All Actuarial articles – Page 11
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OpinionTrustees must take valuation deadlines seriously
Agreeing a triennial valuation is a key priority for the trustee of a defined benefit scheme and its sponsoring employer. It allows the Pensions Regulator to check the health of a scheme and its ability to provide members with their expected retirement benefits.
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FeaturesBT’s 'sleight of hand' bond gift slashes accounting deficit
BT’s defined benefit scheme has seen its accounting deficit drop by £1.8bn over the past quarter after investing in the bonds of its own sponsor, but some experts have questioned whether the move has any meaningful impact on member security.
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FeaturesTaylor Wimpey pension plan reaches full funding
Trustees of housebuilder Taylor Wimpey’s pension plan, which completed a medically underwritten mortality study last year, have announced that the scheme has reached full funding following a £23m injection from the company in April.
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FeaturesHertfordshire bungles scheme actuarial reports
More than one hundred academies and colleges participating in the Hertfordshire County Council Pension Fund have been sent erroneous actuarial reports. These were subsequently used in the preparation of their own financial accounts.
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NewsTourist board employers block scheme valuation
The British Tourist Authority and VisitScotland have yet to sign off on their scheme’s 2015 valuation as they are looking to secure guarantees from the UK and Scottish governments, in what has been described as a “torturous” process.
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OpinionLearning the lessons of Carillion
We shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that the collapse of outsourcer Carillion was down to its pension obligations, but the debacle does serve as a reminder of the tough decisions faced by trustees, argues Dalriada’s Jo Harris.
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News
Edinburgh Airport scheme hires new consultant
The Edinburgh Airport Pension Plan has appointed actuaries and consultants Spence & Partners for defined benefit pension scheme management.
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NewsMPs accuse Carillion of trying to 'wriggle out' of pension obligations
The Work and Pensions Committee has accused Carillion of trying to “wriggle out” of its pension obligations for the past decade, amid calls for stronger laws to prevent future scandals.
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Opinion
IORP II marks an underwhelming farewell from the EU
The EU’s new directive on pension funds will see schemes producing benefit statements on a yearly basis, while risk-management standards will be dragged up and borders broken down, but the overall impact will be limited.
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OpinionThe death of DB is yet to be felt
The full impact of the decline of defined benefit schemes will hit many people hard, warns the Society of Pension Professionals’ Hugh Nolan.
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Features
CPI, admin and Mums: Top 5 DB and derisking stories from 2017
Year in review: Funding and liability management took centre stage during 2017, as the debate over defined benefit pension scheme sustainability and member protection ramped up.
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News
DB advisers could be sued over climate change risk
Defined benefit investment consultants and actuaries may be legally bound to advise on material climate change risk, according to new research.
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OpinionCounting the pension cost
From the blog: Many investors, like most people, do not really understand pensions. While there is now a lot of pension information in financial statements, unless you happen to be sitting next to an actuary it can be a bit of a blur.
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FeaturesEDP valuation finds liability overstatement
The £7.8m Electronic Data Processing scheme has avoided a £420,000 addition to its liabilities, after a finalised actuarial valuation corrected an overstatement for certain deferred members.
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OpinionWas the financial crisis all bad news for pensions?
From the blog: Ten years on from the financial crisis, we are only now seeing the full implications for pensions. It seems a bleak picture. With gilt yields remaining at historic lows, many schemes have seen deficits and contribution requirements balloon.
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FeaturesSouth Yorks fines employers for late contribution returns
The South Yorkshire Pensions Authority has witnessed an improvement in its service delivery, following the launch of a new pensions administration strategy which allows it to fine tardy participating employers.
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NewsRegulator’s BHS report focuses on areas of improvement
The Pensions Regulator has highlighted the lessons it has learnt from the BHS case in a recently published regulatory intervention report, as experts stress the need for more proactive engagement.
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FeaturesJohn Lewis Partnership protects future with LDI
The John Lewis Partnership Trust has introduced a liability hedging programme increasing its hedge ratio to 60 per cent, in a move experts said would protect significant recent contributions.
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OpinionCan a three-year valuation cycle be justified?
Alan Collins from Spence & Partners argues for shorter valuation deadlines and ‘anytime access’ to a scheme’s funding position.
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Features
Dyfed 97% funded but private schemes lag behind
The Dyfed Pension Fund is approaching solvency as an investment review is set to largely stick with the scheme’s equity-heavy asset allocation, making for a sharp contrast to the situation at many private sector schemes.