February 2019

11Feb

UK. Seven years in jail for bosses who recklessly risk pensions

Devil-may-care directors who recklessly put workers’ pensions at risk will face up to 7 years in prison or unlimited fines. A new criminal offence of ‘wilful or reckless behaviour’ in relation to pensions will be introduced under the proposals to crack down on abuse of final or average salary schemes. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Amber Rudd, said: The vast majority of bosses take their responsibilities seriously and look after their workers’ retirement funds. However, for too...

February 11, 2019
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06Feb

UK. Pension billions could be unlocked to boost economic growth and savers’ returns

Billions of pounds of investment could be unlocked by pension schemes to fund start-up companies and infrastructure projects, boosting Britain’s economy and savers’ returns, under proposals unveiled by the government on February 5. Members of occupational defined contribution (DC) pension schemes may be missing out on potential benefits of long-term investments in ventures such as small firms, housing, green energy and sustainable development, according to the Minister for Pensions. Assets in occupational DC schemes have almost tripled to £60 billion since the start...

February 6, 2019
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05Feb

UK. Self-invested personal pensions (SIPP) complaints up 37% on last year

The number of new self-invested personal pension (Sipp) cases investigated by the Financial Ombudsman Service in the first three quarters of this year has already exceeded the number received in the whole of the 2017/18 financial year.The latest set of quarterly data published by the ombudsman today (February 5), showed the number of new Sipp cases had reached 2802 in the nine months between April and December 2018.This was a 37 per cent jump from the 2051 cases received in...

February 5, 2019
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January 2019

31Jan

UK. PensionBee chooses Onfido to deliver frictionless KYC compliance

Leading identity verification provider Onfido today announces that it has partnered with PensionBee. Onfido’s machine learning-based identity verification technology allows PensionBee to streamline KYC processes, reducing manual overheads and bringing new users onboard. PensionBee helps users take control of their finances by consolidating all their old pension pots into one PensionBee plan. Government estimates place the value of unconsolidated pensions at £750bn in the next 3 years as pension-holders disengage with overly complex plans and processes. PensionBee aims to...

January 31, 2019
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30Jan

UK. Pension funds to up investment in smaller firms, consultant says

Jump in interest reverses a long-term trend where big investors gravitated towards the world’s largest companies Pension funds’ appetite for high-risk, high-return investments in smaller companies has surged in the past year, according to one consultancy — offering a piece of good news for beleaguered stock-pickers. The jump in interest reverses a long-term trend, according to bfinance, the investment consultancy. Big investors have gravitated towards portfolios of the world’s largest companies, often held through index trackers Read more @fn...

January 30, 2019
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29Jan

UK. FCA outlines investment rules for retirement funds

New rules aim to encourage savers not to leave their pots languishing in low-return cash funds Companies managing money in the UK’s £384bn market for post-retirement funds will face strict new rules governing their investments, regulators confirmed on January 28. The rules, which follow on from plans first announced in June last year, are aimed at consumers who pass retirement and leave all their savings in cash. The Financial Conduct Authority, the UK’s financial watchdog, is worried about consumers...

January 29, 2019
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28Jan

UK. On pensions, the government has placed freedom over protection – but will it make us better off?

Many are choosing cash over annuities because they don’t think they will live long enough to get good value from an annuity, even though many would. In short, lots of people are making a financial mistake The “pushmi-pullyu” in the 1967 film of Doctor Dolittle was a double-headed llama, with one head facing forward and the other back. Pensions policy in the UK in recent years has borne a resemblance to this contradictory animal. In 2012 the government introduced...

January 28, 2019
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24Jan

UK. Stay at home parents risk losing thousands from their state pension if they don’t register for Child Benefit

The Government’s information about state pensions clearly isn’t up to scratch. It needs to put this right urgently When new parents are thinking about their household finances, many will consider claiming Child Benefit. Many will not, however, think about National Insurance credits. Yet registering for Child Benefit builds up entitlement to the state pension for parents of children under 12 who don’t build up National Insurance contributions for another reason, such as through work. Put simply, a stay-at-home parent...

January 24, 2019
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24Jan

UK’s world-famous Beefeaters on strike over pensions

Workers at the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace — including some of London's famed Beefeaters — are on strike in a dispute over pensions. The historic attractions, among London's most popular, remained open Tuesday despite the work slowdown, which is the second in the last two months. The dispute is between workers and Historic Royal Palaces, which operates a number of prominent sites in Britain. Union officials say a recent settlement offer was not good enough. The...

January 24, 2019
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21Jan

Protect your pension pots from investment scams and negligent trustees: UK government

The Insolvency Service is warning people to guard their pension savings from investment scammers and negligent trustees. Since 2015, the Insolvency Service has applied to the courts to wind-up 24 companies that have carried out a form of pension misuse. The pension misuse varies from convincing people to access their pensions and invest in unregulated schemes to pension trustees not carrying out their duties properly. The Insolvency Service has estimated that there have been close to 3,750 victims connected to...

January 21, 2019
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