A report which was just published by life insurance experts LifeSearch has confirmed something that I have long suspected: people have nine lives too. The findings The LifeSearch report, which was run in conjunction with CensusWide*, found that: On average, British people will “reinvent” themselves nine times over the course of their adult lives, expecting … Continued
How much can change in a week? This time last week I was on my way up the A30 from Cornwall to an event in Exeter I knew very little about, and, I thought, bore very little relevance to my day to day job as a pensions actuary and my need to log 15 hours … Continued
I have spent a lot of my time over the past 23 years looking at how to help businesses grow and get better, primarily through changes to their pension strategies. Fixing pensions can have a huge impact on a business’s profits, particularly where Defined Benefit schemes are involved. However I’ve always been aware that pensions … Continued
What did the Queen’s speech contain on pensions? Today, in the Queen’s speech, a range of new rules and powers were outlined which are likely to be of interest to all individuals and many employers. Thankfully, pensions scammers are being put further on the back foot with a commitment from the Government: “To protect people … Continued
What are workplace pensions? People often use the phrase Workplace Pension (ie having your employer provide you with a pension) in conjunction with auto-enrolment (having your employer automatically add you to their Workplace Pension). A Workplace Pension is a tax efficient way of saving for your retirement (or your later years) that is arranged by … Continued
The conflict-free FD Have you ever escaped from a city to the countryside? If so, you might have experienced that moment, two or three nights’ in when you wake in the middle of the night, alert and wondering what’s wrong. It’s the lack of background noise. No sirens, traffic horns or people shouting on the … Continued
It felt good to hear the confirmation of the Government’s backing for dashboards announced by Amber Rudd yesterday. I’ve long been an advocate for advancing our industry and the customer experience of it by using technology. In a nutshell, when they become reality, dashboards are going to empower people to make better decisions around their … Continued
What is the workplace pension? The Workplace Pension. Sounds quite scary but it is actually quite simple. Your employer will set it up for you and it is, simply, a tax efficient savings account which you can access in your 50’s, under current legislation. There are rules about the minimum you pay in, and the … Continued
What are personal pensions? Personal Pensions are, like the Workplace Pension, quite simple and anyone can set one up. There are no age limits, even children can pay into a Personal Pension, and they are simply a tax efficient savings account. Personal Pensions are normally run by insurance companies and you will need to shop … Continued
Workplace Pensions are actually quite simple and they apply to you if you are employed, are between certain ages (currently 22 and State Pension Age) and earn above a certain amount of money (currently £10,000 for the 17/18 tax year). Every time you pay into a pension, so does your employer, and so does the Government … Continued