Tag Archives: Freedom

If this is “pension freedom” – I’m a banana!

Posted on April 22, 2022 by henry tapper

Bit of a shock. Looked at works pension summary today. Will have been in 6 years this coming November and only worth £100 more than total contributions #workspension #financialcrisis — Sian Cat 1960 (@LynxLair1960) April 21, 2022 People look at … Continue reading →

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Why “sexy-cash” is still favored over pension income.

Posted on April 14, 2022 by henry tapper

Our obsession with the financial consequences of “dying old” shows a strange behavioural bias. I used to tell my kids I was worth a lot more to them dead than alive! Luckily I am still here to tell the tale!! … Continue reading →

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Freedom – at what cost?

Posted on July 19, 2021 by henry tapper

Rousseau’s famous phrase “man is born free but everywhere is in chains”, will be to the front of many people’s minds today. The true liberal reaction to the pandemic is herd immunity and early blogs from the Covid actuaries explored … Continue reading →

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

Posted on February 23, 2019 by henry tapper

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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Helping older people with money

Posted on September 22, 2017 by henry tapper

  I’m pleased to see the FCA publishing a paper on the particular problems older people  have with financial services, I haven’t read it all , only the summary (which I can summarise as the paper does)! The summary rightly … Continue reading →

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Ombudsman 1 – Freedom 0

Posted on April 13, 2017 by henry tapper

It would seem that Mr T (neither of the A-team or of this blog) has been sent packing by the Pensions Ombudsman. Mr T sued Standard Life’s staff pension trustees to max-up his CETV. He did so using an online … Continue reading →

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Brexit sets our pensions free!

Posted on February 15, 2017 by henry tapper

We are where we are; Brexit is changing things. Brexit is a disruptor of old certainties and a bringer of new opportunities. The pensions and savings industry has grown fat on the old certainties but is now being confronted by populist … Continue reading →

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DRAWDOWN TAX; I’m as free as a bird (in a cage)

Posted on January 26, 2017 by henry tapper

  I’m as free as a bird can be when “freedom” is defined and confined by HMRC. “Me” as case study; I have a pension pot which wealth managers call “big” but can only supply me with an income of £15,000 … Continue reading →

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FAKE NEWS – eroding the credibility of pensions.

Posted on January 12, 2017 by henry tapper

“Yesterday I ran a blog complaining not about fake news but about misinformation accompanying the news. MOMENTUM – hang your head in shame! The news Momentum has is that the vast majority of people over 55 still don’t know when … Continue reading →

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“Brexit penalties” and the price of freedom.

Posted on November 24, 2016 by henry tapper

What kind of a club charges you £59bn to leave it? If the EU was a pension plan, we’d be screaming about exit penalties. But I suspect we are talking up the cost to highlight the brilliant negotiating tactics of … Continue reading →

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