All Consolidation articles – Page 10

  • News

    Scottish Widows snares top hire from Legal & General

    2020-09-14T00:00:00Z

    Veteran professional David Butcher has just taken on a new dual role as a member of the master trust board and independent governance committee at Scottish Widows, moving from Legal & General’s master trust board.

  • News

    Covid and regulatory burdens push building society to outsource scheme

    2020-09-14T00:00:00Z

    With the work of lay trustees becoming more complex, and the pandemic highlighting other areas in need of sponsors’ attention, the Furness Building Society has opted to outsource services for its defined benefit scheme, a trend that is expected to accelerate.

  • News

    Smaller schemes to prove value for members or face consolidation

    2020-09-11T00:00:00Z

    Defined contribution schemes with assets below £100m will have to prove their value for members, or face being advised to wind up or consolidate, according to new rules proposed by the Department for Work and Pensions.

  • Opinion

    Master trusts hit by ‘perfect storm’

    2020-08-24T00:00:00Z

    Data crunch: Dalriada’s Paul Tinslay explains how repercussions from Covid-19 and possible changes in legislation have created a “perfect storm” for defined contribution master trusts.

  • Podcasts

    Podcast: TPR to make changes to DB funding ‘fast-track’

    2020-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: The Pensions Regulator will make changes to the fast-track approach proposed in its defined benefit funding consultation due to the impact of Covid-19, revealed its executive director of regulatory policy, analysis and advice David Fairs.

  • Features

    ‘Make or break year’ for frustrated DB consolidators

    2020-08-10T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: Long-heralded defined benefit consolidators have yet to win a single client, but the prospect of mass insolvencies on the horizon could force trustees to test new derisking solutions. 

  • News

    Trend towards master trusts continues apace

    2020-07-14T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The rate at which FTSE 250 companies move to master trusts as their main defined contribution vehicle is set to accelerate over the next two years, according to a new report from Willis Towers Watson.

  • News

    Formal superfunds authorisation could take 5 years

    2020-07-03T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator anticipates that it could take five years for the government to put in place a statutory authorisation framework to oversee defined benefit superfunds, as it looks ahead to publishing specific guidance for trustees considering a transfer to the new vehicles.

  • News

    Scottish Widows looks to overcome long-term market challenges

    2020-07-02T00:00:00Z

    Scottish Widows has announced plans to enhance its asset allocation strategy in response to lower projected returns and potentially long-lasting volatility as a result of the coronavirus crisis, following a strategic review conducted earlier this year.

  • News

    One in five schemes considering superfunds

    2020-07-01T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Pensions Regulator’s interim guidance for consolidators has sparked a surge of interest by pension schemes, with one in five considering superfunds as an option for their endgame, according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson.

  • News

    Pension superfunds could hinder insurers’ businesses

    2020-06-30T00:00:00Z

    On the go: UK pension superfunds could encroach on life insurers’ bulk purchase annuity market, as the new consolidation vehicles may present employers with a more affordable alternative, according to Fitch Ratings.

  • News

    Government plans to push ahead with small scheme consolidation

    2020-06-30T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The government looks set to press ahead with plans to encourage small schemes to consolidate, according to analysis of consultation documents by LCP.

  • News

    Regulator to focus on protecting savers amid Covid-19

    2020-06-29T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Pensions Regulator has said it will prioritise protecting savers during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as supporting schemes to continue to deliver benefits.

  • Opinion

    TPR’s superfund green light is only the start

    2020-06-25T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator’s new interim regime for superfunds has sounded that starting gun for commercial defined benefit consolidation, but there are still significant hurdles to be overcome, write Rosalind Connor and Aneliese Sweeney of Arc Pensions Law.

  • Podcasts

    Podcast: PPF could face new court case on benefits

    2020-06-25T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: After the ruling from the High Court that the Pension Protection Fund cap on deferred member benefits is illegal on age discrimination grounds, the pensions lifeboat could face a new legal challenge as members who have not reached retirement age have their benefits cut to 90 per cent, argues Ian Neale, director at Aries Insight. He and Sara Protheroe, chief customer officer at the PPF, discuss this topic, as well as the interim regime for superfunds and the implications of the new insolvency bill for pension schemes.

  • News

    Superfunds cleared to begin work under TPR interim regime

    2020-06-18T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator is to sanction the transfer of struggling corporate defined benefit schemes into commercial consolidators aiming to secure pensions at a lower cost than insurers, under a two-part interim regime unveiled on Thursday.

  • News

    Regulator to issue rules for consolidators ‘in the coming weeks’

    2020-06-09T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator is shortly to issue interim regulation covering commercial consolidators, Pensions Expert can reveal.

  • Podcasts

    Podcast: 'Crystal ball-gazing' makes ethical investment tough for trustees

    2020-06-05T00:00:00Z

    Trustees aiming to make ethical investment decisions can find it tough to justify them without recourse to a crystal ball, as the legal requirements are ill-defined, says Irwin Mitchell’s pensions partner Penny Cogher. In this episode she’s joined by independent consultant and long-time pensions expert Malcolm McLean for a discussion covering capital-backed endgame deals, the complications of new insolvency laws, and some morally dubious LGPS investments.

  • News

    Regulator to issue new guidance on capital-backed endgame deals

    2020-05-26T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator is to issue new guidance on defined benefit employers seeking to use third-party investors to back the cost of buyout, following the completion of a first-of-a-kind deal without the need for regulatory clearance last week.

  • News

    PS Aspire pulls out of master trust market

    2020-05-05T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Punter Southall Aspire has withdrawn its master trust from the market after concluding that it was unlikely to reach the necessary scale.