Author Archives: m1rkov2c

The IFS report on pensions just underlines how ridiculously complex what should be a simple system of saving for old age has become. The glossary of pension terms published by the Institute of Actuaries,(recommended for insomniacs) has about 120 entries ( I think –  I couldn’t be bothered to count them all) Good luck (ifContinue reading “Pension system is broken”

The more detailed regulations that flutter down like leaves in autumn, the more training is needed to ensure that everyone is trained in ever more detailed activities. But do those trained understand why they are being trained and what for? But don’t worry. So, as long as all your employees have been through the rightContinue reading “Not trained to think outside the tick box?”

Blurred responsibilities and commercial conflicts of interest make this an unsatisfactory model for protection of investors in investment funds. I argue that the principal reason behind the collapse of the Woodford fund  is a governance model that is profoundly flawed since it is riven with commercial  conflicts of interest. The FCA is reviewing the model.Continue reading “A flawed model”

Why aren’t fund managers getting ‘Assessments of Value’ right? The short answer is, according to a recent CFA Society UK analysis, that assessments of value often don’t give the right information, or are difficult to understand, or are lengthy and poorly structured. On top of that, not to put too fine a point on it,Continue reading “Are Assessments of Value valueless?”