All articles by Benjamin Mercer – Page 29
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News
Schemes still lagging in fight against cyber crime
On the go: Three in five schemes now have a cyber strategy and 75 per cent of trustees have some degree of training on cyber risks, according to Aon’s most recent cyber scorecard.
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TPR pledges guidance after royal assent for Pension Schemes Act
On the go: The Pensions Regulator welcomed the Pension Schemes Act receiving royal assent on Thursday, with chief executive Charles Counsell looking forward to the “strong package of measures” it provides and pledging guidance for how they will be used.
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NewsNormal minimum pension age set to increase to 57 in 2028
HM Treasury outlined plans on Thursday confirming the government’s intention to raise the normal minimum pension age from 55 to 57 in April 2028, while devising a “protection regime” that ensures some scheme members retain their current rights.
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DB schemes to see £1tn of liabilities insured by 2031
On the go: Defined benefit schemes are expected to see £1tn of risk insured by buy-ins, buyouts and longevity swaps by the end of 2031, according to new analysis.
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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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USS extends Capita administration contract
On the go: Capita Pensions has been awarded a five-year contract extension by the Universities Superannuation Scheme to deliver pension system and administration support.
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NewsJudicial review could hold up public sector exit payment reform
The High Court is to hear challenges brought by a number of public sector unions to the £95,000 exit payment cap, after permission for a judicial review was granted late last year.
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RPI reform boosts inflation hedging
On the go: The announced reform of the retail price index, to match the consumer price index including housing costs, saw inflation hedging rise by six per cent quarter on quarter at the end of September 2020.
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NewsGovt opts for deferred choice underpin solution to McCloud
The government has confirmed it will opt for the deferred choice underpin solution to the McCloud problem, which despite being the right choice according to pensions specialists, will open the floodgates of administration woes for public sector schemes.
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PodcastsPodcast: Tackling climate change will require a ‘step change’ in governance
Podcast: The government’s “revolutionary” plans to tackle climate change “ain’t half prescriptive” when it comes to pensions investments, and will require a “step change” in governance to achieve. So say Stuart O’Brien, partner at Sackers, and ITS director Tegs Harding, who also discuss the consequences of another row at the Universities Superannuation Scheme and the cartelisation of the advisory market.
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News
Nine out of 10 DC savers expect retirement shortfall
On the go: Almost 90 per cent of defined contribution scheme members expect a shortfall in retirement income based on current provision, while almost a quarter of people think they will never be able to retire, according to the latest edition of Aon’s DC member survey.
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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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News
PPF halves small scheme levy but warns of future rate hikes
On the go: The Pension Protection Fund has confirmed it will halve the levy for schemes with less than £20m in liabilities in order to “better reflect the risk posed by small schemes”, according to the final version of its 2021-22 levy rules.
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News
GMP tax guidance expected to land in February
On the go:Guidance from the Pensions Administration Standards Association on the tax implications of guaranteed minimum pensions equalisation is expected to be published next month, according to an update from the body’s dedicated working group.
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News
Trustees demand greater access to technology to support their role
On the go: The coronavirus pandemic has seen off the quarterly meeting cycle, with 80 per cent of trustees agreeing that ad hoc and online meetings are the way forward, according to new research.
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NewsDWP proceeds with ‘revolutionary’ climate change agenda
The Department for Work and Pensions has proposed broadening the scope of climate risk analysis to cover not just the environmental impact of pension schemes’ portfolios, but also sponsor covenants and actuarial valuations.
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Thousands warn of ‘unjustified’ USS discount rate rises
More than 3,000 people have written to the trustees of the Universities Superannuation Scheme to criticise proposed changes to the valuation methodology that, they say, will result in its members and employers being overcharged by the scheme.
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News
Debenhams’ schemes to remain in PPF despite Boohoo acquisition
On the go: Struggling high street retailer Debenhams has been brought out of administration by online ‘fast fashion’ outlet Boohoo, but the transaction is understood to leave its two pension schemes in the Pension Protection Fund.
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How schemes can navigate the post-Covid recovery
Defined benefit schemes should use the post-Covid recovery to conduct a thorough postmortem of the effects of 2020’s events on their portfolios and strategies, according to Barnett Waddingham.
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‘Challenging’ 2020 forces 80% of DB schemes to reassess portfolios
On the go: Eighty per cent of defined benefit pension schemes plan to reassess their investment portfolios after the events of 2020 put returns in doubt, according to research by the Pensions Management Institute and River and Mercantile.