Investment

Deferred state pensions which are later taken as a lump sum will NOT count against most pensioners when calculating their entitlements to other benefits, suggest industry experts looking at last Thursday's Pensions Bill proposals.

The Department for Work and Pensions says today's public sector strike, if repeated in future would be unlikely to disrupt its ability to meet responsibilities to supply data required for combined pensions statements.

Independent Financial Advisers stand to gain if more employers with small- to medium-sized defined benefits (DB) pension schemes move towards a "bundled" approach, says Scottish Life.

Pensions provider and administrator James Hay has relaunched its online SIPP management service, which will allow advisers and clients to view and manage more than 32,000 SIPPs online.

Employers might not find out how much they will be paying for the Pension Protection Fund until five days before the scheme will come into effect, warns Steve Bee.

The cost to employers has so far been the main caveate applied to views on the Pensions Protection Fund, but a closer inspection of the powers of the new pensions regulator, taking over after OPRA, reveals there may be other issues to consider.

IFAs hoping to do more business out of the emphasis on advice through the workplace contained in the new Pensions Bill would be wise to also acknowledge the tough methods the new pensions regulator may resort to in order to ensure schemes under its guidance...

Initial analysis of the Pensions Bill suggests the Department of Work and Pensions "forgot" to compare notes with the Inland Revenue as its latest proposal includes a rule, which will be abolished under simplification proposals being introduced next year....

IFAs should find considerable business opportunities in the details of the Pensions Bill relevant to responsibilities of employers to provide information on and access to occupational pensions.

Government proposals to charge employers a risk-based fee when introducing the Pension Protection Fund could open loopholes for weaker companies who want to avoid the extra levy, according to industry experts.