Fighting pension scams: Regulation If it was easy to stop pension scams, everyone would be doing it. Clearing up the mess left behind a pension scam is a huge challenge. This is why clear international standards need to be recognised and adopted. The scammers are like flocks of vultures. If people only used regulated firms, […]
Fighting pension scams: Regulation Read More »
The Pension Scams Industry Group (PSIG) has carried out a pilot survey on pension scams. The survey has identified seven key findings and concluded that most scams are carried out by rogue advisers and unregulated “introducers”. This is something we write about regularly, so it is great that PSIG has finally caught up. Henry Tapper
Lack of knowledge leads to loss of funds – rogue advisers Read More »
THE DIZZEE RASCALS AT THE FCA: My exasperation and disgust at the FCA’s incompetence has for years been very profound. However, learning that Andrew Bailey – CEO of the FCA – gets paid 18% more than the whole whistleblowing team of 12, has made me feel two things: Enormous respect for the gentlemanly and (IMHO)
FCA boss £589,000 – Whistleblowing team £500,000 Read More »
April 2019 sees the battle between Store First and the Insolvency Service. On April 15th, the High Court proceedings will kick off. As a result, the Store First v Insolvency Service will determine how many people will lose their pensions permanently. Two sets of very expensive lawyers – DWF and Eversheds Sutherland – will battle
Store First v Insolvency Service Battle Read More »
In the run up to the High Court proceedings to hear the Insolvency Service’s petition to wind up Store First, here is some background. This is an abridged version of the Insolvency Service’s witness statement regarding the Store First pension investment scam. It involved two bogus occupational pension schemes set up and administered by Stephen
Store First v Insolvency Service Battle – the Insolvency Service’s Witness Statement Read More »
In every pension scam there is one beginning, lots of middles, and always a wretched ending for the victim and a profitable ending for the scammers. The beginning is always a negligent, lazy, box-ticking transfer by a ceding provider – the worst of which always tend to be the likes of Standard Life, Prudential, Scottish
Who killed the pension? Scammers; ceding providers; introducers; HMRC? Read More »
The mis-selling of life assurance policies and long-term savings plans has been a regular topic in our blogs. Many victims of pension scams see their funds mis-invested into life assurance policies. These life assurance policies do little more than drain the fund value with their expensive fees and costs. Generali has for years been aggressively
Generali – jumping ship to avoid new regulations? Read More »
Pension Life is now submitting complaints to the Pensions Ombudsman against ceding pension trustees who handed over members’ pension funds to scams and scammers. These negligent transfers have ruined thousands of lives and cost victims hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of losses. Some victims have already died and others are contemplating suicide. Complaints against negligent
PENSION OMBUDSMAN COMPLAINTS AGAINST NEGLIGENT CEDING TRUSTEES Read More »
Ten Essential Standards For Pension Advice: The ongoing war against pension scammers continues with no sign that the end is near. The authorities stand idly by – facilitating mis-selling and outright fraud. HMRC happily registers pension scam after scam after scam (followed by tax demands). Prosecutions are few and far between. The only conclusive way to
Ten Essential Standards For Pension Advice Read More »
When we buy certain products, they have a warning on them. Cigarette packets, for instance, state that smoking is bad for your health. The wrappers show hideous images of what might happen to you if you use tobacco. However, when it comes to investments, the ‘advisers’ selling dangerous investments are able to disguise the risks
Hidden charges that destroy your pension funds Read More »
The recent PSIG (Pension Scams Industry Group) Scams Survey Pilot 2018 has identified seven “key” findings in their survey. As scam watchers, we are well aware of these points and are, of course, glad they have been highlighted. PSIG’s key finding are set out below. So let us admit one key fact: ALL PENSION SCAMS START WITH A
Time for all pension providers to wake up and stop pension scams Read More »
Every year we are seeing an increase in the number of victims falling for pension and investment scams. Despite warnings in the public domain and a huge array of information about how to avoid falling victim to a scam, it seems the scammers are so skilled at their sales techniques, that even the cleverest of
Cold calling scammers target expats after the ban in UK – BBC4 You and Yours Read More »
