Well, I really wasn’t expecting that…

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When you go to an awards ceremony, you really don’t expect to win anything. Not that I don’t think I have a chance – I do and have done OK over the years.

But I went out on Wednesday afternoon to the State Street Institutional Press Awards 2013 because a) in recent years I haven’t been able to attend, b) it was somewhere I’d never been and c) I knew I’d catch up with some mates.

Of course, there was a chance I could get a nod, but I haven’t had a sniff in these before, so I fully expected to have a nice time and go to my next meeting full of someone else’s food and booze.

Well, just after the main course, they began the ceremony and I settled down for half an hour, focusing on trying not to look bored, looking happy for all the winners and not knocking anything over on the table.

I was suddenly forced to focus as my name was mentioned by the host. I’d assumed I was being referred to in a slightly derogatory way, but I’ve a thick skin. But no. I was shortlisted in the first category.

So I settled back, content it had been worth my while coming and reflecting that perhaps I would have brought a tie if I thought I’d get that close.

Then my name was called again. Bugger. I’d only gone and won it. And I still didn’t have a tie. At least there are no pictures of me, but here is a rather poor one of the actual trophy.

My thanks to State Street, the judges, my friends, family and everyone who knows me.

But not god. No, not god. Unlike all these sport and pop star chappies, he never lifted a finger. And me, an arts graduate, too. Outrageous.

Congress could apply a ‘haircut’ to previously sacrosanct pensions. – In These Times

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Congress could apply a ‘haircut’ to previously sacrosanct pensions.

See on inthesetimes.com

Bank of England keeps UK interest rates at 0.5% – BBC News

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Shock! Horror! BBC News Bank of England keeps UK interest rates at 0.5% BBC News The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has again voted to keep interest rates on hold at 0.5%. It has kept the key borrowing rate at that level since March 2009.
See on www.bbc.co.uk

SIPPs urged not to invest in alternative assets – ifaonline.co.uk

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SIPPs urged not to invest in alternative assets ifaonline.co.uk Speaking at the Henry Stewart SIPPs and Retirement Options conference Regulatory Legal director Gareth Fatchett argued due diligence processes need to be tightened up.
See on www.ifaonline.co.uk

FCA launches another thematic review into Sipps – FT Adviser

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FCA launches another thematic review into Sipps FT Adviser Self-invested pension operators are once again to fall under the spotlight of the regulator after it launched yet another thematic review into the sector on the same day that it republished…
See on www.ftadviser.com

Pumped up pensions to become thing of the past – New York Daily News

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New York Daily News Pumped up pensions to become thing of the past New York Daily News The state is coming after government workers who run up high overtime bills in their last days on the job to pump up their pensions, the Daily News has learned.
See on www.nydailynews.com