Tag Archives: Insurance

The price of being sick in the head

Posted on December 16, 2018 by

  “Sick in the head”? The phrase doesn’t quite work for Tina – a 38 year old Mum who suffered from post-natal depression and then found her life and critical illness insurances 30% more expensive than if she hadn’t declared … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, annuity, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Would you pay a social care premium?”

Posted on November 12, 2018 by

This was the question Radio Five Live’s Wake up to Money asked its audience this Monday morning. 2.5% off wages for the prospect of insurance against things going really wrong with your health in later life? The idea is being trailed … Continue reading →

Posted in CDC, Change, Charity, pensions | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Back in the bubble – how the pension industry feeds itself (but no-one else)

Posted on August 18, 2018 by

Looking back over the headlines in the trade press, I read a depressing litany of stories about the industry feeding itself. Aegon says it has deep pockets (to compensate financial advisers). It’s chief executive calls its life company (the once … Continue reading →

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Isn’t it time we thought of pensions as insurance (again)?

Posted on July 29, 2018 by

  Yesterday, I wrote of the positive future that I saw for collective schemes, if they could rid themselves of the pernicious effects of financial economics. I based my arguments on my perceptions of the impact of mark to market … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, customer service, pensions | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Why insurance isn’t always right.

Posted on February 20, 2018 by

This is an article in preparation for publication; thoughts on it, especially from insurers would be very welcome. In it, I argue that insured solutions are not always right for us – in our retirement savings and that insurance companies … Continue reading →

Posted in life insurance, pensions | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

How the blockchain revolution could transform financial services

Posted on February 1, 2017 by

The technology likely to have a significant impact on the financial services industry and the world of business has arrived. Not peer-to-peer lending, artificial intelligence, big data, robo-advisers or Apple Pay – but rather blockchain, the technology behind digital currencies … Continue reading →

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

Insuring too much for living too long

Posted on January 18, 2017 by

I went to an interesting debate this morning about the DB deficit crisis (what crisis?). A number of interesting things emerged, such as a statement that a pension scheme cannot get a real return on its investments. I looked at … Continue reading →

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Planning Finances or Selling Insurance?

Posted on December 21, 2016 by

I’ve written a couple of blogs this week about my need for financial planning and my fear of wealth management. To repeat again, I don’t want to be treated as wealthy, but I do need help planning my saving and … Continue reading →

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The Blockchain is boring – we aren’t!

Posted on October 21, 2016 by

If you read my blogs you’ll know that I see the Blockchain as boring and beautiful at the same time. It is boring because it creates a central purchasing ledger and it is beautiful because it puts millions of boring … Continue reading →

Posted in blockchain, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is Yahoo insured?

Posted on September 23, 2016 by

  As I listened to the accounts of Yahoo’s 500m users being hacked (purportedly by a foreign government), four questions came to mind Why hasn’t the Yahoo share price fallen more than a couple of percent? Did Verizen, it’s prospective purchaser … Continue reading →

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