All Covenant articles – Page 9
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News
Trustees lukewarm on consolidator benefits
On the go: Most defined benefit trustees doubt the ability of commercial consolidators to improve their members’ security, according to a new survey that also reveals widespread ignorance of the two new players in the market.
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OpinionWhat to consider when agreeing a recovery plan in 2019
Matt Harrison, managing director at covenant specialists Lincoln Pensions, explains how recovery plans have been agreed in practice and how this may change due to an evolving regulatory landscape.
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OpinionPre-pack administrations are not the bogeyman they seem
Pre-pack administrations have been back in the headlines and often provoke outcry, but where due process is followed they can protect the value of company assets and treat pension scheme creditors fairly, writes RSM’s Guy Mander.
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OpinionSouthern Water case: How TPR ensures schemes are treated fairly
Southern Water has agreed higher deficit repair contributions after an investigation carried out by the Pensions Regulator. The case demonstrates how the watchdog is taking action to ensure schemes are treated fairly, says Nicola Parish, executive director of frontline regulation.
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News
Southern Water agrees higher DRCs after regulator investigation
Utility company Southern Water has agreed to pay significantly higher deficit repair contributions under a shorter recovery period, following an investigation by the Pensions Regulator.
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NewsNo-deal Brexit a possibility as McVey and others quit
Esther McVey has resigned as secretary of state for work and pensions amid a raft of cabinet resignations, raising speculation about the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the pensions sector.
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NewsHammond’s Budget looks to unlock DC savings for patient capital
The government is to consult next year on whether the charge cap for defined contribution default funds should be changed to unlock greater investment in patient capital, as part of a Budget with significant implications for DC savers.
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Features
Testing times for charity DB pension schemes
At the beginning of last year, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds closed its defined benefit pension fund and replaced it with a new defined contribution scheme.
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OpinionDo not be afraid to say no to weakening covenants in credit
As structural protections on offer to credit investors weaken in several European markets, M&G’s Annabel Gillard argues that a good manager is one who is not afraid to hold dry powder when risks are unrewarded.
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News
FTSE 100 DB risk drops nearly a quarter
The aggregate risk across FTSE 100 defined benefit schemes has fallen to its lowest level in four years, according to research that seeks to integrate covenant and investment risk.
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OpinionWhat might the govt’s regime for commercial consolidators entail?
Since the Department for Work and Pensions published its white paper on defined benefit sustainability, two DB commercial consolidators have emerged. Paul McGlone, president of the Society of Pension Professionals and partner at Aon, discusses what the government’s authorisation and supervision process for commercial consolidation might look like.
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News
More than 40 schemes in talks with Clara
Commercial consolidator Clara Pensions has entered into talks with more than 40 defined benefit pension schemes regarding potential transfers into the superfund, management has revealed.
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Features
Trustees pour cold water on wild consolidator claims
The Edi Truell-backed Pension SuperFund has been no stranger to controversy in its short lifespan.
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OpinionTrustees must not shirk responsibility on DB transfers
From the blog: The Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund has, in common with many other defined benefit pension schemes, seen a significant increase in transfers out of the fund since the introduction of pensions freedoms introduced three years ago under the then pensions minister, Steve Webb.
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PodcastsPodcast: How should trustees be monitoring their employer covenant?
Podcast: Over the last few years, headlines highlighting several high-profile defined benefit pension cases have hammered home the importance of having a strong covenant. Mark Evans, director at Independent Trustee Services, and Adolfo Aponte, director at covenant specialists Lincoln Pensions, explain how trustees can keep tabs on their employer.
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OpinionRegulation must adapt to protect members in consolidation deals
Darren Redmayne from Lincoln Pensions outlines the regulatory and guidance framework that could help facilitate safe transfers to commercial consolidators, and the steps defined benefit trustees might take in the interim.
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News
DB governance: Small schemes fail to keep pace
Small defined benefit schemes are still lagging behind their larger counterparts when it comes to governance standards, new research from the Pensions Regulator has shown.
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News
Regulator calls for schemes to consider lowering transfer values
On the go: The Pensions Regulator has asked the trustees of several defined benefit schemes to contemplate cutting transfer values for workers opting out of schemes.
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News
Renishaw in recovery plan discussion with regulator
British engineering company Renishaw has been in discussions with the Pensions Regulator after the watchdog questioned its recovery plan, potentially leading to a £45m cash contribution to the scheme if the current recovery plan is terminated.
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News
Record corporate debts – a covenant warning signal?
UK companies’ net debts hit record highs over 2017/18, a new study has found, prompting concerns about how some sponsors of the UK’s defined benefit pension schemes will weather a turn in the interest rate cycle.