With Budget day upon us tomorrow, we can expect to be told that we are almost half-way through the government’s … Continue reading “Britain’s real debt iceberg is getting scarily little attention”

The national budget reports of most developed nations are based on current cash flows of tax collections and government expenditures … Continue reading “US and UK governments are on course for fiscal calamity”

Ed Miliband is getting serious about shedding his Red Ed image. In an article in the Daily Telegraph, the Labour … Continue reading “Miliband’s middle class pitch fails to confront Labour’s statist legacy”

The past decades have been a remarkable success story in terms of the trajectory of our well-being in old age. … Continue reading “Want older people to work longer? Here’s how”

George Osborne’s general approach to managing the nation’s finances could be described as chopping off bits and pieces here and … Continue reading “Autumn Statement: Osborne remains the Edward Scissorhands of fiscal policy”

The subject of pensions must be one of the most boring imaginable, but one thing that is even less appealing … Continue reading “Happy retirement?”

A thriving economy needs saving and capital investment. Capital investment is inherently risky because it involves making a judgment about … Continue reading “Attempts to eliminate risk can have risky consequences”

In very cautious terms, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has questioned the current set of universal benefits for the elderly. … Continue reading “Clegg is half right on universal old-age benefits”

The recently published Green Paper on pensions was widely welcomed. Indeed, it contained some reasonable ideas. However, it also contained … Continue reading “Why contracting out of the state pension should remain”