It was with a little fear, back in July, that I read the Public Accounts Committee’s proposal that HMRC should, within 12 months, evaluate the impact of pensions tax relief.
In my last article for Financial Planning Today - My 50 year career in pensions - I reflected on my 50 years in the world of pensions and financial services and commented on what I saw as some of the dominant features.
In a sea of bad news there was a small island of cheerfulness this week, at least for the Financial Planning profession.
I was taken aback this week while watching the FCA’s virtual Annual Meeting by the strength of criticism by the FCA of Google and other search engines for failing to stem the tide of bogus financial advertising and the heartache and compensation bills that follow in its wake.
To work from home, or not to work from home? - that is the question. It’s certainly a question many Financial Planners are wrangling with at the moment.
As inevitable as night follows day, the return to school this month is already resulting in a raft of the usual coughs and colds.
We’ve just published the latest issue of Financial Planning Today magazine, the sister publication to Financial Planning Today website. It contains some excellent features and content as ever but one poignant article in the magazine, a case study, reminded me of just how crucial Financial Planning can be.
John Moret: My 50 year career in pensions
Written by James
On 7 September 1970 (50 years ago today) I stepped into Sun Life’s offices at 107 Cheapside in the City of London for the first time and started out on a voyage of discovery in the world of pensions and financial services.
News this week that the Government will press ahead with plans to push up the age for accessing the Pension Freedoms from 55 to 27 by 2028 will have surprised some and disappointed many.
Chloe Moran: Why community can help us all
Written by James
Over the past few months, I have seen and heard various people talking about the things that have helped them through these challenging times as the world as we know it changes around us.
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My new car can drive itself. When driving past Stonehenge last week, in the usual stop-start traffic caused by the heritage site rubberneckers, I flicked on 'autopilot.'
Eagle-eyed Budget and Treasury watchers are well aware that what appear to be small or insignificant changes made by Chancellors or ministers can often have huge ramifications in subsequent years.
Financial Ombudsman Service data shows 1,635 new complaints were received about financial advisers in the 2019 to 2020 financial year, down a bit from 1,915 in 2018 to 2019, the PFS chief executive writes in his latest column for Financial Planning Today Magazine (July/Aug issue).
If you mention the acronyms FNZ, GBST and CMA to the average person on the Clapham Omnibus you would get a puzzled look and yet this story has profound implications for UK investors, for the platform sector and in reality for most of the UK population.