Tim Middleton
OpinionRegulator must work with industry on professional trustee standards
Recent consultation exercises have shown that trusteeship has become increasingly segmented by the standards expected of those who fulfil the role.
OpinionIs it time for another regulatory overhaul?
The unpalatable but necessary lessons from the British Steel Pension Scheme have raised difficult questions about the UK’s pension system and suggest that our policy objectives may require some careful reconsideration.
OpinionIs the CDC era about to begin?
One of the more interesting developments at this year’s political conferences was Labour’s conversion to the cause of collective defined contribution schemes.
OpinionBSPS sets useful example for DB endgame
Making predictions concerning the future of defined benefit pension provision in the UK would be a task for the over-confident or a fool.
OpinionPensions must not be a matter of luck
The scheduled review of auto-enrolment will have many interesting issues to address, but there has already been some industry criticism that its scope is too narrow.
OpinionTransfers reform would provide vital clarity
When George Osborne’s freedom and choice reforms were introduced two years ago, some argued that traditional liberation fraud would be all but eliminated as members seeking to convert a defined contribution fund into a lump sum payment could now do so legally.
OpinionWhy we need a minimum income for drawdown
The OECD recently identified the increasingly important role of defined contribution arrangements in providing retirement benefits as one of the international pension trends.
- Opinion
Will the pensions dashboard live up to its potential?
Last month the government formally committed to the creation of a pensions dashboard, which will be an invaluable aid in helping people plan for retirement.
- Opinion
No more short notice, please
The recent ‘changing of the guard’ at Downing Street has led to a major reorganisation of the government as a whole. The relevance of its impact on pensions policy is potentially very significant indeed.
- Opinion
The end of pensions or the beginning of a new cycle?
The extent of change within our industry over the past 30 years has seen pension provision alter almost beyond recognition.
- Opinion
Ensuring standards for professional trustees
It is an unfortunate fact that pensions often only become a front-page story when something has gone horribly wrong. Recent examples show once again the pain of corporate failure has been exacerbated by a defined benefit scheme deficit.
OpinionA closer look at the Lisa
On Budget day, George Osborne announced the Lifetime Isa. It rapidly became one of the most discussed aspects of the Budget, with the response from the public generally favourable.
OpinionPMI: Move to cash undermines pensions as HR tool
Talking Head: Until relatively recently, retirement provision was a simple, if rather rigid, concept. Tax rules dictated that benefits could not normally be drawn until a minimum age and they had to be taken in a specific form.
OpinionPMI: Drawdown needs minimum income floor to avoid depleted pots
Talking Head: One of the first acts of the coalition government in 2010 was to reform the pension drawdown rules.
OpinionWhy the training debate should centre on pro rather than lay trustees
In her address to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association annual conference last month, the Pensions Regulator’s chief executive Lesley Titcomb tackled mandatory qualifications for trustees.
- Opinion
PMI: Why government zeal on exit penalties is surprising
Talking Head: The Treasury issued a consultation in July to assess the impact of exit penalties on defined contribution members looking to exercise their decumulation options.
- Opinion
PMI: From bank accounts back to good old pension provision
Talking Head: With just three months having elapsed since the commencement of the new decumulation regime for defined contribution pension schemes, it is surely too soon to draw meaningful conclusions about its success.
- Opinion
PMI: Hour has come for independent commission
In announcing the new decumulation regime for defined contribution pension arrangements in last year’s Budget, George Osborne let a great many cats out of the one bag.
- Opinion
Is Labour right to argue for extending auto-enrolment to 1.5m lower earners?
From the outset, the Pensions Commission’s vision for auto-enrolment was a regime designed for low to medium earners.