Tag Archives: The Pension Regulator

We do not restore confidence on our own – we do it together

Today we see the launch of the Government’s new industrial strategy.  Five Live’s “Wake up to Money” program came from the white heat of a Coventry industrial research plant. Last week Nigel Wilson called for us to put back the Capital into Capitalism … Continue reading

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

LCP and Royal London; helping us make better retirement decisions

LCP and Royal London have produced a joint report on HELPING DB MEMBERS MAKE BETTER RETIREMENT DECISIONS: THE ROLE OF SCHEMES, ADVISERS, REGULATORS AND GOVERNMENT You can read it here The Main findings are The LCP Breakfast Briefing I had … Continue reading

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

If I ran a master trust…

Not all of us run a master trust, though you might think it was Britain’s boom industry from the amount of press “master trust proliferation” has got. This blog is here for those who do, and for those who advise … Continue reading

Posted in auto-enrolment, pensions, Politics, Popcorn Pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A tale of two failures. (BHS and Tata Steel)

BHS and Tata Steel; they have a lot in common BHS is a  failed retailer, a tired brand with 11,000 employees and a medium sized pension scheme with a hole in it. Tata Steel is a failed steelmaker, an iconic business … Continue reading

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Learning to live from what’s in the (pension) pot

  Today’s the red letter day for the Pension Regulator (and to a lesser extent- the Pension Protection Fund) , when they find themselves under the scrutiny of the DWP Select Committee. In question is the competence and capability of both … Continue reading

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

How well protected are you if your pension scheme goes bust?

Not since the early years of the century has so much attention been paid to the solvency of our defined benefit pension schemes. The triple whammy of Tata Steel, BHS and Austin Reed’s schemes will potentially hit the Pension Protection … Continue reading

Posted in pensions | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Philip Green – Maxwell II

In a remarkable article in the FT, Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Holden, David Davis brands Phil Green’s behaviour at BHS as … the dark side of capitalism: increased borrowing and payment of ever bigger dividends; risk transferred from the private … Continue reading

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

Pensions -No engagement without ownership!

  It is generally accepted that ownership implies accountability. Ownership is  the word we use in business to say we’ll take responsibility for the outcomes of an action; as in “I’ll own this one”. We’ve learned that unless someone owns a … Continue reading

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

Preparing for an auto-enrolment capacity crunch.

The Telegraph is running a story suggesting that the DWP are drawing up a plan B for auto-enrolment that could see the timeline for initial staging stretch to the next decade. Nannies, gardeners and staff at small firms may not get … Continue reading

Posted in accountants, actuaries, advice gap, auto-enrolment, NEST, pensions, Pensions Regulator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The future of pension regulation – Andrew Tarrant

Andrew Tarrant was a personal advisor to Gregg McClymont in the previous parliamentary term. A Kiwi lawyer he has the distinction of having sung in New Zealand’s only serious punk band. I have had the privilege of reading this substantial piece of … Continue reading

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