All Royal London articles – Page 2
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Elections 2019: Pension reforms expected after Tory majority
Sweeping pension system reforms are expected following the Conservative Party’s comprehensive victory in Thursday’s general election, with more powers coming for the regulator, a tax review for the higher and lower paid, and experts calling for more work on retirement adequacy.
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Schemes’ endgame decisions could be hit by IFA shortage
Pension schemes using enhanced transfer value exercises as a way to reach an endgame solution could soon see their journey delayed, as new rules coming into the advice sector are reducing the defined benefit transfer market.
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HMRC request for schemes to report breaches branded ‘unsatisfactory’
HM Revenue & Customs' request for pension administrators to remind their members about potential tax breaches has been branded ‘very unsatisfactory’ by a former pensions minister, who said the tax authority was offloading its own responsibilities onto schemes.
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Royal London issues guidance for trustees when appointing IFAs
On the go: There is no right answer to whether trustees should be appointing financial advisers to help members make retirement decisions. However, doing nothing is not a risk-free option, a new policy paper from Royal London and Eversheds Sutherland has stated.
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Conservatives promise to revive pensions bill
On the go: The Conservative party has promised to bring back Guy Opperman’s three-part pensions bill if re-elected, in a manifesto that largely maintains the status quo in retirement saving.
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Ombudsman: DWP failed to explain GMP downgrade to members
The Department for Work and Pensions failed to properly communicate the detrimental impact that ending contracting out had on increases for individuals with a guaranteed minimum pension, the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman has concluded.
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Govt solution for doctors’ tax bill met with criticism
The government will introduce an emergency measure to pay the tax bills of doctors and consultants in England affected by the tapered annual allowance, but the move has been criticised by experts.
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Politicians expected to duck divisive pensions issues
On the go: Radical pensions reforms are likely to be avoided by political parties in their election manifestos, according to Royal London analysis.
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62 private schools exit teachers’ scheme as costs rise by 43%
A total of 62 independent schools have told the government they plan to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, with more set to follow.
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ONS: Life expectancy edges up
On the go: Life expectancy in the UK has resumed its gradual increase after appearing to flatline last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
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Widen taper consultation to fix pensions tax system, experts say
A chorus of pension experts is urging the government to extend the ambit of its consultation on the workings of the tapered annual allowance to include the private sector along with other anomalies and injustices.
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FCA lambasted for lethargy on contingent charging
The Financial Conduct Authority’s proposals to ban controversial charging structures were welcomed by the industry on Tuesday, but some have criticised the regulator for being slow to act.
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Critics rebuke Hancock's 'narrow' NHS pension consultation
The British Medical Association poured cold water on the government’s NHS pension consultation on Monday, criticising its proposal of '50:50' accrual as too narrow and calling for the annual and tapered allowance to be scrapped altogether.
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FCA's move to shrink IFA market poses trustee challenges
The Financial Conduct Authority defended its increase to the compensation limit on Wednesday, accepting that the financial advice market was shrinking but reaffirming that it will help protect consumers.
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Govt admits its pension forecasts have ‘significant’ inaccuracies
Pensions minister Guy Opperman was forced to admit “significant” problems with inaccurate state pension forecasting on Tuesday, raising fears hundreds of thousands of pensioners could be paid less than forecast.
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Housing secretary: Let young people raid pension pots for housing
Young people should have access to pension pots to help fund the deposit for their first home, housing secretary James Brokenshire said on Monday, raising the prospect of a rewrite of the UK’s pension rules.
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Ministers mulling 50/50 solution for NHS scheme
On the go: The chancellor and health secretary are reportedly considering introducing greater flexibility to the NHS pension scheme, in a bid to stave off a wave of early retirements without changing tax rules.
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Scrap ‘rotten’ taper altogether, former pensions ministers tell chancellor
Pressure is mounting on the chancellor to take action on NHS pensions, as two former pensions ministers on Wednesday called for the “fundamentally rotten” tapered annual allowance to be scrapped.
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Government urged to force matching of voluntary contributions
The government should force employers to match voluntary pension contributions made above auto-enrolment minimums, according to investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown.
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Govt greenlights dashboards but timetable questioned
On the go: Pension schemes will be allowed up to four years to submit data to the pensions dashboard, sparking concerns that services appearing later this year will not be comprehensive.