Matthew Giles

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TPR’s Pledge to Combat Pension Scams Gains Increasing Popularity with Trustees

According to complaints filed with Action Fraud, more than £30 million has been lost to pension scammers since 2017. All types of pension pots are targeted, with some individual savers losing hundreds of thousands of pounds. Given the current cost of living crisis, more people might feel tempted to access their pension savings, making them … Continue Reading

Helping employers with their Plumbing Scheme debt challenges

Debt illustrations are starting to land on the desks of employers who have historically participated in the Plumbing & Mechanical Services (UK) Industry Pension Scheme (“the Plumbing Scheme”). Together with Chris Hawley of Barnett Waddingham, we explore the arising issues and what challenges are open to these employers. Background The challenges facing the Plumbing Scheme … Continue Reading

Pensions through a crystal ball

The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing. The benefits of a fully functional crystal ball to see the future would be much better. All pensions lawyers (and scheme actuaries) would add it to their gift list! I will attempt to take a look at the pensions related announcements in Monday’s budget from a future … Continue Reading

#How2DoPensions

Starting on #Pensions Awareness Day in September, our #How2DoPensions education campaign involves sharing a bank of quick guides with clients, contacts and the wider pensions industry. Each Tuesday, we publish on our website a quick guide on a topical pensions issue and share a link on the main social media channels. The guides are short … Continue Reading

Trustees – you are not exempt from the money laundering regulations. Do you know what actions you need to take?

A lot has happened since 26 June 2017. We’ve had Wimbledon, summer holidays, a total solar eclipse, Leeds and Reading Festivals, the summer transfer window closed (football, not pensions), the start of the autumn term at school, the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships, Proms in the Park and we are now nearly into half term.  … Continue Reading

How2 Do Pensions

To mark Pensions Awareness Day 2017, Squire Patton Boggs launches a series of free “How2 Do Pensions” guides! Each issue will provide a valuable speed brief on a key aspect of UK occupational pensions. The first two instalments summarise employer automatic enrolment duties and how to move to electronic member communications. Further instalments will follow each … Continue Reading

Pensions & GDPR – the 12 month countdown begins!

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on 25 May 2018.  Before that date, trustees of UK occupational pension plans will need to undertake some preparatory work, including: Creating records of all personal data processing activities (or confirming delegation to plan administrators and obtaining confirmation that they will do this) and ensuring administration … Continue Reading

Will the new money laundering regulations inspire pension plan spring cleaning?

New regulations, coming into force in June 2017, will introduce stricter EU anti-money laundering requirements into the UK and seem likely apply to pension plans. The potential criminal penalties for breach of the regulations are likely to bring this to the forefront of people’s minds. Will the new regulations apply to pension plan trustees?  Probably! … Continue Reading

Budget 2017 – silence is golden on UK pensions!

The pensions industry can breathe a sigh of relief after the Spring Budget passed by with very little change to concern it. The only mentions of pensions (and some of these were in the accompanying briefing papers rather than the speech itself) were: A 25% charge on transfers to overseas pension plans (QROPS) effective immediately … Continue Reading

Populism, profit-shifting and UK pensions

The demand for corporates and wealthy individuals to adopt greater tax transparency continues to build momentum – the significance of the global reaction to it makes the recent Autumn Statement seem like chicken feed. The reforms being formulated could have a dramatic impact upon tax strategies and corporate governance generally. Whilst it will no doubt … Continue Reading

Budgeting for UK employee healthcare costs

We anticipate that the significant increase in insurance premium tax that was announced in the 2016 Autumn Statement will encourage many more employers to explore corporate healthcare trusts. IPT will increase from 10% to 12% from June 2017, having been as low as 6% just over a year ago. This will apply to employee health … Continue Reading

Confusion reigns on CPI?

CPIH is to become the preferred method of UK consumer price inflation from March 2017, according to a statement issued by the National Statistician on 10 November 2016. This follows a wide-ranging and long-lasting process of consultation and consideration. But what will be the impact on UK pensions? Pension inflation measures have been in the … Continue Reading

Urgent compliance point for UK occupational pension plans – action required by 5 July 2016

Whilst the impact of the Charges and Governance Regulations on defined contribution pension plans is widely understood, the inconsistent approach to DC AVCs within defined benefit plans has caused some confusion. Unlike the requirements for a “value for money” assessment, chairperson’s statement and charge cap, which do not apply to plans where the only DC … Continue Reading

The big freeze – CPI revaluation drops to zero

The Consumer Prices Index versus Retail Prices Index debate remains a live issue for many UK pension plans because of a material variation between rises in CPI and RPI which influences benefit cost. The Occupational Pensions (Revaluation) Order 2015 was laid before Parliament on 24 November, and sets the statutory revaluation rate for 2015 at … Continue Reading

Budgeting for employee healthcare costs

We anticipate that the significant increase in insurance premium tax that was announced in the UK Summer Budget on 8 July will encourage many more employers to explore corporate healthcare trusts. IPT will increase from 6% to 9.5% from November 2015. This will apply to employee health insurance policies like all other UK insurance products. … Continue Reading

Advice, advice, advice …. so important they required it thrice!

The “freedom and choice” reforms to UK pensions are giving individuals many more options in terms of how they access their pension savings. To ensure individuals make an informed choice, the accompanying legislation and guidance generally promotes the need for some form of financial advice to be obtained. Three examples of advice requirements have taken … Continue Reading
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