All Financial education articles – Page 2
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PodcastsPodcast: Trustees struggling to guide members on inflation benefits
Podcast: A report from XPS Pensions suggests that members could reap £10,000 additional benefits by delaying retirement because of the way increases and inflation are calculated, but trustees are struggling to help them because of the “red tape” around advice. LCP partner Laura Amin is joined by Hymans Robertson partner Patrick Bloomfield to discuss benefits’ inflation calculation and advice, concerns about defined benefit funding, and the women’s state pension age investigation.
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NewsNumber of savers opting out of pension schemes jumps by 29%
On the go: The number of people opting out of their workplace pension scheme has risen by 29 per cent between March and July this year, according to analysis by pensions provider Penfold.
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NewsMaPS unclear on origin for half of amber flag scam warnings
On the go: Nearly half (44 per cent) of scam guidance sessions in the past three months have been triggered despite the Money and Pensions Service not knowing why the amber flag was raised to begin with, according to data obtained via freedom of information act request by Quilter.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes struggle to educate members amid cost of living crisis
Podcast: Members should be able to consider dipping into their pensions early to combat the cost of living crisis, but schemes may struggle to educate them about the best means of doing so without giving them advice. Society of Pensions Professionals president Steve Hitchiner is joined by AgeWage chief executive Henry Tapper, founder of the Pension Playpen, to discuss recession fears, consumer protection for dashboards, and expanding long-term asset funds.
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NewsCalls for stewardship code to engage members as well as managers
On the go: The Financial Reporting Council’s stewardship code must “look both ways” and engage members as well as asset managers in developing guidance and standards, according to fintech company Tumelo.
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NewsCornish housing association pilots ‘living pension’
On the go: A Cornish housing association is piloting a ‘living pension’ scheme for its employees, building on research that suggests some savers’ pension contributions will need to rise to more than double their current rate.
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NewsWaiting times a problem as demand for Pensions Ombudsman rises
The Pensions Ombudsman has been successful in its application for additional funding, part of which will go towards establishing its new pensions dishonesty unit, and tackling customer waiting times as demand is expected to rise by at least 10 per cent over the next year.
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NewsCollective defined contribution schemes launch in Great Britain
On the go: Providers in Great Britain are now able to apply to launch collective defined contribution schemes, a development hailed by pensions minister Guy Opperman for its potential to “transform the UK pensions landscape”.
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PodcastsPodcast: Ball in TPR’s court as DB funding code consultation launches
Podcast: The consultation into the defined benefit funding code by the Department for Work and Pensions hints at a prescriptive regime to come, but the Pensions Regulator must improve on its “rubbish” code of practice draft, according to Zedra client director Richard Butcher. He and Hymans Robertson partner Laura McLaren discuss the next steps, stronger nudge concerns, and assess the health of pensions post-Maxwell.
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PodcastsPodcast: Providers delaying transfers are failing their customers
Podcast: The Department for Work and Pensions has been clear about the intent of regulations governing transfers, and providers continuing to delay them are doing their members a disservice, argues PensionBee founder Romi Savova. She is joined by Penfold co-founder Pete Hykin to discuss the ongoing transfer fight, the fallout from pensions minister Guy Opperman’s resignation that wasn’t, and employers misunderstanding auto-enrolment.
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NewsAlmost one in 10 cut contributions amid cost of living crisis
On the go: Almost one in 10 people (7 per cent) are planning to reduce their workplace pension contributions as the cost of living crisis continues to escalate, according to research from Barnett Waddingham.
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News90% of savers would use digital pensions dashboard
On the go: Nine in 10 savers would use a digital pensions dashboard if it gave them a consolidated view of their pensions, savings and investments, according to research from The Investing and Saving Alliance and EY.
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NewsMP calls for inquiry into war pension claims process
An MP has called for an inquiry into alleged failings by the War Pension Scheme and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, asking whether the claims process for injured veterans is fit for purpose.
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NewsTrustees urged to include ESG factors in covenant assessment
On the go: Accounting for Sustainability and the Employer Covenant Practitioners Association have teamed up to launch a “top tips” guide for considering environmental, social and governance risk in the employer covenant process, hailed by the Pensions Regulator chair Sarah Smart as “an important first port of call for trustees”.
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NewsRetirement guidance is improving but decumulation challenges remain
On the go:Support available to those approaching retirement is improving, particularly in master trusts, but a comprehensive framework is still required to ensure all savers get the help they need, according to new research.
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NewsAegon and LCP criticise ‘damaging’ FRC dashboard proposals
Aegon and LCP have issued stern rebukes of the Financial Reporting Council’s proposals for calculating pensions projections for the dashboards, with Aegon arguing that the FRC’s preferred methodology would “damage the whole intention behind dashboards”.
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NewsTimms lobbies for pensions inclusion in digital legislation
On the go: Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms has written to the minister of state for media, data and digital infrastructure calling for reassurance that the government will consider the issues of pensions advice and guidance as it updates its privacy and electronic communications legislation.
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PodcastsPodcast: Partial AE reform should be prioritised before long-term fix
Podcast: The absence of auto-enrolment reform from the Queen’s speech means the government will be hard-pressed to meet its middle-of-the-decade deadline to achieve it. The priority should be getting the most important parts done as quickly as possible, and introducing the rest of the 2017 reform proposals enacted longer-term. Sackers partner Helen Ball and Mark Ormston, chair of the Industry Policy Committee at the Pensions Administration Standards Association, discuss auto-enrolment, online safety and the proposed value for money framework.
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NewsPLSA’s retirement living standards now cover 35mn members
On the go: Pension scheme communications from more than 100 organisations now provide up to 35mn members with access to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s retirement living standards, the industry body has announced.
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NewsTimms demands changes to GMP factsheet after public’s criticism
Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms has written to the Department for Work and Pensions demanding that it update and properly publicise its “insufficient” factsheet on guaranteed minimum pensions compensation.