pensions

Directors of Britain's top companies secured an average 23% increase in pension payouts in 2008 to almost £250,000 a year, despite most of the firms suffering steep falls in profits, The Guardian says.

Nearly half of employers with defined benefit schemes still open to active members think they will close them to future accrual within three years, Watson Wyatt research suggests.

Skandia has added pensions to its re-named platform price comparison tool, Platformwatch.

Recently, we had the opportunity to have a demonstration of ‘Pensions Profiler', one of the suite of products from O&M systems.

The equity release market must adapt products, advice and pricing to cater for a changing market, according to Safe Home Income Plans (SHIP), which has called for a Government-led debate on the issue.

The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA) spent £30.8m over the 12 months to the end of March.

The Conservative Party has confirmed it will not scrap personal accounts should it win next year's general election.

IFAs shunned commercial property facilities when choosing SIPPs during 2008 with their major priority being FSA approval for the products, according to figures from Defaqto.

The number of whistleblowers' breach of law reports rose to 532 in 2008/9 up from 513 the previous year, according to The Pensions Regulator(TPR).

Product providers and financial advisers will be presented with considerable opportunities from the ‘at-retirement' market in the next five years, Watson Wyatt predicts.