In an alternative world to the UK Budget, The European Insurance and Occupational Pension Authority published a consultation paper on the creation of a standardised Pan-European Personal Pension product on 3 July.

A couple of Saturdays ago, and in a break from having a full weekend, I was asked to speak at the Retirement Money Show in London. 

We live in an instantaneous world – if I go on Amazon I can have my purchase with me the next day, banking can be done at the click of a mouse and bills can be paid without even getting up in the morning.

Much of my last 12 months has been spent touring the UK, talking to advisers about pension freedoms. Whilst I still have a few sessions to go, I’d like to share a few interesting findings with you.

So, Budget 2015 brought us another change to the lifetime allowance (LTA), with the proposal to reduce it from £1.25 million to £1 million. This now seems to be the pension policy of choice for at least two of the main political parties.

Sometimes you spot something a bit left field that makes you wonder about the wider implications and whether trouble is just over the horizon.

In May 2014, Steve Webb, addressing the Treasury Select Committee, indicated that the Guidance Guarantee "would be fairly basic ... fairly rudimentary ... fairly general ... but enough to get people to the starting gate".