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WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER EDITION OF TECHTALK

Welcome to the September edition of Techtalk. I hope everyone has had a good summer break and is feeling refreshed and geared up to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the usual multitude of legislative change!

This month we’ve got a big focus on workplace pensions planning looking at a range of subject matter that is likely to be of most concern to your employer clients.

Bernadette provides some informative insight on the key aspects of the age discrimination legislation, looking at how it applies to retirement ages and workplace pension provision. She has also compiled a useful summary explaining how the TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) rules interact with automatic enrolment requirements.

Many pension schemes will need to be reviewed and perhaps amended as employers approach their staging dates under automatic enrolment and the prospect of re-enrolment may also provoke employers to review their existing automatic enrolment arrangements. Jeremy provides a useful reminder about what would trigger the employer consultation requirements and how these rules apply.

Tom outlines the certification options and explains how it can allow employers to use an alternative definition of pensionable pay for automatic enrolment. Certification can offer a useful alternative for employers who are looking for a straightforward, cost-effective and sometimes fairer approach to automatic enrolment.

And Lynn Graves looks at the role that employers can play in supporting the financial education of their employees. She also considers the opportunity this presents for advisers.

On the wider pensions planning front, Ian Naismith analyses the results from the latest Scottish Widows Retirement Report. The research indicates a good improvement in savings levels over the last couple of years, but is this likely to be enough to meet people’s aspirations? You can also read the full report at: http://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/extranet/working/about/reports/pension-report

And Chris provides a timely aide memoire about the protection options that are available to help an individual shield their pension pot from unwelcome tax penalties ahead of the reduction to the Lifetime Allowance that’s set to come in on 6 April 2016.

I hope you will find this edition both a useful guide and an interesting read and that we will have helped you in your discussions with your clients on these important and very topical subjects.

For more information on workplace pension planning and pension freedoms please also take a look at our extensive range of support at: http://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/adviser-automaticenrolment

and

http://www.scottishwidows.co.uk/extranet/financial-planning/pension-planning/retirement-income-planning

Enjoy the read.

Sandra Hogg