Retirement

The Retirement Income Reform Campaign and the National Association of Pension Funds have added their voices to the criticism of facets of today's Pensions Bill.

Retrospective changes to preservation requirements for deferred pension rights could decide whether IFAs face a tough year advising the majority of their clients on which transitional protection to apply, warns Steve Bee.

More people in the UK are thinking about stashing away money for their retirement as consumer confidence in long-term savings grow, the Association of British Insurers says today.

The government's Pensions Bill, which will outline changes to pending pension legislation, is expected to be released this coming Wednesday, suggest industry experts.

The Department of Work and Pensions' latest pensions proposals published this week lack real consumer incentive to bridge the retirement savings gap, say industry experts.

Self-employed people have to work longer and harder if they want to receive the same retirement income as employees, says the Pensions Policy Institute.

Despite a massive recovery in stock markets last year, the cost of annuities has grown even faster, leaving the UK's pension system with a deficit of about £330bn on a non-profit annuity buy-out basis, says consultant Mercer.

The Treasury will drive a hard bargain with providers who are planning to develop onshore real estate investment trusts (REITs), says Chris Turner, Henderson TR Property investment trust manager.

Winterthur Life is staging a series of regional workshops to update IFAs on the proposed changes and impact of pensions simplification, as well as demonstrate their Portfolio Balance IT tools.

Uncertainty over the financial strength of companies is turning more customers towards guaranteed annuities, says the Annuity Bureau, quoting figures from the Association of British Insurers.