pensionsandsavings.com

  • PENSIONSANDSAVINGS.COM

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

    • pensionsandsavings.com

    pensionsandsavings.com

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    Category: Pensions

    Who will help sort out this auto-enrolment pension scandal?

    Who will help sort out this auto-enrolment pension scandal?

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    21 July 2017 Who will help sort out this auto-enrolment pension scandal? Low earners losing money but don’t know it yet I want to highlight a major pensions injustice concerning employers who choose an auto-enrolment scheme administered on a net pay basis. Such schemes cannot add the 25 per cent bonus of tax relief to contributions of workers earning less than £11,500 a year from the employer. Auto-enrolling these employees – mostly women – into a net pay scheme forces…

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    Pension Schemes forced to stop discriminating against same-sex partners

    Pension Schemes forced to stop discriminating against same-sex partners

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    12 July 2017 UK pension funds cannot discriminate against same sex partners Landmark ruling rightly requires pension schemes to treat all partners equally Costs could run to hundreds of millions of pounds The Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex partnerships must be fairly and properly recognised within UK pension schemes. In a landmark ruling, ( INNOSPEC VS. WALKER) the judges ruled that a pension scheme member who is married to a same sex partner must be treated the same as…

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    Pension Freedoms need to work better for customers

    Pension Freedoms need to work better for customers

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    12 July 2017 I welcome the FCA Retirement Outcomes Review and its focus on the customer but I am disappointed that the pensions industry has so far failed to radically change its approach. The pensions industry needs to wake up to the tremendous new opportunities offered by pension freedoms and auto enrolment. This is the time to show real, innovative thinking in the customer interest but sadly the industry has so far failed. Where are the new products or default…

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    Pension freedoms mean pension transfers make more sense

    Pension freedoms mean pension transfers make more sense

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    21 June 2017 Good news: Regulator wakes up to new landscape for pension transfers Advisers encouraged to recognise that transferring out of a final salary scheme could be the right thing to do Pension freedoms have radically improved attractions of Defined Contribution pensions Vital to understand both risks and benefits, rather than assume transfers always wrong The new world of pension freedom and choice paves the way for fresh thinking on transferring out of Defined Benefit pension schemes. Here’s a…

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    Manifesto cost May the election

    Manifesto cost May the election

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    11 June 2017 Tory Manifesto cost May the election Social care proposals alienated core voters AND would have made care crisis even worse There is no silver bullet – care crisis needs a range of solutions The Tory Manifesto was a turning point in the election campaign.  To say the policy announcements on pensions and care were badly thought through would be an understatement. They don’t really seem to have been thought through at all. The combination of means-testing Winter…

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    No room for complacency as UK firms struggle with pension costs

    No room for complacency as UK firms struggle with pension costs

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    15 May 2017 I put in a response to the DWP’s 100+ page Green Paper consultation on the sustainability of final-salary-type pension schemes. My response was also lengthy, but I’ve summarised it for you below, although you can link to the whole thing from there if you want to. I do feel that urgent attention must be given to consolidating schemes, moving away from the over-reliance on gilts (schemes need to ‘manage’ risk, not ‘minimise’ it) and using these huge…

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    Election Manifesto for older voters – 6-point plan for reform

    Election Manifesto for older voters – 6-point plan for reform

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    20 April 2017 Help poorer pensioners, older women and families facing elderly care Radical overhaul of social care to ensure fairer system for all – a crisis worse than pensions State Pension triple lock could move to a double lock, increasing by prices or earnings Double lock should apply to Pension Credit so poorest pensioners are protected properly Improve pension outcomes for women – private pensions, State Pensions and WASPI Reform pensions tax relief to give everyone a 33% Government…

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    Lifetime ISA launch – BEWARE

    Lifetime ISA launch – BEWARE

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    5 April 2017 Launch of Lifetime ISAs – don’t be fooled Hardly any providers offering LISAs – probably due to complexity and mis-selling risks Mixing house purchase and pensions will damage ISA brand LISAs may be good for first time buyers, but dreadful for retirement – saving for house deposit very different from long term investment for retirement Trying to turn pensions into ISAs undermines young people’s pension prospects Why not just improve the Help To Buy ISA and leave…

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    Transferring Out Of ‘Guaranteed’ Employer Pensions Can Be A Good Idea

    Transferring Out Of ‘Guaranteed’ Employer Pensions Can Be A Good Idea

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    5 April 2017 Last night I attended an interesting event run by the Financial Times.  A large group of people came along to learn more about transferring out of Defined Benefit pension schemes. It was an interesting session.  I thought it might be helpful to outline my views on this issue, as the conventional thinking is not necessarily fully reflective of new realities.  This is not meant to be giving anybody financial advice, this is about highlighting the important issues…

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    Cridland State Pension Age Review

    Cridland State Pension Age Review

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    23 March 2017 Cridland Report emphasises importance of working longer but shies away from allowing early State Pension for those who can’t Summary of my views: Yes it is important to help people work longer, especially after Brexit Yes Government should end the triple lock which doesn’t protect oldest and poorest pensioners properly anyway Yes we must tell people about any increases to their State Pension age Yes adults caring for elderly relatives need more help  BUT I would go…

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