Law and Regulation

Follows focus group and consumer research

More than half a million employers have now been brought into the auto-enrolment (AE) regime with over 7.6 million people now saving in a pension.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a consultation which considers allowing contracted-out pensioner members to transfer to schemes which have never been contracted-out.

LISA is here and we have to deal with it. Helen Morrissey says the pensions industry needs to start communicating.

This week we want to know if TPR is becoming more heavy-handed and whether its new investment guidance will help defined benefit trustees set better investment strategies.

The Insolvency Service has shut down two trustee companies after an investigation found they had failed to seek independent investment advice, comply with their own governance statements, and adhere to regulation.

Ashley Wilson Solicitors and one of its partners have been fined £16,000 for refusing to give The Pensions Regulator (TPR) documents for an investigation, in the first use of one of its powers.

The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) has ruled Enfield Council cannot withhold pension benefits for a man who embezzled nearly £500,000, due to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) rules.

Anna Copestake says trustees must think carefully about acting as trustees in their own name.

The government has been urged to allow Lifetime ISA (LISA) savers to use their pots to pay for financial advice, putting the product on par with pensions and other ISAs.