Auto-enrolment
Just how dangerous is starting to withdraw from your pension plan without taking advice/guidance?
A recent report confirmed that four out of ten products bought to support withdrawals from pension funds were purchased without professional advice (FCA product sales data). It is inevitable that without advice and guidance many people will make decisions they will live to regret with severe consequences for their ongoing lifestyles. If you do nothing […]
SPECIAL REPORT. CLOSURE OF FINAL SALARY PENSION SCHEMES.
According to the Pension Regulator, only 1,013 of the UK’s 6,400 final salary pension schemes remain fully open. That is 200 less than last year with the number decreasing month by month. Companies are closing the schemes even to existing members (many closed to new entrants years ago) because they are expensive to run with […]
Higher rate pensions tax relief survives the budget- but for how long?
In a pre-budget announcement MPs called on the Government to overhaul the “entire approach to pension tax relief”. They are concerned that the current system unfairly incentivises higher rate taxpayers. They say:- “Now is surely the time to address the imbalance of benefits and tax breaks available to the wealthy, whilst ensuring the poorer pensioners […]
Quarter of women waive pension rights on divorce
That is just not right – but what can be done about it? Divorce is such an emotional time and people have so much to think about that they just can’t focus on pensions or for that matter other financial issues. Legal advice is already expensive and adding financial adviser fees to the mix is […]
Short term trading – Just for fun
Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a supporter of medium/long term investing, building a diversified portfolio, and not being influenced by today’s events. You may, therefore, be surprised to learn that over the past few months I have enjoyed seeing if I can make some money from the extreme stock-market volatility. […]
Swindon Town FC fined £22,900 for Auto Enrolment failings – will you be next?
Yes, I know the football club got it terribly wrong but this is hard evidence that the Pensions Regulator is taking no prisoners. Thousands of small/medium sized employers reach their auto-enrolment staging date in the next twelve months by which time they need to have a workplace pension plan in place. This is an imposition I know you could […]
Auto enrolment – what do I do about existing pension plans?
“What do I do about my employees for whom I am already providing pensions?” was the big unanswered question from last week’s “Small employers and pensions; a seminar on what you need to know and do” hosted by Richard Graham MP for Gloucester. Representatives from The Pension Regulator, Nest Corporation, and The People’s Pension gave […]
Auto-enrolment – 5 facts you must know
Over the next 12 months thousands of small businesses will start to be phased into the Government’s auto-enrolment pension scheme. There is loads of information out there. Just google “auto-enrolment” – you will have hours and hours of happy reading and will probably still be confused. So here are just 5 facts you really must know:- […]