While recent Budget coverage has been dominated by the fabulous sleight of hand used by Gordon Brown to give with one hand and take with the other, the effect on pensions were slightly overlooked - mainly because all the measures were expected.
Constantly changing rules and u-turns on A-Day issues is putting people off saving for retirement, claims financial services firm Edward Jones.
Alternatively Secured Pensions are still a useful retirement planning tool, despite the industry's failure to achieve any tax concessions from the Treasury, claims Winterthur Life.
Rowanmoor pensions has criticised the government's decision to levy additional tax charges on scheme pensions and annuities to stop pension funds being passed on after death.
The government has reduced proposals for the minimum amount of income which must be drawn from an Alternatively Secured Pension from 65% to 55% of a comparable annuity for a 75 year old, but has retained the unauthorised payment charges on funds left...
We are now well into March and as usual everyone's thoughts are turning towards the Budget, with many looking into their crystal balls to try and predict what surprises and u-turns the Chancellor will spring on us next Wednesday.
Almost 80% of advisers still plan to recommend Alternatively Secured Pensions to their clients despite the proposed charges put forward in the pre-Budget Report in December.
An increase in new individual pensions business of 122% during 2006 is the result of having its A-Day product and IT platform ready on time, says Winterthur Life.
Hopes that HM Treasury may soften the charges around Alternatively Secured Pensions (ASP) have been boosted by evidence included in a Treasury Select Committee report.
Ed Balls has potentially given the pensions industry hope tax charges on Alternatively Secured Pension could be reduced, claims AJ Bell Group.