Tag Archives: DWP

You want (pension) engagement? Ask Corbyn!

Posted on June 12, 2017 by

    How do you get youngsters interested in politics? How do you get youngsters interested in pensions? One and the same question IMO. Instead of sitting in “blue-sky” meetings, maybe we should be looking at what successful politicians have … Continue reading →

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

Whose department is workplace pensions?

Posted on May 27, 2017 by

At 11am on Tuesday 18th April I shook hands with Richard Harrington, our Pensions Minister and began a meeting that discussed how small businesses could in future measure how effectively their workplace pensions were working. The meeting was interrupted by … Continue reading →

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You want to know the difference between RPI and CPI – from an expert?

Posted on May 13, 2017 by

Sometimes twitter just says wow! This is one of those times! Oh this is excellent. I mean seriously excellent. @TheActuaryMag @ProfPensions https://t.co/aJluICOIdk — Mike Harrison (@HigherEdActuary) May 12, 2017   Response to Department for Work and Pensions consultation on Security … Continue reading →

Posted in actuaries, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

NEST’s dirty laundry on the line!

Posted on April 26, 2017 by

  Thanks to First Actuarial for producing this chart for this blog. Here’s how to read In 2010 when NEST opened , it had no assets – it  had quite a lot of debt (£134m* from setting up days as … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, NEST, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time to dig this Government out of its hole?

Posted on March 10, 2017 by

Tax, national insurance and pensions policy should be put in a vault marked “toxic” and should be handled with extreme caution. This morning I have three toxic issues to prove my point. The fiasco of announcing an increase in national insurance … Continue reading →

Posted in auto-enrolment, NEST, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

“What next!?” @NEST

Posted on March 4, 2017 by

Maybe it’s because I’m still in India and have been mysticised, but I cannot believe that NEST’s most recent announcement has not caused a major outcry. I am not talking about the shelving of NEST’s plan to be a provider … Continue reading →

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A business-friendly Pension Green Paper

Posted on February 22, 2017 by

I went to a  talk yesterday  from the CBI’s Carolyn Fairbairn. It was a lot more optimistic on business prospects than I’d expected (having heard her gnashing her teeth following the referendum). To be fair, she was saying then that … Continue reading →

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5 Things I want from today’s DB Green Paper

Posted on February 20, 2017 by

The DWP is due to publish its Green Paper this morning. It’s an important initiative; -our defined benefit schemes are under threat but they have the potential to do much good not just to those in them, but to those who … Continue reading →

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Choosing a workplace pension

Posted on February 19, 2017 by

    Last week, Parliament debated an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill, suggested by the Shadow Pension Minister and quoting this blog. I am happy to have put words in Alex Cunningham’s mouth, the Government have been cavalier in … Continue reading →

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Small employers need a voice in the AE review

Posted on February 10, 2017 by

Yesterday I reported on the male hegemony of the three chairs of the advisory groups for the Automatic Review. There is a little diversity in the composition of the rest of the group. It’s comforting to see familiar names who … Continue reading →

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