Pensions Apartheid: Public vs Private Sector pensions

Well-known independent actuary Tony Gilhawley recently wrote a report for the Professional Insurance Brokers Association on the differences between Public Sector and Private Sector pensions. It makes for fascinating reading.

You can download it in MSWord format from here.

Permanent TSB raises variable mortgage rates

I see that Permanent TSB is set to raise its Standard Variable Rate for mortgages by 0.5% from next Monday, thus reversing the effect of some of the recent European Central Bank base rate cuts. They have blamed the high cost of funds and tightening margins in the lending market.

Even before this rate increase, Permanent TSB's Standard Variable Rate was nowhere near the most competitive in the market.

I sympathise with any Permanent TSB mortgage customer with a loan of more than 92% of their property's current value. Such customers (including those in negative equity) have no option but to remain with Permanent TSB.

Anyone below 92% at least have the option to move to another lender.

What to do with your pension when you leave a job

As I've been getting an increasing number of queries on this topic recently, which I suppose is a sign of the times, I wrote the following article for the Sunday Business Post as a sort of FAQ.

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2009/06/28/story42723.asp