One in four people approaching retirement in the UK are unaware that they have to pay tax on pension savings if they take more than 25% out as cash, a survey has found. It was also found that one in five over-55s would be “shocked” if they were forced to pay tax on their pension savings. Of those that believe they can get some or all of their pension pot tax-free, more than a third think they won’t pay any tax...
According to a new study, 37% of pension schemes are currently enjoying a funding surplus. At the same time, however, a similar number are yet to agree on a long-term target for their funds, suggesting they could be doing more to capitalise on their current momentum. In recent years challenging market conditions and an ageing population have seen some schemes run increasingly large deficits. However, in 2018, reporting into the segment has found that most pension schemes are relatively well-positioned...
For too long, women have been denied the retirement they deserve. Today we launch a campaign to end this injustice When Susan Way celebrates her 65th birthday on Tuesday, she will become a pioneer of sorts: she will qualify for her state pension at the same time as a man born on the same day as her. The state pension age for women and men will be equalised for the first time since 1940, and from Tuesday it will increase...
The government has been urged to introduce an additional rate of pension, on top of the single-tier state pension, for unemployed people looking after a child under 12. Workers union Prospect called for this measure among five other solutions proposed in its 13-page report Tackling the gender pay gap, published today (1 November). The current state pension system allows people looking after a child under the age of 12 and not working to receive credits to ensure there is no gap...
A question often asked by individuals new to sustainable and responsible investing is: "My priority is a secure pension pot for retirement, so why should I care about sustainability and climate change?" And while the answer is nuanced, fundamentally it is: because you will have a bigger retirement pot by doing so. Mounting evidence shows this to be the case and it is a key reason why the Department for Work and Pensions recently laid new regulations that will require pension...
Local authority pension funds continue to invest in dirty oil and gas. The largest public sector pension fund in the UK has more than double the investment in the fracking industry than previously known with more than £1billion at risk, The Ecologist can reveal. Tameside/Greater Manchester (GMPF) had by 31 March 2018 put in an extra £609m worth of holdings in companies that back fracking - which include financial, chemical, security and waste concerns. This is over and above the £700m...
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has banned two trustees of the London Quantum pension scheme for transferring funds into high-risk and suspected scam investments. Stephen Ward and Anthony Salih, directors of Dorrixo Alliance Limited, which acted as trustee for the London Quantum pension scheme were found to have put pension savers’ money into eucalyptus farms, hotel rooms on an African island and car park bays. TPR’s determinations panel has banned both men from acting as pension trustees due to their ‘lack of...
Tens of thousands of workers will be able to pool their retirement pots under a pensions revolution expected to be outlined in the Budget. Philip Hammond is expected to announce a consultation on Dutch-style pension schemes - known as "peoples' pensions" - which will thousands of members pay into a single pot. The approach is seen as a "middle way" between gold-plated final salary schemes, which guarantee income in retirement but can leave companies with huge deficits, and defined contribution schemes...
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR) have launched a joint regulatory strategy to address the fundamental changes that have altered the UK’s pension landscape in recent years. The strategy, which outlines how the two regulators will collaborate,, drew on a call for input the regulators published in March that sought views from industry and consumer group representatives. “Our goal is to ensure the people who run workplace pensions meet our expectations so that members can have...
Firm says market for pension de-risking is expanding at its fastest pace in years. US-based Prudential Retirement, a unit of insurance giant Prudential Financial, has concluded $3.2 billion in previously undisclosed longevity reinsurance contracts, which the company says is another sign that pension de-risking activity in the UK is continuing at a brisk pace. As part of the transactions, Prudential assumes the longevity risk for approximately 13,200 British retirees. “The market for pension de-risking solutions is expanding at its fastest pace in...
