Retirement

Employers searching for advisers on behalf of staff should look to the personality factor as much as the CV when deciding who to use, says the Association of IFAs.

Chief executive of Zurich Financial Services Lawrence Churchill is to become the first chairman of the Pensions Protection Fund, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Andrew Smith MP revealed last week.

Figures published by the Association of British Insurers show the overwhelming majority of Brits either totally or partially distrust the government to provide decent pensions policy.

A study of asset allocation by 360 UK pension schemes with assets totalling £112bn has found 20% are putting all new contributions into bonds alone, says consultant Mercer.

The Department for Work and Pensions has just released details of a proposed amendment to the Pensions Bill, which would provide £400m over 20 years to workers of companies that went bust and left them without pension savings.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Andrew Smith MP yesterday said the Pensions Protection Fund will ensure people's savings are "secure" if their company goes bust, contrary to previous government announcement admitting it will not offer any guarantees....

Pensions trustees, administrators and advisers have been issued with new guidelines to blowing the whistle on wrong-doings affecting occupational pension schemes.

The European Commission should avoid making changes to domestic pension regulation when introducing new cross-border legislation because the market still favours a national approach, warns the ABI.

JPMorgan Fleming is today urging government and industry to redouble efforts to recognise the role of pension advice in the face of new research showing defined benefits continue to wither.

SHIP - the self regulating body which represents 90% of the equity release market - says it is also introducing tougher new rules later this year on lifetime mortgage and home reversion schemes.