Showing my age, one of my all time favourite Motown songs is: “The world is like a great big onion” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. I am reminded of this classic at every budget or autumn statement because our pensions world has been growing like an onion – with layer upon layer of complexity added almost every time the Chancellor gets to his feet.

After reflecting on developments in the SIPP market over the last few weeks I’ve concluded that it’s definitely a case of out with the old and in with the new.

Earlier this week I spoke at a TISA seminar on Mastertrusts. I was a bit of an interloper – Mastertrusts are certainly not my specialist subject – but I was asked to talk about lessons to be learnt from the Sipp market.

Back in 2001 - when we almost succeeded with a MBO of the Sipp provider I was running (Personal Pension Management Ltd long since defunct) – I was questioned by the VC who was backing us about the sustainability of the interest “turn” that we derived from the pooling of bank accounts.