Value of variable annuities drops in 2009

The value of variable annuity sales dropped to £1.1bn in 2009, however the number of policies sold increased marginally during the same period from 14,128 to 14,321, according to research from Towers Watson.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

Changes risk a pensions sector standstill: expert

Pension providers may not improve their systems because of the development of National Employment Savings Trust and changes to the taxation of higher earners pensions, according to Brian Morgan from Heath Lambert.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

Non-dom case sparks Qrops interest

Close International Asset Management has urged advisers to closely monitor their non-domicle clients' associations in the UK after the Court of Appeal rejected a Seycehlles-based businessman's tax status because of the ties he still had with Britain.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

Enhanced annuity 2009 sales hit record figures

Sales of enhanced annuities increased to £1.79bn last year, an increase of 24 per cent on 2008, according to research by consultants Towers Watson.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

Gender Brief shows unequal pay prevails

Governments and firms need to do more to tackle the gender equality gap in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, according to a report released to recognise International Women's Day.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

LibDems warn women over pension's cliff edge

Around 110,000 women are set to miss out on up to £10,400 each over the next decade because they were born as little as a day too early to benefit from changes to state pension rules, according to Liberal Democrat research.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

Money purchase members fall between the cracks

Some occupational money purchase scheme members are not covered by the Pension Protection Fund if their employer goes bust, the Court of Appeal ruled last week in a case know as the Imperial Home Décor case.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

MetLife widens guarantee choice on Sipps and Ssass

MetLife this week expanded its guarantee choice range into self-invested personal pensions and small self-administered schemes with the launch of the Trustee Retirement Portfolio.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

Gov't must consider tax relief alternative: NAPF

Opposition to plans to restrict tax relief on pensions for those with incomes of more than £130,000 grew this week, as the National Association of Pension Funds urged the government to "stop, look and listen" to its alternative approach.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

Annuity rates hold firm for second month: Forbes

Annuity rates are entering a brief period of stability, with level annuity rates holding firm for a second month running, according to Tim Whiting of Alexander Forbes Annuity Bureau.

  • Date published: 11.03.2010

PPF looks to increase returns by diversifying assets

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has announced its intention to invest in a broader range of assets designed to bring greater returns, but without increasing the pension lifeboat's level of risk.

  • Date published: 10.03.2010

IFG Group completes James Hay takeover

Financial services firm IFG Group has acquired Santander-owned self-invested personal pension (Sipp) provider James Hay in a £35m deal.

  • Date published: 10.03.2010

Albert E Sharp teams with Carey Pensions

Recently re-launched Albert E Sharp has teamed up with self-invested personal pension (Sipp) provider Carey Pensions to provide discretionary fund manager services in a pension wrapper.

  • Date published: 09.03.2010

Pada reveals talks with fund admin firms

Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (Pada) said it has held talks with a number of leading fund administration companies to administer the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) scheme's assets.

  • Date published: 09.03.2010

Prudential revamps flexible lifetime annuity product

Prudential has revamped its flexible lifetime annuity product, cutting the minimum purchase price from £75,000 to £35,000 with no maximum limit, to make it accessible to more customers.

  • Date published: 09.03.2010

Investors should seek out Sipps with widest options: Rowanmoor

Rowanmoor Pensions has called on investors to seek out the providers offering the widest range of investment options when they are considering self-invested personal pensions (Sipps).

  • Date published: 08.03.2010

Enhanced annuity sales hit record numbers in 2009

Sales of enhanced annuities hit record levels in 2009, increasing by 24 per cent to £1.8bn compared with £1.4bn in 2008, according to new research from Towers Watson.

  • Date published: 08.03.2010

Tories feel badly treated by Labour's Nest race

The Conservatives have slammed Labour for awarding the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) administration contract to Tata Consultancy Services just weeks before an election accusing them of implementing a "scorched earth policy".

  • Date published: 05.03.2010

MetLife introduces guarantees for Sipps

MetLife has announced new guarantees for its self-invested personal pension (Sipps) and small self-administered scheme (Ssas).

  • Date published: 05.03.2010

James Hay deal given go-ahead by regulators

Self-invested personal pension (Sipp) provider IFG Group has received regulatory approval from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Jersey Financial Services Commission for the acquisition of Santander's James Hay.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Tories vote against auto enrolment

The Conservatives voted against the automatic enrolment regulations yesterday (3 March), in what the Labour party branded "a shocking attack on pension provision".

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

MetLife offers pension income exam support

MetLife has teamed up with IFA training group Patterson Sales Training to help advisers preparing for the Chartered Insurance Institute J05 exams on pension income options by hosting audio revision material on its website.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Lib Dems reject government pension freeze plans

The Liberal Democrats have decided to vote against the government's decision to freeze state pension top-up payments this April.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Private sector pension savings are in decline - ONS

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show a continuing decline in the proportion of private sector employees saving in workplace pensions and a shift from defined benefit to defined contribution pension provision, according to Towers Watson.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Experts unite against gov't tax plans

Pension experts are united against government plans to tax the pensions contributions of those earning over £130,000, a survey has found.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Pension tax will change whatever the result

A major shift in the way pensions are taxed could be on the cards following the general election, according to Laura Goodman from Rockingham Retirement.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Succession gets Dunstan Thomas link

IFA consolidator Succession Advisory Services has chosen pension administrator Dunstan Thomas to provide software for its self-invested personal pension.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Pensions quality mark gaining strength

More than 100,000 people are now saving in pension schemes that have the Pension Quality Mark, according to figures from the National Association of Pension Funds.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Cable tells parties to end the Punch and Judy show

Vince Cable, Treasury spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, has called on MPs to stop playing "Punch and Judy" politics over the fiscal deficit and to instead concentrate on encouraging people to save.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

Income in retirement is shrinking - MGM Advantage

Retirement income specialist, MGM Advantage has found the average retired household, where the main occupant is between 65 to 74 years old, now needs to find an extra £774.70 yearly to maintain the standard of living they enjoyed a year ago.

  • Date published: 04.03.2010

FTAdviser  Jobs  RSS

FT Adviser Blogs

FTAdviser's Blogs offer daily commentary and analysis, as our writers vent spleen about the latest developments impacting on the intermediary market.

To read the latest blogs click here