News, Comments and Insights

The Regulator has recently issued guidance to trustees faced with this request. The guidance is helpful, but there are a few points that the trustees should also consider...more

 

The functions of the Pensions Advisory Service and the Pensions Ombudsman have been combined. They have issued a template signpost wording that trustees should put in their Internal Disputes Resolution Procedures (IDPR) and on their websites...more

 

GMP reconciliation is a hot topic at the moment. This blog explains what all of the fuss is about, and why trustees should pay attention...more

 

It's been a while since I've had anything published in the pensions press, but two opportunities have come along at once!..more

 

A recent report from The Pensions Institute suggests that it would be better for members to recognise where an employer is unlikely ever to plug the funding deficit, and to reach a compromise on benefits. This blog supports this view in order to avoid savage cuts by PPF to early retirement pensioners with relatively high benefits...more

 

What can a company do when a pension scheme stops being viewed as a valuable tool in attracting and retaining staff, and becomes a cost and governance burden? How did this come about?..more

 

The brave new world of Defined Contribution trusteeship is now upon us, and the nominated Chair of the trustees should have put measures in place to collect the information that he or she will need in order to make their annual statement..more

 

Failure to properly deal with equalisation of retirement ages is surprisingly common - even a quarter of a century after the original 'Barber' judgement in the ECJ. This issue can remain hidden until someone asks that awkward question, but it cannot be ducked - particularly if a scheme is going into wind up...more

 

If you or your clients' companies have a defined contribution (DC) trust-based pension scheme, you should ask yourself the following questions...more

 

The pensions industry is notorious for its use of jargon. This is perhaps inevitable, but can result in confusion...more

 

Should I take advantage of the new pensions freedoms? Or could this lead to problems down the line?..more