Early Risers.

[AndyID]

Yippee! The Department of Motorized Veehiculars has approved my vanity plate. It probably helped that it didn't include any sweary words.

 

Edit: I thought they might reject it as it includes the letter combination "SP" which might suggest it has something to do with "State Police" but in combination with the other letters they probably concluded it is far too silly to create any confusion.

Edited April 10, 2019 by AndyID

[Barry O]

1 hour ago, Shedman5 said:

Apparently the pensions regulator says 5 to 6 billion  is needed to bridge the pensions gap.

Lummy someone is getting a huser pension then

....

 

Baz

[Tony_S]

I was looking for delivery information for an online order (not trains!) and I glanced at the conditions of sale. Apparently the laws applicable are those of PO Box..., Penistone, Sheffield. I wonder how much smaller a country could be?

[AndyID]

MrsID probably encountered quite a few of pixies when we lived in Renfrew. Strathclyde Regional Council employed her as an elf visitor.

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Lummy someone is getting a huser pension then

....

 

Baz

But not the people who paid into it.

[AndyID]

58 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

I was looking for delivery information for an online order (not trains!) and I glanced at the conditions of sale. Apparently the laws applicable are those of PO Box..., Penistone, Sheffield. I wonder how much smaller a country could be?

 

Pimlico?

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, Barry O said:

Lummy someone is getting a huser pension then

....

 

Baz

I suspect that 5 or 6 billion figure might be the reinsurance one and not the actual deficit in the section of the fund.  

 

Pension funds are required to report two figures.  The first of these is the 'real' one and is basically the funds estimated assets set against its estimated (actuarially calculated) liabilities.  So for example in my section of the BR fund at the last full assessment based on the end of 2016 the liabilities were £418 million and the assets were £410.8 million giving a shortfall of £7,2 million.  To deal with that both the employer's contribution rate and the employees contribution rates were increased, the latter to 11.28% (and some people whinge about having to pay 7%!!).  In addition of course the money market played its part with return on investments etc so by the end of 2017 the estimated liabilities were $442.1 million and the estimated assets were £447.7 million creating a 'surplus' of £5.6 million.

 

However that is only part of the picture because partly as a consequence of past dodgy goings-on with pension funds plus the ideas of a certain past Chancellor of the Exchequer all funds have for a long while been required to provide a reinsurance statement.  Basically what this means is that if the liability were to be transferred to a commercial insurer in order to secure the same benefits the cost will be different (much greater) but the assets would be no different so taking the end of 2016 figure the insurance cost would have been £959.6 million, the assets in the fund would remain at £410.8 million and the deficit would become £548.7 million instead of £7.2 million.  In many respects it is very much a fake figure because it assumes the fund has to be insured to maintain benefits and that would never happen if the trustees correctly manage it and both employer and employees meet their obligations in terms of contributions. However it is very often the headline figure which is quoted when 'getting at' pension funds which provide reasonable benefits for their members so some politicians and journos tend to use it.

 

In the former BR funds everybody in either of the two final railway staff schemes paid in at the same rate as everybody else in that scheme irrespective of grade or salary and their pension was calculated in exactly the same way as that of every other member of that scheme.  The only difference was that your actual pension depended on your salary but then equally the amount you paid in also depended on your salary as it was done solely on a percentage basis.  In my section of the fund everybody who is a member of the scheme is treated in precisely the same way as everyone else and all members of staff in our TOC were either in that scheme or (if daft) paid into a private pension, nobody got more - percentage wise - in contributions from the company than anybody else.  The only difference is in the size of your pension which relates to your salary and the number of years you have got in the fund - so because I went early, on redundancy, my pension is based on only 34 years service with a quite substantial reduction for going several years before my optimum pensionable age.

[Coombe Barton]

3 hours ago, Shedman5 said:

Apparently the pensions regulator says 5 to 6 billion  is needed to bridge the pensions gap.

Didn't anyone notice over the period they've held the franchise?

[New Haven Neil]

Evening.

 

Snot/cough level 7/10.  How can so much goo drain from inside your head?  Feel a bit more lively though. Relatively!

 

Teetering from crisis to crisis with a work project, some of my making, most not!  Getting there now though but  could do without the stress when I'm under the weather.  

 

Some O gauge points are looking at me.....oops.....

[bbishop]

14 minutes ago, Coombe Barton said:

Didn't anyone notice over the period they've held the franchise?

 

Come off it, John, given the presence of the "F******" word!  Anyway the only figure of interest is the contribution to Party funds.

Bill

[pH]

2 hours ago, AndyID said:

MrsID probably encountered quite a few of pixies when we lived in Renfrew. Strathclyde Regional Council employed her as an elf visitor.

 

She would definitely have visited many a gnome, though!

[81C]

Evening All

Well I'm definitely losing the plot I posted an ER in Small Suppliers 

Still out of salts and her don't help whining , my hearing is slowly returning I do hope fully by tomorrow so I should be fit to travel.

Earlier today I got several bottles of Vallejo paint out and lightly weathered a couple of wagons I'm pleased with the results I used the tried and test

dry brush technique. 

Pensions can be a nightmare I went to one of the gov't advisory services the dear lady was excellent more than I can say for the financial advisor I was recommended

he made the mistake not doing something for me I bet he tries to help himself to next terms fee's in September from my pot he's had it I've frozen him out as he can't

make the effort to contact me. 

                                                        enjoy the rest of it E. S.Crooge 

 

[grandadbob]

For about the past 10 years my pension fund has been in deficit but the company has been making large payments to bring it back and in January I was advised that by 30th April this year they expect the deficit to be eliminated. Very pleased to hear that! 

 

Extremely cream crackered at the moment as I spent most of the day in the garden. Grass was cut and then the area surrounding old shed was cleared and shed partially emptied.  The conservatory is filling up with the more valuable items. Tomorrow should see the erection of the temporary shelter to house the rest of the stuff........provided I can walk as my back and hip  are already groaning at the though of it.

L.I.M Palot

Edited April 10, 2019 by grandadbob

[jamie92208]

Good evening to most of you. It's 06.30ish here and both of us feel a lot brighter. Almost human you could say.  This is to such an extent that SWMBO has decided that we are going to St Kilda beach by tram.  After showers and breakfast I will head across the road to the palace of attendance and purchase the necessary tickets.

 

Don't get me started about pensions. No party is blameless and I dare not say more. Meantime we are going to spend mine as best we can.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

[Tony_S]

I had a phonecall this morning. Our new garage door has arrived from Germany . The proposed date for fitting was next Tuesday. This was fine for me but dependent on the other neighbours having them fitted at the same time. They are happy (though one neighbour will be away but is content for me and the other neighbour to supervise) so Tuesday it shall be.  I can then think about restoring my trains. 

Aditi’s lecturer guest was really delayed on her trip down from Hull. There was an M25 closure to avoid. We managed to feed her 2 courses of dinner. She will have pudding/cheese when she and Aditi get back from Leigh on Sea tonight. 

Tony

[tigerburnie]

Evening, had a nice day after the better half had been to the village vampire for her monthly blood tests(arthritis) we went up the forest with our cameras, a Red Squirrel and a Vole entertained us for a couple of hours, then after a late lunch, a bit of the "G" word, the day was done. I might go into the Glens tomorrow with the camera, should find Adders and Slow Worms and maybe Ring Ouzels if they have arrived back from Africa. G'night all

[Coombe Barton]

https://johncolby.wordpress.com/2019/04/10/sandys-chemo-day-106-of-147/

[81C]

1 hour ago, grandadbob said:

For about the past 10 years my pension fund has been in deficit but the company has been making large payments to bring it back and in January I was advised that by 30th April this year they expect the deficit to be eliminated. Very pleased to hear that! 

 

Extremely cream crackered at the moment as I spent most of the day in the garden. Grass was cut and then the area surrounding old shed was cleared and shed partially emptied.  The conservatory is filling up with the more valuable items. Tomorrow should see the erection of the temporary shelter to house the rest of the stuff........provided I can walk as my back and hip  are already groaning at the though of it.

L.I.M Palot

You tight @rse why don't you get someone in to do that my SiL is always after thing to do I'm sure you must know someone. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                N.H.Sadvisor.

[Gwiwer]

Evening all.

 

A quick visit without the opportunity to read through 2-3 pages before bed-time.  Another day of icy wind in the face but otherwise of bright sun at the House of Fun and another day which passed incident-free so far as I was concerned.  All ye who complain that we never run on time might want to mark in the diaries the quite regular days when we do run on time - or at least within 1-2 minute of the advertised time.

 

Baby nephew is due here tomorrow.  He might be a strapping six-and-a-half-feet tall and 30 years old but he is still the youngest of three and is always going to be baby nephew.  A certain amount of unscheduled domestic engineering work was required to prepare for his visit.  

 

There has been a steady stream of visitors to the currently-vacant top flat above us.  Some are students, others clearly not.  So far we have no indication of who might be our new Neighbours (Top Floor) only that most find it far too small and dislike all the rooms having sloping ceilings.  Well it is built into the roof and having helped the previous tenants move out I wouldn't want to take it on.  The bathroom is only large enough for washbasin, toilet and shower (no bath), the kitchen only for a small sink, hob and oven (no microwave, fridge or washing machine - those lived in the hallway - and not even any benches), three tiny single bedrooms and a lounge barely large enough to accommodate two chairs and a coffee table.  And - of note in the post-Grenfell environment - no fire escape.  The ground floor flats have front and rear doors, the first floor has the stairwell and egress via the shared balcony to the adjoining flat but the top floor has only the stairwell.  Hmmmm.  We know the fire officer has been around.  We don't know what has been said.

 

On that note it is time to hit the sack in which there is already a cat snoring loudly.  Goodnight all.  Sleep soundly including Chrisf.

Edited April 10, 2019 by Gwiwer
Edited because my keyboard cannot spell correctly this late at night.

[laurenceb]

Night awl 

[Barry O]

59 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Good evening to most of you. It's 06.30ish here and both of us feel a lot brighter. Almost human you could say.  This is to such an extent that SWMBO has decided that we are going to St Kilda beach by tram.  After showers and breakfast I will head across the road to the palace of attendance and purchase the necessary tickets.

 

Don't get me started about pensions. No party is blameless and I dare not say more. Meantime we are going to spend mine as best we can.

 

Regards to all.

 

Jamie

Might be cheaper to get Myki cards Jamie..tap on tap off and you can top them up easily. We renewed ours last year as well as using Opal cards in Sydney.

 

Baz

 

Of course you could treat Beth to a trip on a W Class involving food and wine and travel to St Kilda by tram!

[grandadbob]

33 minutes ago, 81C said:

You tight @rse why don't you get someone in to do that my SiL is always after thing to do I'm sure you must know someone. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                N.H.Sadvisor.

 

Whaaatttt?? Let somebody else loose with the contents of my shed and the movement thereof. Next thing you'll be suggesting I get Chris to do it and then there'd be buggerall left! 

I.M.N Otstupid

Edited April 10, 2019 by grandadbob

[The Lurker]

6 hours ago, AndyID said:

Yippee! The Department of Motorized Veehiculars has approved my vanity plate. It probably helped that it didn't include any sweary words.

 

Edit: I thought they might reject it as it includes the letter combination "SP" which might suggest it has something to do with "State Police" but in combination with the other letters they probably concluded it is far too silly to create any confusion.

So it wasn’t you that wanted COYW then?!

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. A bit nippy when I arrived home from the club tonight, clear skies and an easterly breeze means that it will be even colder tomorrow morning.

[The Lurker]

3 hours ago, Coombe Barton said:

Didn't anyone notice over the period they've held the franchise?

The value of the investments the pension fund trustees can and will change; that shortfall could grow quite suddenly. Normally a shortfall can be made good over a number of years; in this case they were apparently being asked to deal with shortfalls even were they no longer had any control over employer or employee contributions. So if the new franchise holder failed for whatever reason to make contributions virgin would be required to fund; I can understand why that might not be an acceptable condition. Having said that someone else has signed up to the East Midlands franchise so who knows?