Budget Pension reforms pave the way to kick-start care funding
Ros explains why the pension flexibility introduced in the Budget can help pave the way for new products and approaches to encourage people to save for later life care costs.
Baroness Kingsmill is right – social care crisis demands integration of health and care
Ros comments on the Report into social care by Baroness Kingsmill which highlights yet again the growing crisis and Ros explains why integration of health and care is going to be vital to overcoming some of the problems. She explains that the NHS is unsustainable without such reforms
One year annuities – suit providers not customers
Ros responds to the Treasury Select Committee report on the Budget pension changes, supporting calls for the FCA to be vigilant about providers acting in the customer interest and points out the shortcomings of the new one-year annuity products.
Council taxpayers could save £660m in local authority pension reforms
The DCLG is proposing reforms to the way local authority pension schemes invest which could save council taxpayers £660m a year – or more than 10% of the cost of council staff pension contributions, by pooling assets into Common Investment Funds to benefit from economies of scale and cut investment charges
Should we change tax relief
Ros explains how tax relief works, comments on its unfairness but cautions against making changes without careful modelling
Give people the date they are expected to live to, not to die at!
Ros comments on the Government’s idea to help people plan for retirement by telling them an expected date of death. This is more likely to put them off engaging in thinking about their later life finances that telling them how long they are expected to live – it’s not just semantics, it’s behavioural psychology.
Class 3A National Insurance pension contributions – good value?
Ros explains the Government’s proposals to allow people to buy extra years of state pension with so-called Class 3A contributions
What's gone wrong with the UK insurance industry?
Ros comments on the announcement by the Financial Conduct Authority that it will investigate old insurance policies sold between 2006 and 2000 to see if the charges and terms are fair to customers and she explains what has gone wrong with the insurance industry profit and sales models.
Pension charge cap announced at last
Ros welcomes the announcement of a cap on pension fund charges at 0.75%, ban on commission and Active Member Discounts and calls for reform of NEST charges to simplify the system.
Advice crucial to success of pension freedom
Ros welcomes the first day of new pension freedoms but expresses concerns that giving people access to good advice will be crucial to making the reforms a success for individuals.