Savers taking advantage of pension freedoms to cash out before retirement have suffered £2bn in lost returns, spurring calls for better financial education, according to analysis by LCP.
Latest articles from Benjamin Mercer
Covid-19 spurs wave of interest in sustainable investing

Almost two-thirds of European asset and investment managers believe that the pandemic has made sustainable investing more important, according to Schroders’ Institutional Investor Study 2021.
Nearly a third of Gen Xers have inadequate pension savings

Almost one in three Generation Xers — individuals aged between 41 and 56 — have inadequate pension savings and face a minimum-at-best standard of living in retirement, according to research by the International Longevity Centre and Standard Life.
Govt rejects calls for £1.2bn pension boost for mineworkers

On the go: The government has rejected calls to reform the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme that could have seen its members share an additional £1.2bn, a decision critics have branded “intransigent” and a “slap in the face”.
Desire for cryptocurrencies is ‘deeply concerning’

New research from CoreData has shown almost half of millennials, people aged between 25 and 40, want to invest at least part of their pension in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Experts, however, have warned that cryptocurrencies remain a long way off being a viable investment option.
Cost and information overload are barriers to integrating ESG

On the go: Information overload and high costs are barriers to integrating sustainability in investments, a Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association poll has found.
Weekly Roundup: The long-term economic plan

This week – Government’s attempt to prop up proposed Long-Term Assets Fund, response to consultation on strengthening TPR’s powers, PLSA launches new RI standards, and LCP calls for a simplification of pensions tax relief.
PASA unveils counter-fraud guidance

On the go: The Pensions Administration Standards Association has unveiled its latest counter-fraud guidance, taking aim at scammers and looking to provide pension schemes with the tools used to counter an increase in criminal acts following the introduction of pension freedoms.
Industry welcomes govt’s new green gilts

The government is to press ahead with “at least two” green gilt issuances later this year totalling around £15bn, and on Wednesday published its Green Financing Framework setting out its climate and environmental agenda in more detail.
Govt issues response to consultation on strengthening TPR’s powers

The UK government has issued its response to the Pensions Regulator’s contribution notices and information-gathering powers regulations consultation.