Pensions and Retirement

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uSwitch: Energy price cuts are disappointing

Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Price cuts made by the major energy suppliers over recent weeks are disappointing, it has been claimed.Consumer advice service uSwitch.com has voiced its concerns as despite the cuts, energy prices are still "far higher" than they were two years ago.The organisation also showed disappointment that all of the new tariffs, ... read more

PPF report reveals £15bn pension deficit

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
A £15.1 billion deficit has been revealed in the UK's defined benefit pension schemes.The figures, which were published by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), come despite a monthly improvement.PPF calculated the deficit by taking total liabilities from the total assets of 7,400 defined benefit pension schemes in the UK.Concerns about ... read more

PPF issues onerous contract guidance

Monday, March 8th, 2010
Pension trustees in the UK have been reminded of their powers to modify and disclaim onerous contracts.The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has issued new guidance explaining the course of action that is open to trustees under section 161 and Schedule 6 of the Pensions Act 2004.In the new guide, the ... read more

E.ON price cuts are ‘too little too late’

Monday, March 8th, 2010
The timing of new deals announced by some energy suppliers has been questioned by one price comparison service.Confused.com has voiced concerns that price cuts that are planned to come into effect on March 31st are "too little too late".Gareth Kloet, head of energy at Confused.com, said: "Although it's great to ... read more

27 per cent of workers seeking pension reassurance

Monday, March 8th, 2010
A number of British workers have voiced concerns about the security of saving in a pension scheme.Figures from a new report from the National Association of Pension funds (NAPF) have revealed that 27 per cent of respondents would be more likely to save in a pension if they were sure ... read more

British Gas knocked off top spot

Friday, March 5th, 2010
British Gas has been replaced by First Utility as the UK's cheapest energy supplier, according to one price comparison service.Figures from Confused.com have revealed that First Utility's new iSave V3 tariff offers customers an average bill of £889, £10 cheaper than British Gas's best offer.Gareth Kloet, head of utilities at ... read more

NAPF outlines three-point plan for government

Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Government proposals to alter pension taxations for high earners could be bad news for the wider pensions market.This is the view of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), which has outlined a simple three-point plan for the government to avoid such problems.The organisation is calling on the government to ... read more

Less than 40 pension schemes have NAPF quality mark

Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Less than 40 British companies have had their pension schemes awarded a quality mark by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), since it began handing out the honours six months ago.The mark is intended to provide a simple way for potential trustees to tell if the scheme they are ... read more

Low-earners ‘vulnerable’ in recession

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Britons on low incomes are more likely to lose their jobs and suffer financial problems, it has been claimed.Sophia Parker, acting director at research and policy organisation the Resolution Foundation, said that difficult economic conditions are affecting low-earners more.Households earning less than the average have been spending almost all their ... read more

PwC report recommends phased state pension age increases

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
The state pension age should undergo a phased increase and reach 70 by 2046, a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has recommended. If this is implemented, the study said, the Treasury could benefit from an additional £9 billion. This fiscal benefit would be equivalent to an almost two pence rise ... read more