I think we can all agree that any suggestion that in-specie pension contributions were a viable option for those who were asset rich but cash poor has now been revoked, even if the pensions tax manual (PTM) still implies that it could be possible.

I spent several hours this morning poring over my old G60 manual to help work out some ‘scheme specific protected tax-free cash’ calculations in respect of some pre-2006 occupational pension scheme benefits for an adviser.

As many of you will know, I am a big advocate for regulated financial advice. Not only is it essential throughout the accumulation stage, it is even more so in the decumulation stages of life.

When I was much younger, I remember writing on my CV that I had “excellent written and oral communication skills.” 

After countless times saying to my friend, “You should worry less about what happens if you get hit by a bus and die, and more if you get hit by a bus and live, do you have Powers of Attorney?” I decided that young people should probably be a bit more clued up about personal finances matters so it’s now become a bit of a personal mission to do something.

It was with a little fear, back in July, that I read the Public Accounts Committee’s proposal that HMRC should, within 12 months, evaluate the impact of pensions tax relief. 

In my last article for Financial Planning Today - My 50 year career in pensions - I reflected on my 50 years in the world of pensions and financial services and commented on what I saw as some of the dominant features.