Pension Thunderbirds are go! Richard Smith counts down henrytapper.com/2026/05/31/p... CDC, pots to pensions and a dashboard – pensions are go!

Pension Thunderbirds are go! Richard Smith counts down There are three things that will matter to people and their pensions in the first half of 2027 The arrival of the first multi-employer CDC plans  DC pots  default at retirement to lifetime retirement incomes Pension Dashboards what's coming to…

Employers can regain ownership of pensions with CDC henrytapper.com/2026/05/31/e... I expect Reward and HR departments will recognise that CDC offers a return of pensions as a form of remuneration and employees and their representatives see CDC as an element of pay.

Employers can regain ownership of pensions with CDC Some time ago we came to the conclusion that employers no longer had the same ownership of their pension funds. Ownership has passed to insurers who bought out what they once thought their pension funds, it has passed to the providers of savings…

We once had a national association of pension funds -can we have it back? A comment on a recent blog on the exclusion of people from insurer's reckoning for growth. The argument that I take up from others is that it they run away from people, life insurers can only rely on cashflow. Pensions Oldie…

BP has fallen foul of its pensioners - what of its shareholders? henrytapper.com/2026/05/30/b... This blog has supported the BP Pensioner’s Group in its complaint that the former employer of those drawing or about to draw pensions have been treated badly.

BP has fallen foul of its pensioners – what of its shareholders? This blog has supported the BP Pensioner's Group in its complaint that the former employer of those drawing or about to draw pensions have been treated badly. Their argument is simple; promises were made to pay full increases on…

Are we customers, Troy? Will we decide how to turn pots to pensions? henrytapper.com/2026/05/30/a... Perhaps I will be able to get a pension from Cushon after all, will that be a customer option?

Are we customers, Troy? Will we decide how to turn pots to pensions? The customers for workplace pension schemes are the people who take the decisions. As Sam Seaton points out in her recent podcast for CAPData, decisions are taken on our pensions not by us but by our bosses. The risk transfer…

Sam Seaton , Transparency and the lottery for pension VFM henrytapper.com/2026/05/30/s... My hope is that we see the CAPAdata reporting system catching on.

Sam Seaton , Transparency and the lottery for pension VFM I am glad that Sam Seaton has finally made it to the VFM podcast. She has now been working with John Greenwood for well over a year on CAPAdata and reporting on how the megafunds are doing relative to each other. CAPAdata is doing what the…

NEETs do not need worries about "pension-wealth" henrytapper.com/2026/05/30/n... The use of sensational "wealth-pots" is the kind of irresponsibility that gives pension marketing a bad name.

NEETs do not need worries about “pension-wealth” So it's now 6 months since the ONS broke the bad news for youngsters and it looks like the pensions industry or at least its marketing department, is waking up to an opportunity. Under 24 and under pensioned? Under 24 and not in employment ,…

Union plans for LGPS, a counter from a council tax paying reader! henrytapper.com/2026/05/29/u... I am not a union member and am a council tax payer who pays more into other's pensions than I do into mine! Balance is needed!

Union plans for LGPS, a counter from a council tax paying reader! henrytapper.com/2026/05/29/u... I am not a union member and am a council tax payer who pays more into other's pensions than I do into mine! Balance is needed!

Union plans for LGPS, a counter from a council tax paying reader! I am hoping to be balanced with regards the LGPS. I support this pension scheme being a beacon to which other schemes (including CDC pension Schemes) can reach. I support Prospect who I was with yesterday and whose Conference I hope…

The SJP dispute over who owns the clients (again) I remember when I was in the game of building a business as a self-employed adviser working for SJP's predecessor (Hambro and then Allied Dunbar). Coincidentally, insurance has moved on a long way in most respects (see Gordon Aitken for how)…

Jamie Fiveash - a good choice for Pension UK's next three years. henrytapper.com/2026/05/29/j... Well done Jamie Fiveash. It’s an illustrious list of Chairs that Jamie joins. Well done Emma Douglas too, you have left gracefully to chair the Pensions Regulator.

Jamie Fiveash – a good choice for Pension UK’s next three years. We shouldn't under-estimate the challenge facing UK Pensions and Pensions UK. The DC pension boom of the past fifteen years has now to turn pots into pensions A challenge to these "pensions" from CDC cannot be kicked down the alley…

People cease to matter to insurers in this merry-go-round of ownership henrytapper.com/2026/05/29/p... If you are trustee of a UK pension, do you want to offload your liabilities to the UK insurance industry? I suggest you think long and hard about your fiduciary duty to your members

People cease to matter to insurers in this merry-go-round of ownership No one has written the definitive  history of life insurance over the past 50 years, but Gordon Aitken has a good go. There are of course part of the pictures he cannot touch. Wealth management was initialled by Abbey Life and…

TPR best work with friends in Stratford on AI henrytapper.com/2026/05/28/t... As Estella Bogira says in her post, we cannot wait for others to catch up!

TPR best work with friends in Stratford on AI I feel the way of Dante as he entered the dark forest and the Inferno. I think we fear AI's Inferno but sense that it could bring us to "Paradiso" once we've spent some time in the purgatory we feel ourselves in now. Not to push this literary analogy…

When earnings don’t keep up with inflation (like now) we’re getting poorer. According to the FT , we are about to enter our fourth period when  earnings don't keep up with inflation since 2008. For many people with school economics, we grew up with average earnings being against of real price…

The dangers of heat, sun and tolerance to constitution! henrytapper.com/2026/05/28/t... we must recognise the dangers of heat to constitution, especially among the old!

New Labour against Newer Labour ; Blair v Bell henrytapper.com/2026/05/28/n... Torsten Bell’s battle with Tony Blair hi-lites their likeness and their contrast.

New Labour against Newer Labour ; Blair v Bell I don't spend much time on twitter any more and what I spend I follow people that I know who have influence. I have particularly respected two politicians in the last thirty years who support Labour. The first is Tony Blair , the second Torsten Bell…

The dangers of heat, sun and tolerance to constitution! This morning is cooler outside than it is within our house, I have opened the window as instructed. We , like most British households, do not have air-conditioning and I paid a price for that on Monday. I arrived back from the swimming pool…

Plucking pension morsels from the insurer's mouth henrytapper.com/2026/05/27/p... It is good to think of the surplus money transferred to a CDC scheme possibly in specie. What better way to reward insurance companies for all that they have done for pensioners over the years.

Plucking pension morsels from the insurer’s mouth Pension schemes have been teeing up bonuses for insurance company executives for so long you'd think they were owed them. Standard Life and The ABI got their report from the "independent" Pension Policy Institute. This blog agrees that surpluses…

"By 50 year olds - for 50 year olds" - a pension system needing a relaunch- Richard Smith henrytapper.com/2026/05/27/b... Here’s Richard explaining and including a link to Kate Shiner’s work. The dashboard need not be exclusive - infact it should be the opposite.

“By 50 year olds – for 50 year olds” – a pension system needing a relaunch- Richard Smith Richard Smith has clipped this showing who understands pensions and who doesn't. It's produced by the people who are building the pension dashboard and boy/girl, they're thorough. Here's Richard explaining…

CDC as a workplace pension has arrived - says Aon henrytapper.com/2026/05/27/c... I hope that Aon will compete, not just at retirement, but as a whole of life workplace pension that pays out , just as people paid in – an income stream.

Trusteeship that focuses on maximising people's pensions - with CDC! henrytapper.com/2026/05/27/t... Arbitration between the stakeholders in a CDC scheme will be interesting. There will be good and tough times – and in every time, there will be need of competence and compliance

Trusteeship that focuses on maximising people’s pensions – with CDC! Paul has produced for trustees tempted by CDC a brief outline of the task they face and the people they must please. You can find it here There are a number of people who may be interested in what Paul Brice and Bes Trustees have…

CDC as a workplace pension has arrived – says Aon Aon has issued a statement that suggests that it, unlike the other large consultancies is keen to get on with it and as it did with mastertrusts, get stuck in. This is the company that was driven by Kevin Wesbro0om and the spirit of Bacon &…

Forget future austerity where prices rise faster than earnings - even in pensions! henrytapper.com/2026/05/27/f... Investing for the future is what I want CDC pension funds to do; so that wages in retirement grow at least as fast as inflation- till we die - then pass to living spouses.

Forget future austerity where prices rise faster than earnings – even in pensions! According to the FT , we are about to enter our fourth period when  earnings don't keep up with inflation since 2008. For many people with school economics, we grew up with average earnings being against of real…

A green light to drive to the Mansion House with Christos Christou henrytapper.com/2026/05/26/a... We are grateful for Christos for giving us his help and look forward to hearing the CFO/Trustee in action again soon.

A green light to drive to the Mansion House with Christos Christou A first rate meeting of minds this morning at Pension PlayPen. Here is the video. The slides are inside the presentation and feel free to clip if you need them. We are grateful for Christos for giving us his help and look forward…

"Save in ISAs rather than pensions?" Why? henrytapper.com/2026/05/26/s... We don’t just need education, we need promotion from trusted sources.

“Save in ISAs rather than pensions?” Why? This question is floating around on social media and gave me some thought over the weekend. It follows up an article I wrote about Steve Webb's comments on the Pension Commission. "Otherwise why bother with pensions? We might as well go to ISAs" Here is…

Webb say we need the triple lock because private pensions aren't taking up the strain henrytapper.com/2026/05/26/w... When we start thinking about the inadequacy of our pension pots in paying us a lifetime wage, we realise how much we need the state pension and the triple lock.

Webb say s we need the triple lock because private pensions aren’t taking up the strain Steve Webb isn't afraid to hold back and though he recognises that the triple-lock isn't sustainable, he sees no alternative to continuing it right now for people who are ill-served by private pensions. In…

A CFO/Trustee on buying private assets to pay pensions – 10.30 am today This looks like a lot of fun today (Tuesday 26th) at 10.30 am. Over the weekend I've had a lot of fun reading my way through Christos' comparison of CDC and DC. It's long and detailed and at time very difficult but it will be…

L&G - "Who could eat the pensions it's buying out?" - (Gordon Aitken and TSCS). henrytapper.com/2026/05/26/l... I know this seems far fetched but there are other analysts who see the threats to pensions and member’s security of being eaten by insurers who are front Bermuda reinsurance

L&G – “Who could eat the pensions it’s buying out?” – (Gordon Aitken and TSCS). This blog looks at analysis of TSCS which explains the implications of UK insurers being sold to American financiers. But more important is the recent loss of Standard Life's independence and the likely sale of L&G to…

Winning your league of one- no way to be VFM! Self validation can defraud those who pay. Thanks to Aron Muralidhar for pointing out that what can go on in Canada, can go on in the USA, my point being that benchmarks must be refereed by officials not paid by the team. We long to think that our…

Wow, a CFO blown away by an analysis of CDC? We have a proper debate here! henrytapper.com/2026/05/25/w... "given the Increased efficiency of CDC over DC ... should this not be reflected in auto-enrolment contributions with higher contributions being required for DC arrangements".

Wow, a CFO blown away by an analysis of CDC? We have a proper debate here! Wow!!!! This is the comment of Pension Oldie , known as an accountant , CFO and vintage Pension Trustee. He continues after admitting to have been blown away by Christos Christou's work of genius I will need to re-read…