Tag Archives: Standard Life

“The best way forward or the NEST way forward?”

Posted on July 28, 2016 by

If you are an employer and you have made a decision, there is no liability—that is clear in the legislation. If you have decided to go with NEST rather than NOW: or People’s, there is no liability that can fall … Continue reading →

Posted in accountants, auto-enrolment, NEST, now, pensions, Personal Accounts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Property , liquidity and the merit of doing nothing

Posted on July 6, 2016 by

News that Standard Life , M&G (the Pru) and Aviva have put up the shutters on their property funds is dominating the headlines. We are used to being able to move our money around the market with “impunity”. I put … Continue reading →

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Insurers – VFM and the Competition Commission.

Posted on April 26, 2016 by

  The FT Adviser magazine has published a short piece leaking a story that has been doing the rounds for a few weeks. It would appear that the insurers who have been subject to the scrutiny of an independent governance … Continue reading →

Posted in IGC, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wanted for listing – IGC/GAA Chair reports

Posted on April 7, 2016 by

Pension Plowman’s Directory At this week’s Stewardship meeting of the transparency task force, someone asked if there was a Directory of the IGC’s that have been published so far. There wasn’t until then, but I sent round the links of … Continue reading →

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Time-Cost will prevail

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

That “it’s all about payroll stupid!” has become one of the axioms of auto-enrolment strategy. It’s a truism you hear mouthed by people who sell pensions but I’ve not hear many in payroll return the compliment! “It’s all about pensions” … Continue reading →

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

Standard Life’s IGC’s annual report; deceptively good!

Posted on March 30, 2016 by

The Standard Life Independent Governance Committee’s Chair, Rene Poisson, published his first annual report yesterday, you can read it here either in summary or in its full 40 pages. Most will read the summary but for those interested in product … Continue reading →

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Only we can tell who’s giving VFM on auto-enrolment support!

Posted on December 10, 2015 by

There’s been plenty of controversy in the last quarter about providers making upfront and regular charges for support. NEST have said they won’t charge – but employers need to be self- sufficient, People’s and NOW will both charge for support … Continue reading →

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NOW – that’s what I call a puzzler!

Posted on September 22, 2015 by

NOW Pension’s decision to charge new customers £40pm from October has not gone down well with supporting intermediaries. One grumpy accountant commented  We have one client already signed up with Now and about to stage in two weeks. As I … Continue reading →

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

Don’t underestimate SME’s hunger for investment know-how!

Posted on March 8, 2015 by

I am  frustrated by the capitulation of many in the pension industry to the challenge faced by inducting 1.2m new employers into our funded pension culture. The Pension Apartheid practiced by the investment elite At a recent event, Joanne Segers, CEO … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Education, First Actuarial, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions, Pensions Regulator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The pernicious power of financial advertising

Posted on February 18, 2015 by

The incendiary resignation letter from Peter Oborne cites the removal of articles from the Telegraph’s website , claiming the articles went because of pressure from HSBC as a major advertiser. Buzzfeed have the story (and the article( here). I know … Continue reading →

Posted in advice gap, auto-enrolment, First Actuarial, Pension Freedoms, pension playpen, pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments