 23, 2014 by henry tapper

  Hardly a week goes by without a request to research another vertically integrated master trust for inclusion on the list of employer choices offered on http://www.pensionplaypen.com . It is harder to name an actuarial practice or employee benefit consultant that … Continue reading →

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The PPF – our great escape!

Posted on December 21, 2014 by henry tapper

We get used to talking about the failure of the private sector to deliver proper pension outcomes. We are incensed by the shortcomings in governance that has allowed well funded local government schemes to feed the City’s insatiable need for … Continue reading →

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How Government can ensure capacity for good pensions advice and provision

Posted on December 16, 2014 by henry tapper

There are concerns over whether the UK has enough spare power capacity over the coming years. So to ensure the lights stay on the government is offering electricity producers a “capacity payment”, which is a payment simply for having power … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, dc pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The coffin slams shut on annuities – but will they stalk the night?

Posted on December 12, 2014 by henry tapper

There was no smoking gun. Annuities hare not bad value but- through poor purchasing, they have delivered poor outcomes. This is my 20 word precis of the 100 page document which you can read for yourself here. This conclusion has not … Continue reading →

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What is the future of UK pensions?

Posted on December 7, 2014 by henry tapper

  On Wednesday (10th December)  I will be speaking at a Prospect conference which asks “what is the future of Pensions” in the UK. It is great to see journalists from outside the pension industry picking up on the issues … Continue reading →

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Why employers pay no attention to the pension

Posted on December 6, 2014 by henry tapper

Darren Say has written a very contentious article that you can read here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141203141647-42828632-ae-pensions-insanity Darren opens by repeating three statements on pensions …employers don’t want world class pensions, they just want the problem to comply with AE legislation to be taken off … Continue reading →

Posted in dc pensions, pension playpen, pensions, smelly | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why can’t we know what we pay for “fund management”?

Posted on December 5, 2014 by henry tapper

We have the right to know what we are paying for funds. The cost of a fund can best be defined as the difference between what you would have received from a theoretical return on the assets in the fund … Continue reading →

Posted in FSA, governance, life insurance, pension playpen, pensions, Retirement, steve webb | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

AE – make a virtue of necessity

Posted on December 1, 2014 by henry tapper

  It pains me to hear advisers talk of auto-enrolment as a “burden”. Helping to provide a retirement fund from which your staff can draw a pension seems to me a good thing for employers to do. If the phrase … Continue reading →

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People seeking safety at any price?

Posted on November 25, 2014 by henry tapper

  I was annoyed to listen to one of the Bank of England’s Chief Economists Andy Haldane tell the BBC’s Robert Peston that people were seeking safety at any price. Passing the buck on to the “cautious consumer” may play … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, advice gap, Bankers, Mark Carney, pensions, Politics, Retirement, reward | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

10 reasons why I’m proud to work for @firstactuarial

Posted on November 6, 2014 by henry tapper

No wonder we’ve been nominated as Actuarial Employer of the Year. Wouldn’t you rather be working for us? Continue reading →

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