Annuities

The outcome of the next general election looks way too close to call and speculation is mounting about how long Steve Webb will remain as pensions minister.

Annuities will soon be protected 100% by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if recent proposals by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) get adopted.

Pensions minister Steve Webb has put annuity reform at the top of his wish list should he remain in post after the election.

Prudential has launched an online modelling tool aimed at giving customers more clarity on their retirement planning.

In this week's Retirement Planner news round-up we highlight five key stories you might have missed over the past seven days.

Pensions campaigner Ros Altmann is leading calls for a ban on automatic annuity purchases.

Almost 9,500 income drawdown contracts were written in the second quarter of the year, with the mean pot size dropping to just over £50,000, latest figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) show.

Towry has been ordered to pay compensation plus £250 for causing distress to a retiree after the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) ruled one of its advisers gave unsuitable advice by failing to inform her of a change in pension legislation affecting small...

Stephen Lowe takes a look at the recent Budget changes and highlights the need for more customer protection.

Helen Morrissey talks to a panel of industry experts about the issues empty nesters face preparing for retirement.