Latest articles from Stephanie Hawthorne

New rules may consign obtuse pension comms to history

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CPD: With new annual pension statement regulations coming into force next year, Stephanie Hawthorne looks at whether the new rules can help improve individuals’ understanding of their pensions.

Trustees in the firing line as private equity houses target UK firms

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CPD: With US private equity houses scooping up much-loved British companies at bargain prices, Stephanie Hawthorne looks at the implications for UK pensions schemes and their trustees.

Experts fear new rules give TPR a ‘sledgehammer to crack a nut’

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CPD: Stephanie Hawthorne looks at what the Pensions Regulator’s new powers mean for schemes and trustees.

Thousands of small DC schemes may miss vital October deadline

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CPD: As the deadline for new regulations governing occupational defined contribution schemes draws near, Stephanie Hawthorne looks at how smaller plans are shaping up.

Ombudsman criticises Railways scheme for maladministration

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The Pensions Ombudsman has partly upheld a complaint by a member of the Railways Pension Scheme against its trustee and administrator, RPMI, after finding maladministration in the scheme’s decision to suspend a member’s pension between July and December 2018.

CDC moves towards the starting blocks

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As Royal Mail is set to start the first UK CDC pension scheme next year, Stephanie Hawthorne asks will the arrival of these innovative plans bring pensions nirvana?

New act marks shift in pensions landscape

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In the first of a new CPD series, Pensions Expert explains the thinking behind the Pension Schemes Act and what it means for sponsors, trustees and their members.

Experian revamps pension comms as over-50s face pandemic sting

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As the financial crisis resulting from the pandemic has made many savers rethink their attitude towards pension savings, Experian has revamped its communications to scheme members in a bid to help them avoid “costly mistakes”.

Could FSCS cope with a major bulk annuity provider default?

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As sponsors offload their pension schemes to insurers, industry experts fear that an ever-increasing concentration of assets with a small group of players could lead to compensation schemes being overwhelmed in a major downturn.

Should pension schemes invest in cryptocurrencies?

Reuters

It has been mooted that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin could rival gold as an investment, but what are the main issues trustee boards need to consider before allocating to the asset class?