Tag Archives: Economy

An annuity rate GOOD – economically BAD message from long-term gilt yields.

This is the big chart for pensions , telling everyone from pension scheme actuaries to life actuaries managing annuity rates what to say with numbers. I say that because the other way of looking at this chart is as a … Continue reading

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“Whose Money Is It Anyway?” – Michael Mainelli in full

  Professor Michael Mainelli Tuesday, 10 June 2025, JP Morgan, Embankment   Opium Moments – Asking Questions I once opened a talk thusly: “On Saturday evenings I have had the custom, after taking my opium, of wandering quite far, …”. … Continue reading

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NHS shows our pension tax strategy is in a cul-de-sac.

Kat Lay’s article on NHS pensions in The Times yesterday has sent alarm bells ringing at the FT. Kat suggests that the rules around the Annual Allowance that have been flagged by the BMA for the past four years are … Continue reading

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Global and UK Economic Recovery up to September 2020

  Covid-19.arg Global and UK Economic Recovery up to September 2020 COVID-19 Actuaries Response Group – Learn. Share. Educate. Influence.   Summary There are clear signs of economic recovery in the UK following the lockdown between March and June, as … Continue reading

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Death by discount rates

Q: When is a million dollars not a million dollars? A: When it is not yet a million dollars. The pensions business is all about the long term. Fund managers like me are responsible for ensuring we have sufficient funds … Continue reading

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What has COVID-19 done to our economy? How can we recover? – Joseph Lu

  What has COVID-19 done to the economy? The UK’s economy started the year with a rising stock market and house prices, said to be the continuation of a ‘Boris Bounce’ after a landslide election win that inspired business activity. … Continue reading

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Do you work in the bullshit economy?

Stefan Stern has kindly shared an opinion piece he’s written in the Guardian, which I like very much. You can read it for free here (thanks to the Guardian’s enlightened sharing policy) Five years ago, Stella and I moved back … Continue reading

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Respect for the self-employed

It’s a truth as old as the hills that there are two types of self-employed. Those who choose to be and those who have no choice. Most people who read this blog have more experience with the “professional” classes who … Continue reading

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Buildings for the future -time to spend cheap money.

I am with Nigel Wilson on this “QE was designed by the rich for the rich; it drove up the price of assets rather than creating new ones and there has never been so much money available as today”, It’s … Continue reading

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“Britain’s future is brighter than the British realise!” – Dr Pippa Malmgren

This is a blog by Pippa Malmgren. I met her through the good folk at Mallowstreet and she is my favourite economic commentator bar none. So I’m really pleased she’s agreed for me to republish this remarkable work here.   … Continue reading

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