All Costs and charges articles – Page 3
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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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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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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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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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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.
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NewsAlmost one in 10 cut contributions amid cost of living crisis
On the go: Almost one in 10 people (7 per cent) are planning to reduce their workplace pension contributions as the cost of living crisis continues to escalate, according to research from Barnett Waddingham.
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NewsOpperman rebuffs Timms’ FAS criticism
On the go: Prior to his resignation, pensions minister Guy Opperman rejected Work and Pensions Committee chair Sir Stephen Timms’ criticisms over the Financial Assistance Scheme compensation cap.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes will have a tough job weighing up discretionary increases
Podcast: A difficult balance must be struck where schemes are considering discretionary increases: alleviating the cost of living crisis for some members will have to be weighed against the needs of the current workforce. Aon partner Lynda Whitney is joined by Tim Middleton, director of policy and external affairs at the Pensions Management Institute, to discuss this dilemma, as well as the progress of the McCloud remedy and schemes’ dashboard readiness.
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NewsOrigo launches pensions dashboard connector
On the go: Fintech company Origo is to launch its own pensions dashboard connector in September, giving providers an interface with the dashboards that enables them to respond to user requests and provide pensions data.
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NewsTwo-thirds of small schemes unaware of VfM requirements
On the go: The majority of schemes with less than £100mn in assets were unaware of their new value for money duties, with the Pensions Regulator prompting these pension funds to “either wind up or take prompt action to make improvements”.
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NewsLGPS escapes McCloud cost-cap breach
On the go: The Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales, alongside its Scottish and Northern Irish equivalents, has avoided the cost-cap breach suffered by a number of other public sector schemes resulting from the impact of the McCloud remedy cost on their 2016 valuations.
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NewsDWP’s dashboards consultation criticised over launch date proposals
A second government consultation into pensions dashboards has been criticised over plans to give schemes just 90 days’ notice before the dashboards go live, with experts warning of a capacity crunch.
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NewsPDP connects first commercial dashboard provider
On the go: The Pensions Dashboards Programme has completed the connection of the first commercial dashboard provider, alongside another integrated service provider.