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To celebrate the opening of Rivers of Light, Disney has been releasing short behind-the-scenes videos about the show. This one is about the amazing musical score in the show that guest can’t seem to stop talking about. The Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Team has said that to create this beautiful score to accompany the show, they needed to create this thing called a “soundscape.” The ‘Soundscape’ would tell the animals’ journey they take throughout Rivers of Light. The score was composed in the Abbey Road Studios in England and had many unique instruments, including some not heard of before in Disney Parks nighttime spectacular, such as a duduk, bansuri flute, erhu, Chinese opera drums, and Taiko drums. Here is the video from the Disney Parks Blog:
Rivers of Light officially debuted last week, so be sure to check your times guide or the My Disney Experience app for nights with showtimes.
The music was nice! The Rivers of Light show, not a journey at all to me. More a cool special effects and water features dancing to music. Needs work to tell any kind of story or have much more emotional impact. It’s no Illuminations (though obviously Disney doesn’t spend money on big stuff like they used to either)
“We entrepreneurs have to act as citizens of the world. Creating a positive social impact should be the way to do business in the 21st century.”
Anne-Marie Gabelica had been working for a global cosmetics brand for seven years when she decided it was time to follow her instincts. She knew there was growing demand for high quality, natural skincare products. Yet she also felt uncomfortable with how the industry marketed these products, particularly the tendency to focus on one or two “star” ingredients as the solution to all skin problems.
With her background in organic chemistry, she believed she was capable of offering something better to health-conscious customers who didn’t want to compromise on quality. In April 2010, she created her own brand – oOlution – which is committed to 100% natural sourcing of ingredients.
Ms Gabelica believes the success of the brand is partially down to the original clarity of purpose: “We are purists. That hasn’t changed in the seven years since we started the business. Our products use organic extracts from up to 65 plants, so that all skin types can draw what they need. Safety and quality have always been our guiding principles.”
In addition to spotting a gap in the cosmetics industry, Ms Gabelica says there was a strong ethical dimension to her business decisions. “I actually felt it was my responsibility. I wanted
For Ms Gabelica, social impact was a key motivation. In practical terms, this means educating customers so that they can choose safer products. It also means avoiding ingredients that are known to cause environmental damage. “The cosmetics industry is responsible for about a fifth of global palm oil consumption and we know that this is contributing to deforestation in South-East Asia. The impact is devastating.”
She adds: “We are being true to our founding vision. oOlution was recently recognised through an award by the French Ministry of Ecology for being the first cosmetics brand not to use palm oil in its products.”
She has learnt, however, to balance the strength of her principles with a pragmatic approach. “When I started my business, I initially wanted to have bio-degradable products. After extensive research and contact with multiple biotechnology centres, I had to admit that the science wasn’t there yet. I was hard on myself for a while, but then I realised I needed to get
on with enacting my vision or the brand would struggle to get off the ground. It was an early lesson.”
Wasn’t she scared to take the plunge after experiencing the safety of paid employment? She laughs: “No, it felt quite natural! I’m from a family of entrepreneurs so I knew in the back of my mind that I would one day work for myself to regain my independence.”
She continues: “I didn’t create oOlution to become rich. We entrepreneurs have to act as citizens of the world. Creating a positive social impact should be the way to do business
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We are contacted by many people in Dubai United Arab Emirates UAE who have a UK pension, and who would like to explore their options about transferring their UK Pensions usually for one of the following reasons.
To Reduce YOUR Tax and increase you pension income for you to spend as you wish during your lifetime.
We are the go to QROPS UK pensions and SIPP UK pensions transfer specialists with UK advisers providing UK pension transfer advice in Dubai United Arab Emirates UAE.
For further QROPS UK pensions and SIPP UK pensions information please explore our website and download your FREE QROPS and SIPP UK Pensions Guides.
Should you feel we can help further then please contact us on our contact form or telephone +852 5307 3732 we look forward to being of service to you.
How many of us make a conscious effort to spend some time and consider our pension arrangements and planning our retirements.
Yet providing for our retirement is a major consideration and one that we all need to take a long hard look at, because it not only effects us but our familys also. Deciding where and when we can afford to retire and maintain a certain lifestyle requires careful planning.
The best pension advice means not just informing you about the benefits, but also any potential pitfalls that you should consider. That’s where our FREE evaluation service becomes invaluable in helping you source expert professional independent pension advice and guidance.
Established UK Pensions specialists within the worldwide UK Pensions advisory environment; considered the go to advisory worldwide for UK Pension Transfers to Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes QROPS and Self Invested Personal Pensions SIPP (SIPPS) UK Pensions wherever you are in the world.
Our highly experienced UK pension advisers will review your UK pensions and if appropriate, will work with you to transfer them into a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) or a Self Invested Personal Pension Plan (SIPPS) which ever is more appropriate for you.
We advise, service, and arrange QROPS UK Pensions and SIPP UK Pensions for clients from all over the world for example we have clients in Australia with the main enquires coming from Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Queensland, Sydney, and Victoria, New Zealand NZ mainly living in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, United Arab Emirates UAE, Dubai, Bahrain, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, USA, Canada, South Africa from Johannesburg and Cape Town, Brazil, Mexico, New Delhi India, Islamabad Pakistan, France, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Costa Rica, and all of Asia; Hong Kong, Macau, Belize, Jakarta Indonesia, Tokyo Japan, Singapore, Taipei Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pattaya Bangkok Thailand, Manila Philippines, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Vietnam, including Beijing, Shanghai and all of China.
So no matter where you are in the world we can help and advise you; and should a QROPS UK Pensions or a SIPP UK Pensions transfer be the right course of action for you we can make all of the arrangements for you.
We have been at the forefront of the development of QROPS UK pensions and SIPP UK pensions worldwide since their inception; and we retain strong links with the most respected QROPS and SIPP providers worldwide. We are the most experienced independent advisory company in the worldwide QROPS and SIPP market place. Advising not only private clients, but also private bankers at some of the largest institutions such as UBS, HSBC, and Credit Suisse.
Are you aware of the tremendous financial planning opportunities that are available to you today by transferring your UK Pensions to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme; a QROPS, or to a Self Invested Personal Pension Plan; a SIPP; no matter where you are in the world?
QROPS and SIPPS are available to wide range of people; in fact almost anybody with a UK pension throughout the world can have a QROPS UK Pension or a SIPPS UK Pension, including UK residents.
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Which UK Pension is right for you will depend on where you live (QROPS UK Pensions are very good at reducing personal taxation, putting more pension income in your pocket to spend as you wish), your personal circumstances, and future plans (SIPPS UK Pensions are very good at providing 100% access to your pension money either immediately, or during your lifetime)
Many UK Pensions Schemes Are in Deficit (Bankrupt), how can I get my pension money out? – by transferring it into a QROPS.
Reduce the income tax payable on your UK pension by up to 45% and therefore increase your UK pension income payments for you to enjoy as you wish.
Remove the potential 55% HMRC tax rate from your UK pension, to increase your UK pension income and Pension Commencement Lump Sum (Tax FREE Cash).
Many UK Pensions Schemes Are in Deficit (Bankrupt), how can I get my pension money out? – by transferring it into a QROPS UK Pension.
How to reduce the income tax payable on your UK pension by up to 45% and therefore increase your UK pension payments for you to enjoy.
Many UK British Pensions Schemes Are in Deficit (Bankrupt); so how can I get my UK pension money out? – by transferring it into a SIPPS UK Pension.
Many UK British Pensions Schemes Are In Deficit (Bankrupt), how can I get my UK pension money out? – by transferring it into a SIPPS UK Pension.
Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes QROPS UK Pensions Transfers Advice QROPS And Self Invested Personal Pension Plans SIPP UK Pension Transfer Advice, Overseas, Abroad, In Dubai United Arab Emirates UAE
For full details, please download both of our FREE QROPS UK Pensions Guide, and FREE SIPP UK Pensions Guide so that you can decide for yourself. The Information could be worth £1,000’s to YOU!
We will be pleased to forward to you your QROPS UK Pensions Guide; QROPS information explained, in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us on +852 5307 3732.
Would you like to ask us a question or receive further information. Then please email us on our contact form, we will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
We will be pleased to forward to you your SIPP UK Pensions Guide; SIPP information explained, in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us on +852 5307 3732.
This web page was written in 2015. For the latest information please download the latest FREE QROPS UK Pensions Guide and FREE SIPP UK Pensions Guide.
Many people have far more money built up over many years in their pension fund than they realise. It is not uncommon for a fifty year old to have built up twenty plus years of contributions into a pension fund often accumulating a “Money pot” in excess of £200,000.
Failure to plan correctly may result in the loss of your money (UK Pensions Deficits Retirement Income Risk) take control today.
Pension funds will have been built up in many ways and can include anyone with deferred benefits in a company scheme, public sector scheme (including for example, teachers, doctors, nurses, police and members of the Armed Forces) and those with personal pensions.
There are various reasons why it may be appropriate to address your pension now. Firstly, your own personal circumstances, and that of your family may change.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, future legislation may change restricting or prohibiting transfers to QROPS and SIPP UK Pensions. HMRC regularly reviews QROPS and in 2008 removed QROPS status from all Singapore schemes, and in 2015 from New Zealand and Australia schemes.
Don’t waste your opportunity to achieve all three benefits for yourself and your family; contact us now here on our contact form we are here to help you.
Wherever you are in the world we can help and advise you; and should a QROPS UK Pensions or a SIPP UK Pensions transfer be the right course of action for you we can make all of the arrangements for you.
“With over 20 years of experience as International Independent Financial Advisers; we provide specialist advice, together with extensive international experience. Providing our clients with the experience and expertise that they are looking for” – Why Don’t you Give us a try!
Transferring your UK Pension, UK Pension Advisers, providing UK Pension Advice, for discerning people wherever you are in the world
We are here to answer your questions, and explore your options together. British Advisors, British Advice, for discerning people wherever you are in the world
Still Not Convinced YOUR Retirement Income Is At Risk; well please read the following independent sourced evidence about the fact that you may not receive a pension at all.
You see many British Pensions Schemes Are in Deficit (Technically Bankrupt) which means that you may not receive any pension at all or at best a reduced income.
Now remember this is your pension money (your money) that we are talking about, and I ‘am sure you would agree that it is simply not worth the risk of entrusting your pension to a third party, when you could be in complete control of your pension.
UK companies are paying less towards meeting their pension shortfalls than at any point since 2009, even as aggregate pension deficits reach their highest level in five years.
The widening gap means companies are likely to face pressure this year from scheme trustees to increase payments towards their deficits, according to Barnett Waddingham, a consultancy.
FTSE 350 companies paid £7bn towards their defined benefit pension deficits in 2014, 20 per cent less than the previous year and 40 per cent below the amount each year between 2009 and 2012, the survey found.
At the same time, the aggregate deficits for FTSE 350 companies increased from £53.3bn to £64.7bn during the year, as falls in corporate bond yields pushed down so-called discount rates, which are used to calculate the present value of payments the scheme expects to make.
Most companies have closed their defined benefit schemes to new employees, but some still face heavy liabilities from existing members, who number at least 7m in total.
Market conditions suggest deficits will probably continue widening, with falling bond yields counteracting strong investment performance within many schemes’ portfolios, said Barnett Waddingham.
A code of practice introduced by the Pensions Regulator in 2014 allows employers more flexibility in paying down scheme deficits where this may affect the companies’ growth. BT, which faces a £7bn deficit, said in January it had agreed with scheme trustees a plan to reduce its annual payments.
However, Nick Griggs, head of corporate consulting at Barnett Waddingham, said: “The increase in deficits seen towards the end of 2014 will almost certainly translate into pressure from scheme trustees to reverse, or at very least address, this trend [of lower deficit contributions] in 2015 and beyond.
“If you look at the levels of cash that a lot of companies are holding, there does seem to be potential for increased deficit contributions.”
A small group of companies face the most severe pension deficit risks: 18 have deficits exceeding 10 per cent of the company’s market capitalisation, while seven hold equities within their pension schemes with more than 50 per cent of the company’s market capitalisation.
“This is a recurring problem but it has been acute in recent years. The regulator has to balance the interests of members, employees and shareholders,” said Tom McPhail, head of pensions research at Hargreaves Lansdown.
An interest rate rise may help by diminishing projected liabilities, he said. “But if those falling liabilities are offset by falling asset values, that could mean they are just running to stand still.”
Companies are shifting rapidly towards defined contribution pension schemes, in which members buy annuities or enter income drawdown based on the total assets in their pension pots, rather than on their final salaries or years worked. The average amount paid into such schemes increased by a fifth in 2014.
However, about 170 FTSE 350 companies still have a defined benefit scheme; in total, these are expected to pay out £970bn in the next 30 years.
“It is remarkable to consider the level of resources that UK businesses are having to contribute towards legacy benefits,” Barnett Waddingham said.
Lower deficit payments contributed to a more positive picture for investors in companies with defined benefit schemes: net dividend payouts have risen steadily as deficit payments declined since Barnett Waddingham began its surveys in 2009.
Dividend payouts reached £56.9bn in 2014, up from £47.3bn in 2009, but in 2014 there were still 24 companies that paid more in pension deficit contributions than they handed to investors via dividends.
Funding shortfalls in many defined benefit pension schemes have worsened despite £44bn of extra contributions, prompting the regulator to remind employers of the options they have to deal with the deficits.
The aggregate deficit of more than 6,000 private sector defined benefit schemes covered by the Pension Protection Fund soared to a record £375bn in January this year, compared with £215bn the same time three years ago. Market movements had reduced this figure to an estimated £242.3bn at the end of April but the deficits remain stubbornly high.
The Pensions Regulator said trustees and employers sponsoring some schemes could consider taking longer to eliminate the deficits, or change their assumptions about future investment returns to help mitigate the problem.
The regulator said in a statement on Friday that persistently low interest rates and falling gilt yields had created a “very challenging environment” for schemes conducting their regular statutory three-yearly check on financial health.
“Despite all major asset classes having performed well and schemes having paid £44bn in deficit repair contributions over the past three years, our analysis suggests that many schemes with 2015 valuations will have larger funding deficits due to the impact of falling interest rates and schemes not being fully hedged against this risk,” said the regulator.
“The extent of the impact of market conditions will depend on a scheme’s specific circumstances such as the exact dates of valuations, asset allocations and interest rate and inflation-hedging strategies.”
Towers Watson, the pension consultants, said the regulator‘s analysis showed that, for the median scheme, deficit contributions would need to rise 66 per cent if the timetable for eliminating the shortfall were not pushed back.
“For most schemes, the deficit recovery period would need to be extended by more than three years if contributions stayed the same,” said Towers Watson.
“The regulator no longer says that deficits should be cleared as quickly as employers can reasonably afford; companies who don’t want to put their hands in their pockets are very conscious of that.”
During the scheme valuation process, trustees acting on behalf of members of final salary schemes and the employer sponsoring the scheme agree on ways to plug any funding gap.
Last year, the regulator set a new objective allowing for business growth to be taken into account when determining how much cash should be set aside for shortfalls.
On Friday the regulator suggested that schemes with “capacity to take additional risks” could look to “modest extension to their recovery plans, a modest increase in deficit repair contributions and/or changing their assumptions relating to investment returns.” Other schemes with “less capacity to take risk” should seek higher contributions, it added.
The statement came as industry observers noted an increasing trend for employers to push out their recovery plans.
A survey by PwC, the consultancy published in March found more than half of 200 company pension funds had lengthened their recovery plans by three years or more.
“It’s concerning that while the economy is recovering, pensions deficits are still increasing and employer deficit contributions are falling,” said Lincoln Pensions, which advises trustees.
“Our experience is that sponsors regularly cite the regulator’s sustainable growth objective as a reason to propose lower deficit contributions even when deficits increase. In doing so they are increasing risk for both the company and for members.”
The National Association of Pension Funds, which represents workplace pension schemes, welcomed the regulator’s statement saying it reiterated the need for scheme trustees to “manage, rather than eliminate”, risk.
These ‘gold-plated’ schemes are supposed to be guaranteed – but savers are being misled, a top pension’s official has warned.
Savers in their forties and fifties are being “misled” over the safety of their final salary pensions and could suffer a 10 per cent cut to their retirement incomes, a senior official has warned.
In a stark warning, the head of the government’s pension’s lifeboat said five in six final salary schemes had fallen into the red and faced a struggle to pay savers a full pension.
Alan Rubenstein, chief executive of the Pensions Protection Fund (PPF), said that many of the 11 million people with a supposedly guaranteed, inflation-linked pension were being led to believe their pension was safe, when “for many that isn’t the case”.
Savers who tried to cash in their final salary pots early, by using the new pension freedoms due in April, face losing up to 40 per cent of the value of the pension they’ve built up, he said.
The comments, in an interview with The Telegraph, represented the most overt warning from a government-backed organisation since the crisis in the early 2000s when thousands of workers faced the loss of their pensions as companies collapsed with deficits in their schemes.
Mr Rubenstein, whose organisation was set up in the wake of that scandal to rescue final salary plans when they fail, said: “It is misleading to allow people to expect promised pensions when in fact there is only money enough to pay about 60 per cent of those pensions [should they be cashed in today] and where nothing is being done about the shortfall.”
Final salary pensions are typically worth a maximum two-thirds of a worker’s wages on retirement depending on their years of service, with payouts rising with inflation and half going to a spouse on death.
The pensions are more generous than schemes where the size of the pot is linked to the stock market.
George Osborne’s pension freedoms will arrive as the health of final salary pensions is deteriorating dramatically. Around 5,000 pension schemes face a funding shortfall of at least £300 billion, the largest since 2012, figures show. Low interest rates and the fears over Greece’s exit from the Eurozone have conspired to increase funding costs for firms that offer final salary pensions.
A customer seeking to transfer their entitlements out so they can cash in the pension would typically get just £6 for every £10 in their name, Mr Rubenstein said, because schemes were so far in deficit.
If the company behind the pension was unable to meet its promises, it would have to be taken over by the protection fund. In such cases, most members are given 90 per cent of their predicted retirement payments each year. Wealthier savers stand to lose more as annual payouts are capped at approximately £30,000.
Those already retired will be protected, leaving those in their forties and fifties, who will claim benefits in future years, most at risk.
It is unclear how many schemes would fail, Mr Rubenstein said, because companies were hiding the scale of the problem.
“We should be having this conversation now, rather than leaving people under the impression they will have a pension as promised,” he said.
Mr Rubenstein added that while pension schemes with large holes in their finances were required to have “recovery plans”, some were unlikely to work, having been stretched over a nine-year period on average. Recovery plans are easily derailed if returns fall below expectations. Many companies were “travelling in hope”, he said.
“We are prepared to work with [struggling schemes] to try to deliver a solution that balances the interests of the members, PPF and employer.”
Many final salary schemes have closed as a result of long-term funding problems, with just 8 per cent open to new members, according to the National Association of Pension Funds.
The gap between the money held in such schemes and the pensions they have pledged to pay is widening dramatically.
While such pensions hold £1,200bn of investments, the most conservative valuation of their pension promises is closer to £1,500bn. This £300bn gulf has grown from almost nothing in just 12 months (see graph, below). The shortfall highlighted in this data, however, is not the real extent of the gap. The £300bn figure is based on the reduced pensions that workers would be paid if their scheme collapsed and had to be taken over by the PPF.
In broad terms, if your scheme fails – in most cases because your current or former employer goes bust – the PPF will step in, paying 90pc of promised pensions up to an annual cap of £30,000. For most workers the cap is high enough to mean they receive 90pc of their promised income. But for higher earners, with big pension entitlements, the cap can inflict a brutal loss of retirement income.
The gap between pension schemes’ investments and the value of actual promises made to pensioners is therefore far higher than the £300bn that would deliver the PPF level of payouts. One independent estimate, by Citigroup, put the real gap at £850bn.
Even figures from the Pensions Regulator, the body charged with monitoring schemes’ solvency; suggest that if schemes had to pay all their pensions as promised today, they would be 45% short.
It is possible that shortfalls could shrink in time if investment returns grew and companies contributed more. Mr Rubenstein said: “You shouldn’t be scared by one month’s numbers. But companies need realistic recovery plans. Many are on life support at the moment, kept alive by cheap loans.”
Actuary Henry Tapper, of consultant First Actuarial, said: “There is no silver bullet. There is no obvious factor that will induce growth. The only guarantee is what the PPF would pay if it had to take over your pension.”
The PPF expects to bail out twice the value of pensions in the coming year as in the previous one. This increase is not due to a rise in insolvencies, but to the growth of the shortfalls in the funds that fail.
The Pension Protection Fund, the lifeboat scheme for savers in stricken salary-linked pension schemes, is able to guarantee most people 90pc of their promised pension.
But for bigger pensions the scheme has a cap. The most you can receive is £36,000 per year – less if you retire before you are 65.
The pension scheme of Monarch Airlines is currently being taken over by the PPF following a restructuring of the company. There was not enough money in the fund to meet all the pension promises made in earlier years. While most staff’s pension will fall below the cap, meaning they will get 90pc of their entitlements, some high-earning pilots will see drastic cuts.
One Monarch pilot, 51, who did not want to be named, planned to use his generous promised pension of £47,000 per year to help his children and pay off his mortgage. But he and his wife have been forced to rethink their plans because under the PPF they will get a maximum of £26,500. “I’m still in a state of shock,” he said. “It’s like a grieving process. There’s this sense of injustice. My pension is something I’ve paid into over the years and it’s something I was promised. I was paying around £1,000 a month from my salary, excluding the company contribution, and I’ve always regarded my pension as deferred pay. It wouldn’t be so bad if I was in a position to do something about it, but for me the time available is short.”
Pension deficits at the UK’s largest companies nearly doubled over the past year to exceed £100bn, as record low interest rates continued to take a toll.
The combined accounting deficits for FTSE 350 companies with final salary pension schemes ballooned from £98bn to £107bn between November and December, compared with £56bn a year ago, a survey published on Tuesday by pension consultants Mercer found.
Consequently, funding levels — or the ability of schemes to make payments as promised to members of final salary plans — reduced from 86 per cent to 85 per cent over the same period.
Mercer said the deterioration was “substantially” driven by a further fall in corporate bond yields, which are used to measure the pension liabilities reported in company accounts.
“The sharp fall in both corporate and government bond yields to historic lows during the second half of the year has resulted in a sharp rise in pension scheme deficits,” said Ali Tayyebi, a senior partner at Mercer.
“The accounting deficit is 90 per cent higher at the end of 2014 compared to the position at the end of 2013.”
According to the Mercer estimates, pension assets held by the top 350 UK companies rose £2bn to reach £608bn between November and December last year. But over the same period liability values rose £11bn to £715bn.
Mercer said a “huge variety” of financial and economic factors worldwide had affected yields in 2014 but it expected continued volatility in 2015.
“Whilst the recent fall in yields may cause many pension schemes to review the hedging of their interest rates, schemes should be open to the opportunities that volatility provides,” added Mr Tayyebi. “Companies and trustees should be prepared.”
With UK pension scheme deficits continuing to soar, some commentators are calling for a review of the Bank of England’s Quantitative Easing policy, or asset purchase programme, which is designed to revive economic growth but depresses bond yields.
Ros Altmann, an independent pension expert and investment adviser, said: “The impact of Quantitative Easing on corporate pensions and annuities has not been properly appreciated and is one of the dangerous unintended consequences of this policy experiment.
“The stronger economy and sharply falling unemployment would normally have heralded rising interest rates and equity prices. Instead, interest rates remained low and gilts became increasingly expensive as long yields fell to record lows towards the end of the year.”
In recent years pension funds have switched away from equity investment towards gilt and bonds, making them much more sensitive to movements in bond yields.
In 2006, more than 60 per cent of pension fund assets were in equities, but this fell to 35 per cent in 2014. In contrast, holdings of gilts and bonds have risen from 28 per cent to 44 per cent over the same period.
FINAL salary pension scheme deficits have soared by two-thirds in just 12 months, leaving a £249billion shortfall.
The black hole of all UK private sector schemes – where assets are outstripped by liabilities – rose from £150billion at the end of 2013 as a result of plummeting bond yields, new figures revealed yesterday.
The funding level – the proportion of payouts covered by a scheme’s assets – dropped from 88 to 83 per cent.
Charles Cowling, director of pension advisers JLT Employee Benefits, blamed the sharp rise on stalled UK equity markets and continuing low interest rates.
He said that the Bank of England’s suggestion that interest rates could normalise at an eventual 3 per cent ruled out any respite in the short to medium term.
Deficits of firms in the FTSE 350 rose by 59 per cent to £97billion while their funding level fell from 90 to 86 per cent, according to JLT.
FTSE 100 schemes also suffered, with deficits rising to £85billion from £54billion, pushing down their funding level to 87 from 90 per cent.
So the question is why transfer your UK Pensions to a QROPS UK Pension or a SIPPS UK Pension. This is all about securing and controlling your pension; as discussed many UK pensions schemes are in deficit, meaning that you may not get any pension at all.
And the second question that needs to be answered is the choice between a SIPP UK Pension and a QROPS UK Pensions; What is the right UK pension for you a QROPS UK Pension or a SIPPS UK Pension? This is all about taxation, which pension scheme is right for will depend on were you live and how much access you require in terms of pension income.
Typically, which UK Pension is right for you will depend on where you live (QROPS UK Pensions are very good at reducing personal taxation, putting more pension income in your pocket to spend as you wish), your personal circumstances, and future plans (SIPPS UK Pensions are very good at providing 100% access to your pension money either immediately, or during your lifetime). Importantly, both a QROPS UK Pension and a SIPP UK Pension secure you pension (money) for you.
So no matter where you are in the world we can help and advise you; and should a QROPS UK Pension or a SIPP UK Pension transfer be the right course of action for you we can make all of the arrangements for you.
Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes QROPS UK Pensions Transfers Advice QROPS And Self Invested Personal Pension Plans SIPP UK Pension Transfer Advice, Overseas, Abroad, no matter where you are in the World
This web page was written in 2015. For the latest information please download the latest FREE Expat British UK Pension Transfers QROPS GUIDE; QROPS information explained.
So, we thought you’d all be able to access the Little Guide to Cardiff that we stuck up on Scribd, but it seems that they want to make everyone pay to join it now … cheeky!
So we’ve abandoned ship and stuck it up on Issuu instead. Inside you’ll find our guide to our favourite major attractions, shopping, arts and culture, pubs bars and clubs, and family friendly things to do in Cardiff.
Tags: cardiff going out, cardiff independent shopping, family friendly things to do in cardiff, independent cardiff, indie nights cardiff, little guide to cardiff, pubs bars and clubs in cardiff, shopping cardiff, things to do in cardiff
MUSEUMS BY NIGHT. A UK wide event starting simultaneously on May 17th at 6pm. In Cardiff it is at the Old Library, The Hayes. Presentation ‘The Cruel Streets of Cardiff Revisited’. John F Wake
A lot of people peg me as a gentle bloke. A man that gets by his day with very little stress, confusion and anger....
“Those are no longer the hands of a child” That’s what I thought to myself a couple of days ago while eating dinner at a...
The true measure of a society is the respect it pays to its elderly. America should be ashamed at how inadequate we measure up...
Mindset of Success - Get Your Mind Right Image Source Frame of Mind In my youth I had numerous sports coaches and then later in my adult...
In Waterloo, the summers are long, warm, and wet; the winters are freezing, dry, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 12°F to 84°F and is rarely below -9°F or above 92°F.
Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Waterloo for warm-weather activities is from mid June to early September.
The warm season lasts for 4.1 months, from May 18 to September 21, with an average daily high temperature above 73°F. The hottest day of the year is July 18, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F.
Almaty, Kazakhstan (6,482 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to Waterloo (view comparison).
In Waterloo, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year in Waterloo begins around June 7 and lasts for 4.6 months, ending around October 26. On July 28, the clearest day of the year, the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 69% of the time, and overcast or mostly cloudy 31% of the time.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 26 and lasts for 7.4 months, ending around June 7. On February 6, the cloudiest day of the year, the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 57% of the time, and clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 43% of the time.
A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Waterloo varies significantly throughout the year.
The wetter season lasts 5.7 months, from April 5 to September 25, with a greater than 27% chance of a given day being a wet day. The chance of a wet day peaks at 43% on June 15.
The drier season lasts 6.3 months, from September 25 to April 5. The smallest chance of a wet day is 11% on January 22.
Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation in Waterloo changes throughout the year.
Rain alone is the most common for 9.7 months, from February 21 to December 12. The highest chance of a day with rain alone is 43% on June 15.
Snow alone is the most common for 2.3 months, from December 12 to February 21. The highest chance of a day with snow alone is 8% on January 11.
To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Waterloo experiences extreme seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.
The rainy period of the year lasts for 10 months, from February 16 to December 25, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. The most rain falls during the 31 days centered around June 18, with an average total accumulation of 4.7 inches.
As with rainfall, we consider the snowfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Waterloo experiences some seasonal variation in monthly liquid-equivalent snowfall.
The snowy period of the year lasts for 4.8 months, from November 5 to March 31, with a sliding 31-day liquid-equivalent snowfall of at least 0.1 inches. The most snow falls during the 31 days centered around December 20, with an average total liquid-equivalent accumulation of 0.5 inches.
The snowless period of the year lasts for 7.2 months, from March 31 to November 5. The least snow falls around July 28, with an average total liquid-equivalent accumulation of 0.0 inches.
The length of the day in Waterloo varies significantly over the course of the year. In 2018, the shortest day is December 21, with 9 hours, 4 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 21, with 15 hours, 18 minutes of daylight.
The earliest sunrise is at 5:31 AM on June 15, and the latest sunrise is 2 hours, 14 minutes later at 7:45 AM on November 3. The earliest sunset is at 4:36 PM on December 9, and the latest sunset is 4 hours, 15 minutes later at 8:50 PM on June 26.
Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Waterloo during 2018, starting in the spring on March 11, lasting 7.8 months, and ending in the fall on November 4.
The muggier period of the year lasts for 3.4 months, from June 4 to September 16, during which time the comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable at least 12% of the time. The muggiest day of the year is July 21, with muggy conditions 47% of the time.
The average hourly wind speed in Waterloo experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The windier part of the year lasts for 7.8 months, from October 2 to May 27, with average wind speeds of more than 10.4 miles per hour. The windiest day of the year is April 1, with an average hourly wind speed of 12.9 miles per hour.
The wind is most often from the north for 3.7 months, from January 2 to April 23, with a peak percentage of 35% on March 8. The wind is most often from the south for 7.3 months, from April 23 to December 2, with a peak percentage of 41% on September 5. The wind is most often from the west for 1.0 months, from December 2 to January 2, with a peak percentage of 32% on January 1.
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Waterloo throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.
The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Waterloo for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid June to early September, with a peak score in the first week of August.
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Waterloo for hot-weather activities is from late June to mid August, with a peak score in the third week of July.
The growing season in Waterloo typically lasts for 5.5 months (167 days), from around April 22 to around October 6, rarely starting before April 4 or after May 9, and rarely ending before September 19 or after October 22.
Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Waterloo should appear around April 15, only rarely appearing before April 4 or after May 1.
The topography within 2 miles of Waterloo contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 131 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 862 feet. Within 10 miles also contains only modest variations in elevation (220 feet). Within 50 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (617 feet).
The area within 2 miles of Waterloo is covered by artificial surfaces (94%), within 10 miles by cropland (84%) and artificial surfaces (12%), and within 50 miles by cropland (94%).
This report illustrates the typical weather in Waterloo, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.
There are 5 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Waterloo.
The stations contributing to this reconstruction are: Waterloo Municipal Airport (73%, 8 kilometers, northwest); Independence Municipal Airport (9%, 33 kilometers, east); Oelwein Municipal Airport (8%, 37 kilometers, northeast); Vinton Veterans Memorial Airpark (7%, 40 kilometers, southeast); and Marshalltown Municipal Airport (3.4%, 63 kilometers, southwest).