All Alternative assets articles – Page 4
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NewsCan UK councils rent their own streets to fund pensions?
Several US public schemes have embraced unusual means of securing funding, including renting property to themselves. Although these tactics cannot be used across the Atlantic, the post-Covid landscape could see a variety of new strategies being deployed in the UK.
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Post-Brexit Solvency II reform an opportunity to free up capital
On the go: Brexit affords the UK an opportunity to revisit and reform Solvency II legislation, freeing up capital that can then be used to further the post-Covid economic recovery.
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Most savers unaware of schemes’ climate change endeavours
On the go: Three-fifths of workplace pension members do not know if their scheme is taking any action to combat climate change, according to a survey by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.
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Schemes’ industry investments lag behind climate targets
On the go: Pension schemes with investments in heavy industry like steel, cement, aluminium and paper are likely to find them lagging behind the Paris agreement’s targets, with 86 per cent failing to align with a pathway to “2C or below by 2050”.
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Schemes should not ‘mindlessly chase’ illiquidity premium
On the go: The chief investment officer of the £19bn Local Pensions Partnership has criticised asset managers promising unrealistic returns from illiquid assets, arguing that they no longer provide the same premium they once did.
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NewsBorder to Coast expands green infrastructure investment
Several pension funds, including the Local Government Pension Scheme pool Border to Coast, have provided the majority of the funding for a new €1.6bn (£1.4bn) renewable energy investment fund launched by the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.
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NewsMaster trust competition hots up despite consolidation
Data crunch: The majority of master trusts are targeting defined contribution schemes in a bid to boost their assets under management, leading to heightened competition in a marketplace where there is scepticism about acquiring rivals.
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NewsBiden and EU to act as ESG ‘catalyst’ for UK schemes
The confluence of Joe Biden’s inauguration as US president this week and a new raft of rules from the EU in March will serve as a catalyst for the development of environmental, social and governance standards, experts have said.
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Nest to boost private market holdings by 6%
On the go: Nest is to expand its private market holdings from 9 per cent to 15 per cent by March next year, with its investments in illiquids and infrastructure assets expected to exceed a fifth of its £13bn portfolio.
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OpinionCovid recovery, net-zero and policy: Outlook for UK infrastructure in 2021
Aviva Investors’ Darryl Murphy dissects the key trends keeping infrastructure managers occupied as we move into the new year.
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Eviction ‘holiday’ poses threat to schemes’ property investments
The government’s extension of a measure designed to provide relief to struggling tenants could adversely affect pension scheme property investments, especially where the scheme acts as a landlord, experts have warned.
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London boroughs add real assets income fund
On the go: The investment pool for London’s Local Government Pension Scheme partner funds has launched a new real assets fund aiming to steadily outstrip inflation, with seed money from the boroughs of Redbridge and Bexley.
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Smart eyes alts allocations after Natixis backing
On the go: Master trust Smart Pension has attracted investment from asset manager Natixis, in a strategic partnership that the companies hope will see members gain access to the fund house's suite of alternative strategies.
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NewsCovid-19: Markets bounce back; bulk annuity prices drop
While the FTSE 100 registered the biggest one-day gain since 2008, bulk annuities seem to be significantly more affordable than they were before. At the same time, alternative assets have not seen the biggest impact yet. Read our round-up of pensions and finance news about the coronavirus outbreak.
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Telent: Buy-in could have scuppered scheme rescue
On the go: The trustees behind the record-breaking £4.7bn buyout of the Telent pension scheme say purchasing partial buy-in contracts could have derailed their aim of securing all members’ benefits.
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USS DC section to begin exploring alternative assets
On the go: The Universities Superannuation Scheme is to begin adding alternative assets to its default defined contribution portfolio, the £68bn pension giant announced on Wednesday.
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Features
Industry cool on VC despite patient capital drive
The government has doubled down on its view that no change to the level of the charge cap is needed to encourage defined contribution schemes to access venture capital investments, but some experts doubt whether such high-risk investments are a fit for default funds in the first place.
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NewsGreater platform use will open up alts to smaller schemes
Data crunch: Defined benefit trustees are in a bind on cash flows, with low or even negative yields persisting in traditional fixed income just as their schemes’ liabilities begin to mature and cash injections dry up. Asset managers are responding by offering new solutions to help access alternative, secure income-generating assets.
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PPF criticises industry's customer service after weathering tricky year
The Pension Protection Fund has revealed it is investing in technology to improve its customer service, as the lifeboat’s membership swelled in a year of record claims.
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Features
John Laing divests asset-backed funding from former sponsor
The John Laing Pension Fund has sold its remaining stake in infrastructure company John Laing Environmental Assets Group, a holding initially contributed to the scheme as part of a contingent funding plan in 2015.