The government’s deregulatory review has received a mixed response, and proposals to slash the deferred rights cap has been met with scepticism

The interim report of Otto Thoresen’s government-sponsored review into generic financial advice has been widely greeted across the industry.

The government’s pensions reform must seek to promote risk-sharing hybrid schemes in an effort to reverse the decline of occupational pension provision, according to Ian Farr, chairman of the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA).

LPI

The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA) has been warned not to be too obsessed with keeping costs of personal accounts down, as it could lead to higher charges for members joining later on.

Trustees and plan sponsors have a “golden opportunity” to secure their pension liabilities through insurance buyout deals, according to Stuart Faloon, principal and senior actuary at Mercer.

The projected 40% rise in self-invested personal pension (Sipp) sales this year has prompted Hazell Carr to become the latest player to enter the market.

Raising Standards of Pensions Administration (RSPA) is encouraging trustees to sign up to its General Statement of Administration Standards now the standards have gained acceptance from 12 major administrators.

A popular Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) and B&CE collaboration aimed at tackling the pitfalls of means-testing in personal accounts has been carped for failing to tackle the problem.

Fifteen years ago, I went on my first holiday to Poland. At that time you did not see much in the way of new infrastructure and when families grew, they tended to just build an annexe on their current property, as the country was relatively poor and unemployment was a serious issue.

Growth of 130/30 strategies could increase demand for the borrowing of securities by an extra £300bn by 2010, according to new research commissioned by Deutsche Bank.

Neptune is making headway among institutional investors, with mandate wins among both UK and continental pension plans.

The long-awaited private equity code of conduct has been widely greeted by the industry, but there are accusations in some quarters it has been dumbed down.

The investment industry increasingly uses the term ‘alternatives’ for anything other than traditional stock or bond portfolios.

An international pensions expert has predicted the UK government will follow the New Zealand government’s lead and coerce people to

Paul Gray’s nine-month stint as chairman of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) came to an abrupt end in the fallout of the personal data loss blunder.

The Prudential has claimed the recent launch of its drawdown product has made its wrapper the first real cradle-to-grave offering on the market.

Despite repeated claims by self-invested personal pension (Sipp) providers that service level is the over-riding selling point, cost is increasing in importance for advisers.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has denied it is expecting small scheme administrators to fall foul of pension scheme return regulation, as it admits its preliminary auditing process has already begun.

Differentials in executive pension arrangements are causing a headache for human resource (HR) departments, which companies are not doing enough to address, says Watson Wyatt.

Harrogate IFA Steven Jeffries is the winner of a week’s holiday for two in the USA, after taking part in research for the Pensions Management/CoreData ‘People’s Choice’ award in the recent PM TAS Awards.

Seven Dials European Property Fund (SDEPF) produced a total return of 2.3% (NAV plus dividend) from launch on March 1 to September 28, 2007, beating similar funds from established property managers.

Congratulations to those lucky few who were victorious in last month’s book competition for the Pensions Scheme Deficits book edited by Ashurst’s Steven Hull and published by Globe Law & Business.

It’s the age-old, old age question: how do you earn money after you retire? Fortunately, Rosie Staal has come up with a book that answers just that question.

In July, Chris Lewin and Ed Sweeney reported on their deregulatory review of pensions legislation.

Have the opportunities brought about by A-day been fully utilised? Andy Dickson says there are further innovations employers should be considering to maximise the benefits

Having nothing much better to do with my time, I’ve been reading through Pensions Tax Simplification newsletter number 31, recently published by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). This regular newsletter is aimed at explaining the detailed complexities of our new simplified tax regime for pensions.

While the government enjoyed a degree of consensus on penions reform this year, things have taken a turn, as contention over means-testing and personal accounts have come to the fore

Craig Inches talks to Pensions Management about heading SWIP’s absolute return bond fund, the pitfalls of Turkish index-linked bonds and his golfing handicap

With smaller schemes more susceptible to swings away from average mortality assumptions, the need to narrow the margin is crucial to avoid scheme employer overspending

Mike O’Brien is fighting for long-term UK reform, hoping to use cross-party consensus to ensure success. But will he be around for long enough to make a difference? He talks to Owen Walker

Finding out about the strength of your sponsor company is something every scheme trustee should do, so speak up and don’t be afraid to ask the right questions

The right to receive a pension is of huge importance to every UK worker, therefore any legal rulings in relation to pension rights must be considered carefully and sensitively

The number of players in the SSAS arena has somewhat dwindled of late, while other markets have flourished. But what does this mean for the contenders that have remained, and what does the future hold for SSASs?

The level of responsibility shouldered by scheme administrators is vast, and being aware of the liabilities involved is crucial to avoid potential lawsuits

ASPs and income drawdown are alternative options for those who do not want to opt for a traditional annuity. But they don’t come without their limitations, and scheme pension could be an effective way around these

Consultant services are rapidly developing to satisfy trustees’ needs, and their co-dependent relationship is now key to a pension scheme’s success

Pension consultants’ roles and client relationships are changing, explains Zuhair Mohammed, as they gear up to deliver an alternative approach to risk management

	John Wilmott - Managing director at Nelson Hall “In terms of technology, service-oriented architecture and standards are extremely important in the life sector”
	Tony Kassimiotis - Chief operating officer at Pearl Group “The buyers of service in today’s market are looking for rounded solutions. They are not trying to buy the cheapest service”
	Martin Hepworth - Director at Troika, part of Navigant Consulting “There have been some issues with outsourced contracts, but by and large, people have seen it as successful”
	Paul Ayres - Head of propositions for life & pensions distribution Vertex “As an outsourcer, we have defined processes and service levels; we are boxed in compared to working in a life company”

Pádraig Floyd provides the full rundown of the winners from this year’s PM Awards, including details of those commended and the reasons for the victors being triumphant

Key speakers:

Robert Reid - Managing director, Syndaxi, and President, Personal Finance Society

John Moret - Director of sales & marketing Suffolk Life

The urgent need to plan for retirement is reflected in the diversity in financial portfolios available. But which savings vehicles are the most relevant, and how does the increasingly popular Sipp fit into this decision?

Should currency today be treated as a risk management tool, alpha generator or both? There are a number of ways to play the markets

Friends Provident (FP) group’s chief executive has fallen on his sword following the firm’s aborted campaign to buy Resolution.

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP) has had a major recruitment drive this month as it filled three senior vacancies.

Pensions Management Insti-tute president Steve Delo has left his post as managing director of Close Investments’ multi-manager division for a new role to be announced in the new year.