pensionsandsavings.com

  • PENSIONSANDSAVINGS.COM

    From Ros Altmann:economist and pensions,
    investment and retirement policy expert

    • pensionsandsavings.com

    pensionsandsavings.com

    Browsed by
    Author: Ros Altmann

    Budget Comment

    Budget Comment

    Comments 1 comment

    Freezing the Pensions Lifetime Allowance will hit younger pension savers while older and wealthiest will already have protection at higher levels. Constant changes in rules and limits undermines long-term retirement planning. Chancellor should consider root and branch review of all the allowances to ensure a sustainable and stable system. This review should include identifying ways of incorporating provision for social care into long-term savings and pensions. Damage to confidence in long-term retirement planning: I recognise that the Chancellor has a…

    Read More Read More

    Pensions can rebuild Britain – here’s my six-point plan for the Chancellor

    Pensions can rebuild Britain – here’s my six-point plan for the Chancellor

    Comments 0 Comment

    Chancellor has golden opportunity to use pensions to help boost growth. My six-point plan to use private and local authority pensions to build back Britain at lower cost to taxpayers. The UK has a tremendous advantage over other countries because we have always had a strong private pensions sector, with over £2trillion in assets set aside for future pensions. As we build back after the latest economic shock, pensions could and should be a powerful part of our economic recovery….

    Read More Read More

    Welcome NHS reform proposals are a missed opportunity

    Welcome NHS reform proposals are a missed opportunity

    Comments 0 Comment

    Integrating NHS and social care won’t sort out care crisis without the long-promised overhaul of social care funding.    Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the massive failings in our care system which leaves elderly people as an afterthought.  Social care funding reforms desperately needed to ensure all older people have basic dignified care regardless of their illness.  I welcome the Government’s plans for a blueprint for integration of health and social care: Properly integrating social care with NHS care is long overdue,…

    Read More Read More

    Shocking FCA findings – consumers may have no protection from poor advice in pension transfers

    Shocking FCA findings – consumers may have no protection from poor advice in pension transfers

    Comments 1 comment

    Shocking FCA findings that many advice firms had no professional indemnity cover, leaving customers unprotected against mis-selling.  Waiting till October 2020 to ban Contingent Charging, downplayed customer protection and put consumers at greater risk.  The ban was needed long ago, as it was obvious that advisers who only get paid if they advise customers to transfer, can be biased towards advice to transfer even if unsuitable.   The FCA has just released updated data about Defined Benefit pension transfers from 2018…

    Read More Read More

    When will pensions become user friendly?

    When will pensions become user friendly?

    Comments 1 comment

    People’s Pension research highlights tremendous opportunities of pension freedoms being missed. Freedoms can make pensions more customer-friendly and help them last longer into later life. When will the industry wake up to the chance to promote pensions and encourage customers not to take money out too soon? Here are my thoughts on pensions from the customer perspective.  The findings do not suggest problems with the principles of freedom and choice. They do, however, imply problems in the way the industry…

    Read More Read More

    Arcadia pension scheme unlikely to be rescued like BHS – it’s different this time!

    Arcadia pension scheme unlikely to be rescued like BHS – it’s different this time!

    Comments 0 Comment

    Not sure Arcadia’s owners have legal responsibility for fixing its pension scheme deficit. SUMMARY: The company’s collapse has been hastened by the pandemic, which nobody could have foreseen and there seems little legal remedy for the pension members. This situation is not directly comparable to BHS as Sir Philip and Tina Green had agreed pension deficit repair contributions and paid what was asked by the Regulator and trustees. QE has inflated annuity costs and pension liabilities, so the Arcadia scheme…

    Read More Read More

    Chancellor’s Statement comment

    Chancellor’s Statement comment

    Comments 2 comments

    Chancellor rightly focuses on jobs and increasing infrastructure spending to boost growth. Great to see Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Restart programmes to help for older unemployed workers – as state pension age rises.   Green projects and social housing should use UK pension assets instead of more borrowing.   The Autumn Statement sets out the depth of the economic emergency we are facing and the Chancellor is right to ensure that we focus on preserving and creating jobs, increasing infrastructure, improving environmental…

    Read More Read More

    Chancellor should seize the chance to use pension assets to boost growth and build back Britain

    Chancellor should seize the chance to use pension assets to boost growth and build back Britain

    Comments 0 Comment

    Pensions offer Chancellor the chance to boost growth directly rather than borrowing billions.    Defined Benefit schemes better suited to such investments than the much smaller pool of Defined Contribution pension funds with liquidity and daily pricing rules.    Over £2trillion in UK pensions could be investing for long-term growth but regulators are driving them to buy gilts and low return bonds.   Heavy regulatory anchors are weighing down DB schemes and could sink them with low or negative returns…

    Read More Read More

    MPs should grasp the chance to protect pensions and boost growth

    MPs should grasp the chance to protect pensions and boost growth

    Comments 0 Comment

    MPs have a chance to protect pensions or put them more at risk – what will they do? Cross-party MPs will try to reinstate Lords measures to help private sector schemes use their assets to boost the economy, rather than buying more gilts. Remaining private sector final salary-type schemes are under threat from rules that will encourage reckless conservatism. Pensions are a better way to boost growth than relying on QE! The Pension Schemes Bill will have its final session…

    Read More Read More

    Improving take up of Pension Wise guidance is crucial to protecting people’s pensions

    Improving take up of Pension Wise guidance is crucial to protecting people’s pensions

    Comments 0 Comment

    MPs want to improve protection for pension savers by guiding them to better retirement.   I hope government will accept their pension schemes bill amendments.  Government will be under pressure from MPs next week to ensure pension savers are better protected Work and Pensions Select Committee and cross party MPs are right to seek to build on success of automatic enrolment to guide people into better pension decisions Proposed amendments to Pension Schemes Bill in the Commons on Monday want auto-enrolment…

    Read More Read More

    Page 1 of 30
    1 2 3 … 30