Mark Polson: You knew I was a snake when you picked me up

You knew I was a snake when you picked me up

A relatively genteel war of words - a war-ette, if you like - is bubbling about who should provide at-retirement guidance for the poor, hapless schmooks who reach their third age under George Osborne's new pension regime, writes Mark Polson.

On the one hand, you've got bodies such as the publicly-funded TPAS, who argue that they have a track record of a) knowing their stuff, b) delivering unbiased information and c) doing a lot with a little. On the other you've got providers - not all, but a few - who argue that they a) have more information on the client, b) have got servicing scale and capacity to deliver and c) promise not to do any selling. So how do we make concord of this discord? I think it's pretty easy, and it has to do with the old woman and the snake. In case you're unfamiliar, the old woman finds a half-dead ...