Pensions webchat

By SIMON MOON
Updated: 08:07 EST, 29 March 2006

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PENSIONS have never been such a hot topic. As final salary schemes fall apart, millions of people still in work are worried about what the future holds. At the same time, many of those in retirement struggle to find financial security as household bills soar.

Next month sees the biggest overhaul of pensions since the Second World War. On A-Day - 6 April - a mass of complex regulations will be swept away to be replaced by a simple set of rules designed to help us all do more to plan for the future.

For the first time, everyone will be able to invest in several pension schemes running side by side. And there will be more flexibility for those receiving pensions. Everyone will be able to collect their pension while they remain in work.

Questions to our Ask the Expert section show many of you want to know exactly how the new regime will affect your retirement plans. To bring you the answers, This is Money, is hosting a live pensions webchat with experts from the Pensions Advisory Service (Opas) starting at 1pm today [Wednesday].

• THE CHAT ROOM IS NOW CLOSED

Answering your questions will be Des Hamilton, Opas technical director, and his deputy, Tony Attubato, who is technical manager. Together they have many years of high-level expertise in the field of pensions.

Des Hamilton started his career in the actuarial department of an insurance company specialising in pensions. Having obtained his Associateship of the Institute of Actuaries, he joined Noble Lowndes where he became technical manager before moving into pension consultancy. He eventually moved to Belfast to run the company's corporate pension operation. In 1995 he left to help found a new consultancy business before joining Opas in 1998.

Tony Attubato has worked in the pensions industry for 19 years, joining the Pensions Advisory Service as a technical specialist in 2001, having previously worked for Legal & General. Tony qualified as an associate member of the Pensions Management Institute in 1999 and became Opas helpline manager in August 2003. He was appointed technical manager in April last year.

• Read the quick guide to live chat.