With the launch of Scottish Life's regular series of podcasts, you can now hear the latest industry news and issues from Scottish Life's leading pensions experts.
If you haven't encountered it already, podcasting is a method of publishing audio on the internet, a bit like an online radio show. You can subscribe to our feed to download them onto your mp3 player or computer desktop, where you can listen via your preferred media player.
Currently available are the Pensions Radio podcasts from Steve Bee and our Pension Matters podcasts.
Pensions Radio
To Listen now you will need to have Adobe Flash Player version 6 or above, which you can get from the Adobe website.
You can also can just phone 0845 685 6078 and listen that way (there is a small charge, but it's only local rate).
12 December 2007 - Chris Grayling on Pensions Radio
Is the political consensus on Personal Accounts beginning to crumble?
Steve Bee and Stephen Ballard speak to John Jory, Deputy Chief Executive of the Building and Civil Engineering (B&CE) scheme, in this latest Pensions Radio podcast.
Mike Yardley headed up part of the FSA’s Retail Distribution Review (on incentives) and joins me and Stephen Ballard in a wide-ranging discussion about pensions. advice and advisers. A ‘must’ for all IFAs.
Tune in and listen to Ros Altmann, Stephen Ballard and me talking about the ins and outs of the Financial Assistance Scheme and loads of other pension stuff
04 September 2007 - Malcolm Small on Pensions Radio
We’re back again with another one of our friendly neighbourhood pension podcasts. This time Stephen Ballard and I are joined by Malcolm Small, the Chairman of the Pensions Network and well respected pension commentator, in our regular ramble through the pensions undergrowth.
In this interview we talk with Danny Alexander about the growing disparity between public sector and private sector pensions; the generosity of MP’s pensions these days; the need for a decent basic state pension that would provide a subsistence level income for all and would not act as a disincentive to saving as the current means-tested handouts do; and also about the Lib Dems’ idea that we should have a Turner-style review of public sector pensions.
This time we have recorded the latest in our pensions interviews in the Financial Times offices where Stephen Ballard and I are joined by Gill Wadsworth, the editor of Pensions Week. Gill is known for her forthright views on pension issues as any of you who have read her weekly leader column in Pensions Week will know. In this podcast we’re talking about all things occupational and in particular the changing and challenging roles of pension scheme trustees these days.
Today’s podcast is a great start to the new series. Nigel Waterson, the Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions and Conservative front bench spokesman on pensions, joins me and Stephen Ballard in a relaxed chat about Personal Accounts, means-testing, the need for political consensus, the Age-75 rule and pension heritability amongst other things.
It’s all change at the top with the [practically] annual tradition of new ministers replacing the old ones. This time it’s happened after the pension legislation has left the station and is on course for its destination; the 2012 launch of the proposed national scheme of personal accounts.
Me rambling on about the need for our government to build a pension system that treats people fairly. A strange thing to have to ask when you think about it, but there you are…
(Running time: 13 mins 28 secs)
Note:The Telegraph article referred to is from Monday, 11 June 2007.
6 August 2007 - The FSA and Treating Customers Fairly
Andy Taylor, our Individual Pensions Marketing Manager, discusses the implications of the FSA's TCF for pension product design and how embracing the good practices can help reduce risk for customers, IFAs and pension providers.
8 June 2007 - Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution restructuring
Mark Polson, our Head of Corporate Business, talks about defined benefit and defined contribution restructuring, looking at the barriers to entry in this market.
To listen to a podcast now, you will need to have Adobe Flash Player installed to use the player controls. If you don't have Flash Player, you can download Flash Player from the Adobe website.