A Cornish accountancy firm hosted its second Auto Enrolment seminar last Friday, targeting SMEs across Cornwall after findings published in a recent report by The Pensions Regulator. Please see below a press release regarding this.

Please also find attached a low res photo of (L-R) Stephen Rowntree for The Pensions Regulator, Stephen Gainey, Partner at Robinson Reed Layton, Margaret Hawken, Payroll Supervisor at Robinson Reed Layton and Stephen Watson, Founder and Managing Director of Watson French Chartered Independent Financial Advisers.

High res versions and alternative from the event are available upon request.

For further information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Kind Regards
Rebecca

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PRESS RELEASE

To: News Desk

From: Robinson Reed Layton

Date: 14^thSeptember 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Help for Businesses Preparing for Auto Enrolment

A Cornish accountancy firm hosted its second Auto Enrolment seminar last Friday, targeting SMEs across Cornwall after findings published in a recent report by The Pensions Regulator.

Robinson Reed Layton, the Truro-based Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers, were joined by The Pensions Regulator and Watson French, Chartered Independent Financial Planners, for the seminar at The Alverton, in Truro, on the morning of 11 September 2015.

The latest employer survey undertaken by The Pensions Regulator claimed that most small businesses are not ready for their Auto Enrolment staging date, prompting Robinson Reed Layton to host the seminar in order to prepare and support local businesses through the process.

The event included an explanation of pension reform and the Auto Enrolment process from Stephen Rowntree for The Pensions Regulator, alongside a presentation on "Auto Enrolment - Embracing the Elephant in the Room" and "My Auto Enrolment" from Stephen Watson, Founder and Managing Director of Watson French Chartered Independent Financial Advisers.

Stephen Rowntree from The Pensions Regulator provided a step by step guide on employers' legal duties and safeguards, categories of employees, the qualifying earnings and communicating with staff. He said:

"We are urging businesses not to delay; start planning for Auto Enrolment as soon as possible and the many tasks required naturally fall in line with your payroll service provider.

"Do not assume your employees will opt out - surveys to date indicate that only 10% of employees have opted out so far, a lot lower than the predicted 30%."

Watson French who have helped many employers with their Auto Enrolment duties and are considered specialist Auto Enrolment advisers, showcased their online system ‘My Auto Enrolment' at the event. Stephen Watson explained how to embrace the ‘elephant in the room':

"You need to learn the language of Auto Enrolment and feel comfortable with it. Don't wait to start your preparations - it can take at least 21 working days of your time to set up. It's important to check if your existing pension scheme is eligible and get to grips with the communication as it is key.

"We have set up ‘My Auto Enrolment' as we believe smaller employers need an affordable option for independent auto enrolment advice. As an online mirror of the face-to-face service they would get from us as a Chartered IFA, this offers great value, saving a company thousands in IFA fees."

The event finished with a presentation from Margaret Hawken on the range of payroll and Auto Enrolment administration services offered by Robinson Reed Layton. She explained, "We support the message from The Pensions Regulator that businesses should start their preparations as soon as possible. We can help businesses, in association with their IFAs, to set up everything they need to comply with Auto Enrolment."

Stephen Gainey, Partner at Robinson Reed Layton said:

"The next eighteen months will be the "rush hour" for setting up Auto Enrolment schemes. More employers will be required to comply during this period than before, and by April 2018, all employers will have had to set up Auto Enrolment schemes, and enrolled their employees.

"I feel the expertise and insider knowledge communicated during the seminaraddressedpotential pitfalls about the process while giving advice and insight, enabling businesses to face auto enrolment with confidence."

For more information about Auto Enrolment or to find out more about the services Robinson Reed Layton can offer, please visitwww.rrlcornwall.co.uk

-ENDS-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor's Notes

Contact:Rebecca Waterfield, Senior Account Manager at Eventy - Marketing & PR on 01326 376273/rebecca@eventy.co.uk

Photo:Please find a low res photo of (L-R) Stephen Rowntree for The Pensions Regulator, Stephen Gainey, Partner at Robinson Reed Layton, Margaret Hawken, Payroll Supervisor at Robinson Reed Layton and Stephen Watson, Founder and Managing Director of Watson French Chartered Independent Financial Advisers.

High res versions are available upon request.

Further info:

Robinson Reed Layton is an independent firm of accountants and registered auditors with origins dating back to the early 1920s. With offices in Truro, the business heart of Cornwall, their client base includes corporate clients, unincorporated businesses, non-profit organisations and private clients, giving them a deep-rooted understanding of and involvement in the business community.

Watson French, are an established, privately-owned business, providing expert financial planning and investment management advice to a loyal family of financially successful clients since the 1990's. They were among the first Cornish companies to be awarded Chartered Financial Planner status, in recognition of their professionalism, ethical standards and commitment to quality. Fiercely independent of products and providers, they are unlimited in the opportunities they offer their clients.

My Auto Enrolmentis the online auto enrolment advice service of Watson French Ltd. It mirrors the same personalised, unbiased advice you'd get face to face enabling small businesses to access regulated advice, at a fraction of the cost of an IFA.