Accuro – Accuro

Accuro Sponsors Ballinlough Tennis Club(BTC) Closed

Accuro — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 13:09:16 +0000

Accuro was delighted to be the main event sponsor for the Ballinlough Tennis Club (BTC) Closed Competition which took place at the end of September 2017. Some fantastic tennis was played throughout the 10 day tournament. Many congratulation to the Closed winners & finalists who battled it out on finals day. Ballinlough Tennis Club is the only club in Ireland to be recently awarded the Tennis Ireland Gold Clubmark award which recognises high quality tennis clubs and their contribution to the development of sport in Ireland.

Sport can build better local community relations and deliver a better understanding and respect for the rights everyone. Sport can teach us honesty and fairness and how important it is to uphold the highest standards of respect for one another. These values are at the core of Accuro’s pensions consultancy service.

Accuro was honoured to be an event sponsor for such a vibrant and local community-based club.

Click here to learn more about Accuro

Ballinlough Tennis Club Website

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Accuro’s Budget 2018 Summary – Pensions Update

Accuro — Fri, 13 Oct 2017 12:01:15 +0000

The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, delivered Budget 2018. As had been largely expected, there were no announcements in relation to pensions in Budget 2018 other than the €5 weekly increase in the highest rate of State Pension. This increase will take effect from the last week of March 2018 and bring the highest rate to €243.30 per week.

The Government also announced that a new group will be established to consider the amalgamation of USC and PRSI. This could have implications for pensioners who are not liable to PRSI but are to USC.

In September 2017, Leo Varadkar announced plans to introduce the long awaited auto-enrolment scheme for workers in the private sector. The Government is seeking to automatically include 1 million workers who currently have no pension provision into a pension scheme. The Government has committed to provide details of their five year Pensions Road Map in December of this year.

The Finance Bill will be published on Thursday October 19th and it remains to be seen if they will tweak any monetary amounts/limits as it relates to pensions. The current specified income requirement is €12,700 per annum, which is the amount needed before an individual can invest in an Approved Retirement Fund (ARF). With the announcement of the weekly increase to the State Pension (Contributory), the maximum rate of the State Pension will become €12,652 per annum from the end of March 2018. We would therefore hope that the Department of Finance will consider making the necessary change in the Finance Bill to bring the specified income requirement for investing in an ARF in line with the State Pension amount considering the amounts are now so close in value.

Click on the link below to read our Budget 2018 Life & Pensions Update

Budget 2018 Life & Pensions Update

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Clodagh Sheehan wins Network Cork Business Woman of the Year Award (SME 0-5 Employee)

Accuro — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 16:24:44 +0000

We are delighted to announce that Clodagh Sheehan has won the Network Cork 2016 Business Woman of the Year Award in the SME Category 0-5 Employees.

Established in 1983, Network Ireland is a progressive, dynamic organisation supporting the professional and personal development of women. is unique in the fact that it offers support, mentoring and confidence building for women, in particular those starting in business or returning to the workplace.

We are excited in Accuro to be a member of the Network Ireland Cork region, and part of a network of strong, independent business women, whose experience we highly respect and look to learn from. It was a great honour to win the recent award and we are thrilled that Clodagh has been put forward to represent Cork in the national finals in September.

The winners will be announced at the Network Ireland National Conference & Gala Dinner on 30th September 2016.

Click here to learn more about Network Ireland

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Good news for those who have Buy-out Bonds that originated from a Defined Benefit Scheme.

Accuro — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 16:24:33 +0000

On the 22nd June 2016,the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, announced that individuals who have a Buy-out Bond/Personal Retirement Bond that originated from a Defined Benefit pension scheme will now be allowed to use their Buy-out Bonds to access the flexible option of an Approved Retirement Fund or ARF option. This option is available regardless of when the transfer to the Buy-out Bond took place.

Access to the ARF option for Buy-out Bonds/PRBs was generally dependent on whether the pension scheme from which the transfer value to the Bond originated was a Defined Benefit or a Defined Contribution scheme, with the option only available to those benefits originating from a Defined Contribution transfer.

ARFs are special investment funds which can give scheme members increased flexibility in terms of how they use their pension fund when taking retirement allowing them manage and control the pension fund into retirement. ARFs are also very tax efficient for succession purposes and an alternative option to purchasing an annuity.

A very welcome and important policy change!

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Rise in State Pension Age – Dutch court found against a similar move there which involved a 60 year old lady in poor health.

Accuro — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:24:27 +0000

The Dutch case concerned a 60-year-old widow in poor health. She was being paid a widow’s pension but would cease to be entitled to payment when she reached 65. As the Dutch state pension is not payable until age 67, it left the widow with a two-year income gap.

The Dutch court found that raising the pension age could be considered a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Read the full news article on www.independent.ie

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Give Me a Crash Course In . . . stock-market falls

Accuro — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 16:24:18 +0000

A great read about the current global economic situation and stock market volatility by Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times.

Read the full news article on www.irishtimes.ie

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Clodagh Sheehan Joins LIA Board

Accuro — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:24:09 +0000

Clodagh Sheehan has become the newest member of LIA’s Board of Directors. A long-time supporter of LIA, Clodagh was a member of the LIA Cork Regional committee for seven years and was Chairperson of the committee in 2010. During her term, the committee organised the first ever LIA Women’s Luncheon in Cork which was a great success.

Read the full news article on www.lia.ie

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The Pensions Authority publishes the first tranche of the Codes of Governance for Defined Contribution Schemes

Accuro — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 16:24:02 +0000

Over the course of 2016, the Pensions Authority will issue several codes of governance to help trustees meet the standards of practice that the Authority expects in occupational Defined Contribution trust-based pension schemes.

Read the full news article on www.pensionsauthority.ie

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The Women’s Podcast: Everything you wanted to know about pensions (but were afraid to ask)

Accuro — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 16:23:46 +0000

Women fare worse than men when it comes to retirement for many reasons, including lower salaries, more gaps in their careers due to caring for children and elderly relatives and a longer life expectancy. A great discussion on knowing your State Pension rights and interestings facts on pensions for women.

Listen to the full podcast on www.irishtimes.com

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Joan Burton promising a €25 increase in State Pension

Accuro — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 16:23:36 +0000

Tanaiste Joan Burton has promised to increase the State pension by a massive €25 a week as part of the Labour Party’s bid to shore up the grey vote ahead of the general election.

Read the full news article on www.independent.ie

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