Picture is from last months Professional Pensions Investment Conference where I put forward arguments in favour of member nominated lay trustees on trustee pension committees/LGPS boards. While Richard Hubbard, spoke in favour of Professional Trustees….Read more…
Plaistow North By Election Polling Day (& speaking at Pension conference)
I took yesterday off work for the by election but got tied up in morning with urgent UNISON “fire and rehire” case work. I was able at lunch time to go “knocking up” (knocking on doors of identified Labour Supporters , reminding them of the election an…Read more…
“What next for responsible investment in the LGPS?” Professional Pensions 25 Sept 2019
Recently there seems to have been a surge in interest in responsible investment, also known as ESG, in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) world. My email inbox is filled with invites to meet advisers or attend seminars and conferences on t…Read more…
Why we should welcome the Regulators’ involvement in the Local Government Pension Scheme
Professional Pensions Magazine (Paywall): John Gray predicts teething problems ahead and says regulation will result in a cultural shock for some schemes
“As someone who has been involved with the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) for a…Read more…
Is it time for schemes to run to safety? Professional Pensions Opinion Piece
As concerned pension funds are flocking to ‘safe’ assets or buying equity protection, John Gray points out there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’ in lifeThere is an ancient saying attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila that “More tears are shed over ans…Read more…
Decent pension provision is not dying out – it’s being murdered
A headline in last Friday’s “Professional Pensions” was “DB surplus hits record high of £382bn on best estimate basis, says First Actuarial”
It is becoming increasingly clear that the the huge decline in decent pension provision in the UK (employ…Read more…
Doing business the right way benefits everyone
“John Gray says it is worrying for asset owners that many companies have failed to take part in the government-backed Workforce Disclosure Initiative.
I don’t always agree with Conservative ministers, but I did at the launch of a report last mont…Read more…
The role of pensions in building Community Wealth
Professional Pensions: John Gray says we should think about investing more locally, but there are a number of serious practical investment problems to overcome
As austerity bites and local authorities up and down the country struggle to provide service…Read more…
“Why Boris Johnson should not decide where we invest our pensions”
On Tuesday I spoke at a seminar on the Government’s attempt to instruct Council pension funds that they can only invest in accordance to their political prejudices.
On Thursday Professional Pensions published my article below
“John Gray explains&…Read more…
ShareAction Summer thank you 2017
Picture collage from Thursday evening “thank you event” in Brick Lane, East London for supporters of ShareAction – a campaigning body “to make investment a force for the good”.
It was great to meet so many people concerned about the po…Read more…
Stop ripping us off: Financial Conduct Authority report on pension fund managers
Today Government regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a final report on the fund managers who manage our pensions and investment savings.
It is pretty damning.
My interpretation is that fund managers are making exce…Read more…
“Why fossil fuel divestment isn’t the answer”
Last month I went to a well attended public meeting on this topic in Forest Gate Coffee7 and a Chatham House rules seminar in the City. This article today in Professional Pensions reflects what I think and said at those meetings.
John Gray says it’s b…Read more…
Should DB schemes open to new members get special treatment? (and why DC schemes are so rubbish in comparison)
I had a name check in this interesting article below. Modern defined benefit (DB) pension schemes are the only way that ordinary working people will be able to enjoy a secure retirement.
I recently pointed out to a journalist that in the DB Local Gov…Read more…
Can we have a national DB pension scheme?
My latest article for Professional Pensions. “John Gray says we need to do all we can to preserve defined benefit pension provision in the UK
Those of us who live in the real pension world know it is true but many are in denial. For entirely understand…Read more…
Red Tories are trying to “nationalise without compensation” the £130 Billion Local Government Pension Scheme
I do sometimes wonder whether Communist Soviet Union “sleeper agents” in the Conservative Party have been “activated” since 2015?
The recent announcement of Government guidance that directs UK Council pension schemes to only invest…Read more…
The Emperor has no clothes. DC Pensions
From Professional Pensions “John Gray looks at whether current contribution levels across DB and DC are adequate.As well as being an employee representative on a pension board I am also a UNISON trade union branch secretary with members in more than 14…Read more…
“Government to respond to petition challenging LGPS investment reforms”
From Professional Pensions website. (I must send them a new picture to use!)
“More than 10,000 people have signed a parliamentary petition launched by Unison to examine proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) investment regula…Read more…
Why can’t actuaries make their minds up?
This is an article that I wrote recently for Professional Pensions magazine
“John Gray asks why agreement can’t be made on appropriate discount rates for the LGPS. Currently I sit on three different open defined benefit pension bodies in different employer and employee roles. While I think…Read more…
“Newham mayor overrules council committee to push ahead with SPV spending”
Check out this report in yesterdays “Professional Pensions”about Newham Mayor, Robin Wales, overturning the recommendation of the Overview & Scrunity Committee, that no money should be spent on a proposed “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV) until it ha…Read more…
Newham Overview & Scrunity “Call in” on SPV – 6.30pm Monday 24 August 2015
Tomorrow evening at Committee Room 1, East Ham Town Hall, members of Newham Council Overview & Scrutiny will debate a request from a Cllr that up to £500,000 should not yet be spent on a proposed Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for its staff pension fund.
Cllr Farah Nazeer has asked that this…Read more…