If I ever claimed to be an expert on IT systems and processes, those who work in our firm’s IT department would struggle to contain their amusement. Along with many other forty-somethings, I am a proficient user of IT at work and at home – until something goes wrong. Then I find it frustrating because I realise that I am pretty clueless about how everything really works; in fact, I need an expert to put it…

My school reports were always pretty good. I was, in fact, what was known as “a bit of a swot” in the 1980s. My friend, however, lacked enthusiasm. One year her physics report read: “Last year I said that [name] had reached rock bottom; this year, she has started to dig in.” We thought it was funny at the time (although her parents did not). My friend is now a teacher. In our Pensions Lessons …

Do you consider yourself to be a bit of an expert on UK pensions? If so, we challenge you to have a go at our festive quiz for a bit of light-hearted entertainment. Submit your entry by 5pm GMT on 17 December for the chance to win a prize. Planning for 2014 On a more serious note, this is a period of substantial change in the world of UK pensions. When we decided to set…

Changes to the state pension age have featured in many news headlines today. The Government’s guiding principle is that people should expect to spend up to a third of their adult life in retirement. Increased life expectancy represents good news but it is not such good news (for most people!) that their working lives will expand in order to fit the Government’s ratio of two thirds adult life at work : one third in retirement.…

Does your firm contract with the UK public sector? If so, are you up to date with Fair Deal? The new Fair Deal policy, like the old Fair Deal policy, applies when employees who are members of a public service pension scheme have a compulsory transfer to a private contractor. The method of protecting the pensions rights of these individuals has changed – they now have the right to continue in membership of their public…

Did you know that more than 80% of us will require care and support after age 65 (according to the UK Government)? Who should meet the cost of this? Squire Sanders has responded to the Government’s challenge to come up with new ways of funding long term social care. Our Pensions White Paper recommends reshaping pensions and tax legislation to enable pensions savers to make choices about whether they save for care and how they…