All articles by Angus Peters – Page 17

  • News

    Trustees warned to be vigilant before approving superfund deals

    2018-06-21T00:00:00Z

    Trustees eyeing a transfer into one of the UK’s nascent superfunds must consider the viability of the acquiring consolidation vehicle before consenting to a ‘buyout-lite’ deal, the Pensions Regulator’s executive director of frontline regulation has warned.

  • News

    Regulator sees merit in criminal sanctions for DB sponsors

    2018-06-15T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator is prepared to deploy tough new powers promised by the Department for Work and Pensions’ defined benefit white paper, although it admitted that there will be a high bar for beginning any criminal proceedings against sponsoring employers.

  • News

    Industry backs alternative to mandatory clearance

    2018-06-14T00:00:00Z

    Requiring companies to prepare a formal statement on how corporate activity might affect their pension schemes could help protect members from being put at risk, a survey of restructuring professionals has suggested.

  • Getty Images
    Features

    Commodity of the future: Does water have a place in pension portfolios?

    2018-06-13T00:00:00Z

    In North America, an inconspicuous object the size of a tennis ball has yielded significant returns for investors in what might be considered the world's cheapest, and also the most critical, commodity.

  • News

    PPF chief hints at closing superfunds’ regulatory advantage

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    Consolidation vehicles hoping to hoover up assets from deficit-weary employers could see their prices forced upwards by tough levy requirements and insurance-style protections, the chief executive of the Pension Protection Fund has said.

  • News

    Time running out for DWP to book 2019 bills, Webb warns

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    The Department for Work and Pensions is at risk of running out of time to pass key aspects of its pensions policy agenda in 2019 due to the impact of Brexit and several measures yet to even reach a consultation stage, according to former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb.

  • Opinion

    How can schemes assess employer covenant strength?

    2018-05-29T00:00:00Z

    Darren Redmayne chuckles good-naturedly, at what must be the thousandth time a journalist has asked whether the FTSE 100’s recently revealed accounting surplus means their defined benefit pension problems have gone away.

  • News

    Just Group aims for increased education on DB freedoms

    2018-05-23T00:00:00Z

    Retirement provider Just Group claims it has disrupted the market for defined benefit member option exercises with a new product launch, as trustees come under increasing pressure to keep members informed about their options under freedom and choice.

  • Source: Wikimedia Commons
    News

    Box Clever judgment sees scheme inch closer to ITV funding

    2018-05-21T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator was right to seek to impose a financial support direction on ITV in relation to the Box Clever defined benefit pension scheme, according to a court judgment published on Friday.

  • Opinion

    Carillion's post-mortem

    2018-05-18T00:00:00Z

    It is not unusual for Work and Pensions Committee chair Frank Field to show off an impressive vocabulary when launching a salvo against political and personal foes. But even by his standards, the imagery used to put to bed the failed outsourcer Carillion has taken a turn for the macabre.

  • News

    Blocking dodgy transfers could stop scams, say trustees

    2018-05-17T00:00:00Z

    Only a restriction of the statutory right to transfer will end pension scams, the Pensions Regulator’s leading trustee company for appointments to irregular schemes has said, as it reported a marked increase in the number of cases dealt with in recent months.

  • Features

    Liquid alternatives: How diversified is your DC default?

    2018-05-16T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: Defined contribution default funds are facing the unenviable task of constructing diversified portfolios with limited budgets and a requirement for liquidity. Could liquid alternatives help?

  • News

    Smart Pension and L&G to develop first default retirement pathway

    2018-05-14T00:00:00Z

    Default retirement pathways could become a feature of the UK pensions system as early as next year, as Smart Pension and Legal & General announce plans to develop a product combining drawdown and annuities.

  • News

    Lack of trustee engagement leads to higher fees, CMA finds

    2018-05-11T00:00:00Z

    The Competition and Markets Authority has turned its attention to the negotiation abilities of trustee boards, with a working paper that highlights the benefits of engaging third-party oversight of consultants or fiduciary managers.

  • Fixed income roundtable
    Opinion

    Roundtable: How are fixed income strategies adapting?

    2018-05-11T00:00:00Z

    Central bank policy has turned a major corner, and many fixed income markets are looking increasingly expensive - six experts share their insights on how pension scheme strategies should adapt.

  • Opinion

    Roundtable: How should schemes pick fixed income managers?

    2018-05-09T00:00:00Z

    Fixed income markets do not present as obvious a case for passive management as equities, but how should schemes evaluate manager skill? PGIM’s Edward Farley, Barnett Waddingham’s Sophia Heathcoat, MJ Hudson Allenbridge’s Anthony Fletcher, Independent Trustee Services’ Dinesh Visavadia, Bestrustees’ Graham Wardle and independent trustee Alexandra Martinez discuss.

  • News

    Report urges pensions overhaul to fix intergenerational unfairness

    2018-05-09T00:00:00Z

    The UK’s intergenerational contract is under more strain than ever, and radical reforms are needed to secure the funding of increasing care costs while helping young people to save, according to Conservative peer Lord Willetts.

  • News

    Further details emerge on consolidator safeguards

    2018-05-03T00:00:00Z

    Investors in The Pension SuperFund will not begin to receive returns on their capital until its consolidated schemes have passed a 115 per cent funding target, its executives have told the Work and Pensions Committee.

  • Features

    Asos staff to have choice between pension and Lisa

    2018-05-02T00:00:00Z

    Online clothing retailer Asos has issued a request for proposal for a new flexible employee savings provider, after it decided to let staff choose whether to focus on saving for retirement or shorter-term goals.

  • Opinion

    Roundtable: Where does value lie in fixed income markets?

    2018-04-30T00:00:00Z

    In an increasingly uncertain and somewhat expensive environment for fixed income, which products and asset classes represent the best value for pension schemes? PGIM’s Edward Farley, Barnett Waddingham’s Sophia Heathcoat, MJ Hudson Allenbridge’s Anthony Fletcher, Independent Trustee Services’ Dinesh Visavadia, Bestrustees’ Graham Wardle and independent trustee Alexandra Martinez discuss.