All Costs and charges articles – Page 3
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News‘Millions to lose out’ as court rejects RPI reform appeal
Industry commentators have warned that millions of pensioners stand to “lose out” after the High Court rejected a judicial review, brought by some of the country’s largest defined benefit schemes, against the government’s plans to replace the retail price index with the consumer price index including housing.
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NewsLGPS calls for ‘future-proofing’ benefits against discrimination
On the go: The chair of the Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board, councillor Roger Phillips, has written to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities asking for reforms to discriminatory death and survivor benefits in the LGPS, and to protect the scheme against future legal challenges.
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NewsStrikes ‘likely’ over TfL pension changes as funding deal reached
Changes to the TfL Pension Fund will be required as part of a financial support package agreed between the government, Transport for London and the mayor of London, with a plan to be presented in September. But unions have rejected the deal, and warned that more strikes are “likely”.
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News‘Disingenuous’ pension proposals will not fix NHS staffing crisis
The government’s proposed pension rules tweaks around “retire and return” for some NHS Pension Scheme members, in a bid to tackle the mounting staff retention crisis, have been criticised by commentators who argue that the changes do not go far enough.
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NewsNearly half of lowest-income retirees are single women
On the go: Nearly half of retired households in the lowest-income group are made up of women living alone, official figures have shown.
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NewsPASA issues call to action on dashboards data matching
On the go: The Pensions Administration Standards Association has urged schemes to act now on data matching in preparation for dashboards, deciding how to digitally compare and match “find requests” from users against their records.
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NewsCivil service union issues strike ultimatum
The Public and Commercial Services Union has threatened the government with strikes in the civil service unless it accedes to demands for improved pay, pensions and job security.
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NewsNationwide university strike ballots set for September 6
The University and College Union has confirmed that strike ballots over pensions, pay and conditions will be held on September 6, potentially paving the way for “unprecedented” nationwide industrial action.
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NewsUCU threatens ‘unprecedented strikes’ as USS reaches surplus
The University and College Union has strongly criticised the decision to cut staff benefits, as the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s June monitoring report reveals a surplus of £1.8bn and universities prepare to embark on billions of pounds in capital expenditure.
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NewsDelaying retirement by a day could leave members £10,000 better off
Delaying retirement by a day could leave members £10,000 better off in retirement due to the way members’ benefits are calculated based on short-term inflation rates, according to research from XPS Pensions Group.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes struggle to educate members amid cost of living crisis
Podcast: Members should be able to consider dipping into their pensions early to combat the cost of living crisis, but schemes may struggle to educate them about the best means of doing so without giving them advice. Society of Pensions Professionals president Steve Hitchiner is joined by AgeWage chief executive Henry Tapper, founder of the Pension Playpen, to discuss recession fears, consumer protection for dashboards, and expanding long-term asset funds.
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NewsCornish housing association pilots ‘living pension’
On the go: A Cornish housing association is piloting a ‘living pension’ scheme for its employees, building on research that suggests some savers’ pension contributions will need to rise to more than double their current rate.
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NewsPublic sector retirees face higher exit payment scrutiny
Substantial exit payments resulting from pension strain arrangements in the public sector will likely see people nearing retirement having their cases referred to HM Treasury, under a proposed new regime.
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NewsUSS annual report shows significant improvement but angers unions
The significant improvement in the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s funding position and resilience has angered the University and College Union, which argued that benefit cuts implemented in April were “totally unnecessary” in light of the scheme’s strength.
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NewsUSS review sees ‘much improved’ deficit cut by £12bn
Despite an accelerated year-end review conducted by the Universities Superannuation Scheme revealing a “much improved deficit”, with a reduction of £12bn, the trustee board is reluctant to agree to interim changes to benefits of contribution rates before the scheme’s 2023 valuation.
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NewsPension savers prioritise returns over ‘investment big bang’
On the go: Less than a fifth of pension savers think that investing their pensions in companies or assets that would benefit their local area should be prioritised, new research has revealed.
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NewsClearGlass: Passive ESG funds provide value for money
On the go: Passive environmental, social and governance funds are cheaper and outperform their non-ESG equivalents, representing value for money, according to a study by ClearGlass Research.
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NewsArmed forces scheme books £200mn cost for incorrect benefits
On the go: The Armed Forces Pension Scheme has recorded a £200mn cost linked to incorrect benefits received by discharged personnel.
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OpinionFive factors to consider before investing in illiquid alternatives
Despite providing important diversification for schemes’ portfolios, illiquid assets are expensive and complex to manage, writes Jeremy Spira, portfolio manager at Charles Stanley Fiduciary Management.
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NewsCost of living crisis makes AE expansion unwise
Expanding auto-enrolment during a cost of living crisis would significantly undermine retirement resilience, with low-income earners seeing their surplus income decrease by almost a quarter, according to a new report from Hargreaves Lansdown.