All Costs and charges articles – Page 11
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NewsGovt to reform discount rate and cost-control mechanism
The government has proposed aligning the discount rate review periods with the valuation cycles of public service pension schemes, and is taking forward reforms to the cost-cap mechanism first proposed by the government actuary.
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NewsRushing DC consolidation could hurt member outcomes
The Department for Work and Pensions wants to speed up consolidation among schemes with less than £5bn in assets. Although the initiative was broadly welcomed, experts have warned that rushing its implementation could worsen member outcomes.
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NewsPMI launches new accreditation regime for lay trustees
On the go: The Pensions Management Institute is launching a new accreditation regime for lay trustees, in a move that follows the launch of an accreditation programme called APTitude for professional trustees last year.
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NewsBespoke funding route could save charities 65% in cash contributions
On the go: Charities could cut their defined benefit cash contributions by between 35 and 65 per cent if they opt for the bespoke option over the fast-track route in the new DB funding code, according to analysis by Hymans Robertson.
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NewsGovernment actuary proposes cost control mechanism reform
Martin Clarke, the government actuary, has proposed changing the cost-control mechanism used in the reformed public service pension schemes in a bid to tackle the “perverse outcome” of the 2016 valuation.
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NewsOmbudsman reports failing AE employer to the regulator
On the go: The Pensions Ombudsman has upheld a complaint against accounting company Berics over £678 in unpaid auto-enrolment contributions, reporting the employer to the Pensions Regulator.
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NewsTreasury slammed for McCloud errors, but members will foot the bill
The Public Accounts Committee has issued a scathing report highlighting HM Treasury’s failure to predict the numerous problems stemming from 2011-15 public sector reforms, warning its mistakes will take “generations” to resolve.
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NewsGE facing industrial action over pension cut proposals
On the go: General Electric’s UK division is facing the prospect of industrial action over reforms to its pension schemes, which, critics have said, will leave workers thousands of pounds worse off.
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NewsFCA announces expectations for publication of costs and charges data this summer
On the go: The Financial Conduct Authority has announced it will allow pension providers to disclose their charges at a scheme level rather than employer level for this year when data are published under new rules this summer.
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NewsBA signs 'first of its kind' £21bn deal with BlackRock
The trustees of the British Airways pension schemes have signed a deal with BlackRock that places the investment management company in charge of the day-to-day management of more than £21bn of assets.
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NewsGovt fixes NHS scheme rules to avoid hefty retirement bills
The government is to amend regulations to the NHS Pension Scheme that has seen hundreds of employers, including GPs, hit with charges for staff members who are in the last three years prior to retirement, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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NewsUCU mulls industrial action as USS sponsors reject benefits modelling
The University and College Union has said it is to decide “in the coming days” whether to press ahead with industrial action after its newly released ‘benefits modeller’, aiming to show how much members stand to lose under controversial proposals by the Universities Superannuation Scheme, was dismissed by employer representatives.
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NewsWR Swann pension scheme appoints fiduciary manager
On the go: The £40m defined benefit scheme for WR Swann, part of Swann-Morton, a Sheffield-based manufacturer of surgical equipment, has appointed Aon as its fiduciary manager.
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OpinionThe defined benefit trustee cost challenge
Isio director Iain McLellan details how defined benefit scheme trustees should spend their increasingly constricted budgets to ensure good governance, and why sponsors should invest in their own scheme’s trustee board.
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NewsDWP DC single charging structure to bring headaches for master trusts
The Department for Work and Pensions is considering introducing a universal charging structure for the default funds in defined contribution schemes. The move was welcomed for the clarity it might give to DC savers, but experts have warned of the problems it would cause master trusts like Nest.
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OpinionInvestment oversight – trustees should ‘mind the gap’
IC Select managing director Peter Dorward outlines how trustees need to increase the oversight of their investment consultants and fiduciary managers in a way to comply with new regulations.
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NewsACA urges steps to fill guidance ‘black hole’
On the go: The Association of Consulting Actuaries has argued that fixing the “disjointed” and “fragmented” system that is UK pensions provision is vital if the full potential of pension freedoms is to be unlocked.
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NewsCost Transparency Initiative sees 23% spike in schemes’ uptake
On the go: The Cost Transparency Initiative has recorded a 23 per cent increase in uptake during the past year, with 79 per cent of pension schemes now making use of its framework.
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PodcastsPodcast: Illiquids not necessarily the answer for DC
Podcast: Illiquid asset classes might seem attractive in theory, but there would be difficulties establishing them in a defined contribution pension portfolio, even if all the regulatory burdens were removed. Brian Henderson, partner and director of consulting at Mercer, is joined by Shola Salako, professional trustee at Dalriada, to discuss alternatives, putting the S in ESG, and fixing the problems with chair’s statements.
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NewsHundreds of schemes to benefit as PPF updates actuarial assumptions
On the go: Almost 300 schemes could see their deficits transformed into surpluses after the Pension Protection Fund announced its decision to press ahead with changes to actuarial assumptions.