Britain’s savings have undergone a “radical change” under the Conservative government says the IFS March 14, 2017 The savings landscape in the UK has undergone a “radical change” under the Conservative government as incentives push people towards individual savings accounts (Isas) rather than pensions, according to an influential economics think tank. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said: “We’ve had quite a radical change in the shape of [...]
Behavioural insights on financial advice March 14, 2017 | City Talk Saving and investing decisions are often made from opposite sides of the financial services spectrum. Advisers have the difficult job of building trust and bridging the two sides and their diverse demands. Matching the needs of retail savers with investment returns provided by users of capital is not easy as the two opposing sides — [...]
JRP Group share price jumped after posting better than expected annual results despite a soft new business market March 10, 2017 The boss of retirement specialist JRP Group today urged the market to "get its act together" to help Britain's over-55's release £2 trillion of assets that could better fund their retirement. After announcing results JRP said it was "truly proud of", shares in the FTSE 250 leapt over six per cent in early trading. The figures [...]
Budget 2017: Four things pensions experts have had to say about the Budget March 8, 2017 Former chancellor George Osborne will be remembered for monkeying around with pensions, in particular for ushering in pensions freedoms that were announced in 2014 implemented the following year. Philip Hammond didn't do too much on pensions in his Autumn Statement in November. So what was he up to today? 1 – Quiet day Beancounters EY [...]
Budget 2017: Experts make eight predictions as to what is in store for pensions and savings March 7, 2017 In his Autumn statement chancellor Philip Hammond resisted the temptation of making sweeping changes to pensions and savings. However, according to AJ Bell's senior analyst Tom Selby: “Tinkering with pension contribution allowances is a perennial favourite of chancellors on Budget day and Philip Hammond showed he was no exception in the Autumn Statement." Here's eight topics experts are [...]
Pensions taskforce to call for £1.5 trillion superfund to plug black holes in UK’s retirement funds March 6, 2017 A group of pensions experts will call on the government in the next few days to set up a £1.5 trillion superfund to fix the UK's pensions crisis. According to Sky News, which first reported the story, the committee set up by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) is expected to urge ministers to consolidate all of [...]
Tata Steel bidder Thyssenkrupp comes under pressure from investors to consider alternative strategies March 3, 2017 The German industrial firm vying to pick up Tata Steel is plotting alternative strategies if the deal to save Britain's largest steel operator fails. Thyssenkrupp is considering spinning off its European steel division into a separate company that could be listed, according to reports today by German publication WirtschftsWoche. Read more: Tata Steel pension scheme edges towards safety [...]
Budget 2017: Philip Hammond could raise the pensions Lifetime Allowance to fund social care and end inheritance tax discrimination to improve the nation’s finances March 1, 2017 The weeks leading up to George Osborne’s Budget statements were filled with frenzied speculation. Famed for his tinkering, the former chancellor’s Budgets enshrined a number of eye-catching and popular reforms, including landmark pension freedoms, and some not so popular ones, such as a reduction in the amount an individual can put into their pension and [...]
BHS pension scheme: Sir Philip Green has said he will contribute £363m, but what happens next? February 28, 2017 Sir Philip Green might be paying up £363m to sort out the gap in the BHS pension schemes, but that’s not the end of the saga for the fallen retailer. What options do those with BHS pensions now have? The 19,000 scheme members have three options to mull; transferring to a newly created pension scheme, [...]
Pensions triple lock: Labour calls for government to preserve payment structure beyond 2020 February 28, 2017 Labour will today demand that the government guarantees the pensions triple lock beyond 2020. In a speech on intergenerational fairness, Debbie Abrahams, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, will say the current commitments by the Conservative government are not enough. The triple lock increases state pension payments annually by either inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5 per cent, whichever is highest. The [...]