I was of the opinion that April was the cruellest month, but things would appear to be different this year.

Suffolk Life bucks trend by reducing in specie transfer times, although third-party bottlenecks continue to frustrate providers

Suffolk Life has reduced its in specie transfer times by almost 50% since 2007, according to figures shown exclusively to Pensions Management.

Have you heard?...

Things you didn’t know about people in the industry and what they get up to

In an alternative life Richard Rowney would be travelling the world exploring energy fields. Here, he tells Pensions Management he is enjoying the many challenges life and pensions has to offer

There is concern about the retail distribution review (RDR) and its impact on annuities. Will consumers be forced to turn to online aggregator sites – and what are the dangers?

To quote former Pensions Management reporter Nick Reeve, choosing your annuity is a lot like choosing a bottle of wine. If you can tell your Claret from your Beaujolais, choosing your desired vino is relatively easy. However, if you are less informed, and vaguely recognise some of the brand names but have no clue as to the grape, how many years it should remain in the bottle and whether it will suit your palate, you could end up with the wrong plonk.

With a rocky economic landscape and ever-increasing longevity to contend, annuities have had a tough year. But the clouds could finally be clearing

Pensions Management’s research into in specie transfers has highlighted continuing poor practice, particularly with commercial property transfers.

Administrators at self-invested personal pension (Sipp) providers confided to PM that insurer providers in particular were dragging their heels.