All Costs and charges articles – Page 16
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Features
Investment consultants could be under microscope for next decade
Analysis: Investment consultants may have escaped the more stringent of the recommendations in the Competition and Markets Authority’s provisional decision earlier this year, but experts have said that the scrutiny of the market is unlikely to end at Christmas.
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Opinion
Many schemes are still not engaging on costs
Better disclosure standards for investment costs are unlikely to spur a flood of terminated mandates, says CEM Benchmarking’s John Simmonds, but if used properly will make trustees better buyers of asset management services.
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News
Opperman's consumer choice AE meeting draws ire of industry
Workplace pension providers and advisers have expressed fury at reports that minister for pensions and financial inclusion Guy Opperman will attend a meeting to discuss letting members choose their auto-enrolment provider.
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News
Transaction costs make up quarter of management fees
Some of the largest pension funds in the world are paying an average of 86.3 basis points in total annual investment costs, with 24 per cent of these fees made up of transaction costs, according to new research.
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OpinionCMA investigation: Less talk, more action required
The impact of the Competition and Markets Authority’s recent investigation will depend on the way its recommendations are implemented, writes PwC’s Keira-Marie Ramnath, but in the meantime there are simple ways for trustees to better assess value for money from advisers.
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OpinionTransparency welcome, but method for managing info yet to be agreed
The increased scrutiny of investment costs by UK pension schemes is gradually resulting in greater transparency, yet despite the requirement for transaction costs to be disclosed in a clear and meaningful way from earlier this year, full transparency is yet to be achieved.
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OpinionSchemes must not let consultants hide behind advice excuse
We all know that trustees should assess the performance and value for money provided by their investment consultants – the real question is how to achieve this.
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News
PLSA pitch for light-touch tender rules raises eyebrows
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has called for mandatory fiduciary management tenders mandates to be closed processes with no minimum number of applicants, but some experts have questioned whether the move would do anything to change the status quo.
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OpinionFinancial health matters
Editorial: I like to think that most employers take their workers’ wellbeing seriously.
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OpinionSelect committee's new inquiry misses the point
From the blog: It is bizarre that the Work and Pensions Committee is questioning whether people understand the cost and value for money of their pension products when the Financial Conduct Authority has only just published research that answers their question.
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News
Select committee launches costs and transparency inquiry
The Work and Pensions Committee is to conduct an inquiry into transparency in the pensions industry, questioning whether individuals are able to understand the cost, performance and value for money of their pension products.
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News
Mastertrust transfers and charges blasted in ‘worst in pensions’ study
Two of the UK’s largest mastertrusts have been named the worst performing providers in pensions over high charges and slow transfer processes.
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NewsMandatory tenders welcomed by pensions industry
UK pension schemes will be required to conduct competitive tender processes before hiring their first fiduciary manager, under recommendations set out by the Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday.
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OpinionIDWG cost disclosures are only the beginning
The Institutional Disclosure Working Group’s cost disclosure code has landed on the desk of the Financial Conduct Authority just under a year after the group first convened.
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Features
Should the FCA set a drawdown charge cap?
The Financial Conduct Authority’s final report for its Retirement Outcomes Review focused on the challenges facing drawdown consumers.
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OpinionMaking data count – how to use the IDWG cost code
From the blog: Following nine months of detailed work by the members of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Institutional Disclosure Working Group, new cost data templates will, for the first time, provide an industry-agreed, consistent approach to collecting this important information.
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OpinionTo transition or not to transition, that is the question
Premier Pensions’ Girish Menezes explains what trustees should take into account when it comes to transitioning to a new administration provider.
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NewsFCA recommends investment pathways for drawdown
The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed that pension providers are required to develop three ready-made investment pathways to help confused drawdown customers, but has shied away from imposing a charge cap on the products.
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News
Disclosure standard aims for strengthened trustee buy side
Investment consultants could be required to disclose scheme data allowing clients to judge the quality of their advice under a new performance framework, which has already attracted positive early statements from two top 10 firms including 'big three' member Mercer.
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OpinionMistakes of annuity regime are being repeated
From the blog: The willingness of government and regulators to take a pragmatic approach to so-called pensions freedom will be tested over the next few weeks.