We are by now well used to news stories on climate change and its effects on weather and our environment. The growth in the number of severe weather events such as hurricanes, heavy rainfall and droughts, and their effects such as melting polar ice, widespread flooding in the UK and the unprecedented bushfires in Australia… Continue reading Becoming genuinely green
Category: Pensions
Independent Schools – serious issues to contend with, including staff pension costs
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Is it 2021 yet? Without question, this year has so far exhibited all the signs of being the toughest ‘annus horribilis’ for generations – and with 8 full months remaining it is very hard to imagine that people will look back on 2020 with any fondness whatsoever. The world is already hoping for a… Continue reading Independent Schools – serious issues to contend with, including staff pension costs
Just how much does the gender pension gap affect women?
Similar to the gender pay gap, the gender pension gap affects most women not only across the UK, but the world. The gender pension gap contributes to many limitations and, in a report by Aegon, it has been recorded that 38% of women cite not earning enough as the main restraint to saving for retirement.… Continue reading Just how much does the gender pension gap affect women?
The Pensions Regulator bites!
If you read nothing else in this blog, here are some of the key takeaways for anyone involved in running a pension scheme: Over 40,000 employers were fined by The Pensions Regulator (TPR) for non-compliance regarding their workplace pension auto-enrolment scheme during 2018. 20,298 employers had been fined by TPR for non-compliance in Q1-Q3 2019.… Continue reading The Pensions Regulator bites!
Improving member communications in the real world
Automatic enrolment has been extremely successful in increasing the number of employees saving for retirement. Attention is now shifting to improving the sufficiency of those savings and their contribution to quality retirements. Key factors are contribution amounts, the investment of savings and how the accrued pot is used by the individual. Managing these involves understanding… Continue reading Improving member communications in the real world
The wider responsibilities of investors
Regulatory involvement with the stewardship of companies is not new. The widespread benefits of good corporate governance have long been recognised. So also have the temptations to relegate those wider benefits behind short-term financial gain. One corporate governance issue that has recently been the focus of particular attention involves the remuneration levels of directors and… Continue reading The wider responsibilities of investors
Helping retirement planning
Ever since employers started moving away from defined benefit (DB) pension promises for their employees there have been challenges to ensure that people have sufficient income when they finally cease remunerated employment. There are many good reasons for the move to a defined contribution (DC) system. Employers benefit from greater control and certainty over their… Continue reading Helping retirement planning
Black Friday deals with a difference
The term ‘Black Friday’ was coined in Philadelphia, United States, in the 1960s where the chaos of post-Thanksgiving traffic caused congestion and even violence in downtown shopping areas. Obviously the retailers didn’t appreciate the phrase, particularly with its link to other similarly named days of the week – Black Thursday in October 1929 which saw… Continue reading Black Friday deals with a difference
The future of defined contribution pension saving
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It’s widely recognised that defined contribution (DC) plans haven’t yet delivered the outcomes that pension savers and wider society need. Birthed from the decline in defined benefit provision, the fundamental design of the DC plan is pretty sound – it’s hard to criticise the basic principle of a tax-efficient place to hold your long term… Continue reading The future of defined contribution pension saving
Broadstone completes the Group’s largest acquisition of 2019
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Broadstone, one of the UK’s leading employee benefits and pensions consulting businesses, has announced the acquisition of Bristol-based BBS Consultants & Actuaries. Further strengthening its position in the pension and actuarial consulting marketplace, this is Broadstone’s fourth and largest acquisition in 2019 following the purchases of Liverpool-based CS Financial Solutions, Thomson Dickson Consulting in Glasgow… Continue reading Broadstone completes the Group’s largest acquisition of 2019