Tag Archives: John Ralfe

Is the University Superranuation Scheme suffering fantasy deficits?

Posted on July 31, 2017 by henry tapper

First the big picture Universities aren’t going away, nor are the people who teach in them, administrate them and provide the infrastructure that keeps them going. Many of our universities have survived wars, plagues, great fires as well as many … Continue reading →

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Tata puts pensions first

Posted on May 17, 2017 by henry tapper

  Though the details of Tata’s offer to the members of the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) are only sketchy , it is clear that they are focussed on members getting “PPF+” on existing benefits and a defined benefit pension … Continue reading →

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A time to be angry

Posted on April 14, 2017 by henry tapper

  I got angry yesterday… I was on a conference call with a couple of lawyers arguing about the technical difference between a “duty of care” and the need to “act in good faith”. Apparently the semantics let an employer … Continue reading →

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Rutger Bregman’s “Utopia for realists”

Posted on March 13, 2017 by henry tapper

  I hadn’t heard of Rutger Bregman till this weekend and I still haven’t read his book “Utopia for Realists”. But I am drawn to a man who quotes the ideas of Thomas More , believes in a Universal Basic … Continue reading →

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John Ralfe, Ros Altmann and the cost of central heating.

Posted on February 12, 2017 by henry tapper

John Ralfe kindly promoted my article on the lack of diversity in the AE review. The AE review and the pension stitch up. https://t.co/8585n7hOEL via @henryhtapper is spot on — John Ralfe (@JohnRalfe1) February 11, 2017 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Responsible John By … Continue reading →

Posted in annuity, auto-enrolment, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Narrowing the range of thought…

Posted on February 11, 2017 by henry tapper

I get back from a few days in the North East to this headline in Corporate Adviser First Actuarial versus the world: DB’s glass half full or half empty? (you can read the article on the link at the bottom) … Continue reading →

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Pensions and the Media

Posted on December 14, 2016 by henry tapper

We like to think that the media works well with the pension industry, but it’s a relationship based on our money, not on mutual respect. In this article I look at how the media really view pensions, concluding we have … Continue reading →

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Please don’t die-I was enjoying your annuity!

Posted on October 19, 2016 by henry tapper

News that Government has finally put the Secondary Annuity Market down is no surprise. It was one of Steve Webb’s worst ideas and has proved about as popular as Osborne. Economically, the creation of a market in annuities is a … Continue reading →

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Doesn’t pension freedom extend to Defined Benefits?

Posted on October 18, 2016 by henry tapper

The debate about the assumptions we use to decide the state of our defined benefit schemes is in full swing. On the one hand you have those, like John Ralfe who use an approach which ensures that there’s always enough … Continue reading →

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Very “interest”-ing

Posted on August 16, 2016 by henry tapper

For millions of savers, the most important piece of financial news over the past few weeks has not been about the impact of bond yields on pension liabilities or their mortgage interest payments or the state of the stock market. … Continue reading →

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