Comment and Blogs
Most weeks I have a range of subjects and deadlines to juggle, with the aim of producing whatever I have committed to in the form of articles or blogs by the stated deadlines.
The dust is settling on George Osborne's pension proposals, and now that we have passed the tax year end and the Easter holidays I am sure we will see reams of research and, hopefully, product innovation.
Over the last few weeks I have been lucky enough to do a number of sessions addressing financial advisers, either at their team meetings or under the guise of the IFP, PFS or IOFS. The hot topic? Without question the proposed Budget changes and the opportunities and possible pitfalls that the new regime might hold.
So my first month away from AMPS in six years and I was suffering from cold turkey when I saw the release of new guidance by the FCA together with the announcement of a third thematic review.
The Chancellor's Budget statement on pensions was unexpected and has been described as one of the most radical changes for many years.
We start 2014 knowing that the Pensions Regulator will be looking to improve governance in small trust-based DC schemes following the publication of Code of Practice 13 in November.