All Costs and charges articles – Page 26
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News
How lifting Nest restrictions could affect the market
The lifting of restrictions on contributions and transfers to state-backed mastertrust Nest will make it more compelling for employers, but a rival mastertrust has called for oversight of its funding arrangements.
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News
Railpen chief’s fees comments trigger transparency calls
Industry figures have called for more transparency around charges from asset managers after Railpen Investments said upfront fees were as little as a fifth of its total fees paid.
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Features
Xerox to protect repayment power amid legal uncertainty
Xerox Final Salary Pension Scheme is planning a resolution allowing it to continue to make repayments to its sponsor, but legal experts are split on whether such a move is necessary or will even be effective.
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News
Civil service employers face increased contributions after discount rate cut
Participating employers of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme will face an increase in their pension costs, due to a reduced discount rate, following government efforts to control public spending.
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Features
Local government schemes reject forced passive CIV proposals
Local authority schemes have rejected government proposals to mandate pooling assets into a passively managed common investment vehicle, but did see benefits in other suggestions put forward.
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Features
EE closes scheme to future accrual on affordability concerns
Telecoms company EE has closed the defined benefit section of its scheme to future accrual in order to equalise benefits offered to members in a structure which will be more sustainable for the company.
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Opinion
LPFA: Illiquids, fees and scale in our investment approach
Talking head: The London Pensions Fund Authority’s director of pensions Mike Allen discusses the “need for positive change” in local government pension funds, and how the LPFA’s approach to growth and matching assets has changed.
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News
How the Law Commission report affects your scheme
The Law Commission has released what has been branded a “common sense” guide for trustees, clarifying their fiduciary duties in respect of responsible investment as well as weighing in on defined contribution scheme governance.
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News
Covenant-lite market expands as small schemes digest DB code
Small and medium-sized employers’ pension schemes are finding greater access to pared-down, lower-cost covenant assessments following the Pensions Regulator’s revised defined benefit code of practice, which has increased focus on employer strength.
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Features
Schemes line up bulk commutation after Budget grants derisking opp
Consultants have reported more schemes considering bulk trivial commutation exercises, in an attempt to drive down administration costs and liabilities, after the amount members could take as a lump sum was increased.
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News
Schemes face costly tax defeat after HMRC ruling
Defined benefit schemes have been urged by advisers to take steps to ensure they can continue to recover VAT on professional services, following an unexpected legal interpretation from HM Revenue & Customs.
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Opinion
Checking the price tag: evaluating the charges obsession
Data analysis: The Budget reforms signal an age of greater plurality in retirement possibilities for members.
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News
Fifth of smaller employers failing to prepare for AE
One in five small businesses are not currently preparing for auto-enrolment, research has shown, as concern grows around smaller employers’ ability to comply with the legislation.
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News
Override sought ahead of state pension reforms
Legal experts have called for a statutory override in scheme rules to avoid members getting more benefits than originally intended from bridging pensions, as the industry approaches the switch to a single-tier state pension in 2016.
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News
Transfer industry: pot-follows-member transfers can cost just £1
Pension transfer systems have countered concerns raised by industry figures that implementing pot-follows-member could result in high costs, which may be passed onto members.
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News
Disclose hidden transaction costs, report urges asset managers
Asset managers should disclose the full transaction costs rather than just the headline annual management charge, the Pensions Institute has urged, to allow investors to assess the value of their investments.
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News
Webb seeks to alleviate scheme guidance concerns
Pensions minister Steve Webb has tried to assuage the concerns of defined contribution schemes by implying the guaranteed retirement guidance could be delivered in less intensive ways than face-to-face meetings.
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News
Local authority schemes welcome government CIVs
Local authority pension schemes have come out in support of proposals to pool local government pension scheme assets into two common investment vehicles.
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Features
Employers ensure AMD ban does not drive up active member fees
Employers have managed to keep active scheme member fees steady while scrapping higher charges for deferred members, after one provider agreed to swallow the cost of next year’s ban.
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Opinion
Criticism of fid man selection and transparency is unfounded
Aon Hewitt’s Sion Cole mounts a robust defence of the fee structures, manager selection and performance metrics at play in fiduciary management mandates, in the latest Informed Comment.