All Defined benefit articles – Page 192
-
News
Northern Powergrid scheme looks to reduce risk with new investment strategy
Northern Powergrid Group Pension Scheme is exploring alternative means of reducing risk as its investment strategy matures, and is reviewing its property investment after “stagnant” performance.
-
News
Schemes plough £24bn into gilts despite low yields
Pension schemes compelled last year to derisk at historically low yields quadrupled the previous year’s gilt purchases, according to official data that have left investment experts surprised.
-
FeaturesSiemens shrinks deficit with asset-backed funding deal
Engineering and electronics company Siemens has set up a Scottish limited partnership for its UK defined benefit scheme to provide additional security for members, shutting a large part of its deficit and stabilising the company’s cash flow.
-
News
Daily Mail grabs alternative inflation linkage in place of pricey gilts
The Daily Mail and General Trust pension fund has used alternative assets to provide inflation linkage, after demand and monetary policy drove up the cost of using gilts to mitigate inflation risk.
-
News10,000 retained firefighters could take up benefits extension, union predicts
The UK’s largest firefighters union has said 10,000 ‘retained’ personnel are expected to take up the option of extended pension benefits, which bring them into line with those offered to their full-time peers.
-
Opinion
Has the shine come off emerging markets? Five key charts
Apparently so, according to a report released this week by Create Research and Principal Global Investors. Emerging markets have been plagued with underperformance for years and were hit especially hard when the US Federal Reserve announced its plans to begin tapering its quantitative easing programme.
-
Features
Islington to build on residential property bet in alts push
Islington Council's pension fund plans to reduce its allocation to equities and diversify further into alternatives, in a stated desire to gain greater and more stable returns.
-
News
Revised DB code emphasises integrated risk management
The Pensions Regulator this week released a new code of practice for defined benefit schemes, focusing on trustees and employers working collaboratively on scheme funding.
-
News
Buy-in market predicted to reach new heights
The amount of scheme liabilities underwritten by insurers is expected to reach a record high this year as buy-ins become more affordable and scheme confidence grows, derisking consultants have said.
-
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.
-
Features
BAA picks long-lease property as schemes hunt inflation linkage
BAA Pension Scheme has allocated £100m to long-lease property, as defined benefit schemes continue to invest in the asset class to act as a long-dated inflation hedge, consultants have said.
-
Features
Shell surpasses legal minimum by equalising same-sex spouse benefits
Shell has gone above the legal minimum to guarantee same-sex married couples equal spousal benefits in its defined benefit pension fund, while other schemes have maintained a tiered benefit for same-sex partners.
-
NewsPPF targets transparency with insolvency levy changes
Schemes will be able to more precisely focus their efforts to reduce their Pension Protection Fund levy, following the lifeboat’s proposals to make its insolvency risk system more transparent.
-
NewsGilt yield falls confound expectations and depress funding
Investment advisers have been taken by surprise by the recent drop in government bond yields which have inflated schemes’ liabilities and delayed derisking strategies.
-
News
PPF assesses out-of-cycle valuations for schemes affected by 'money purchase' definition
The Pension Protection Fund launched a consultation last week to assess the material change in risk to the lifeboat brought about by the changes to the definition of money purchase benefits, which will come into force later this year.
-
Features
Mercer parent shuts DB scheme to equalise benefits
Marsh & McLennan Companies, the US-based parent of global consultancy Mercer, has decided to close its UK defined benefit scheme to future accrual in a stated attempt to create a level playing field between employees.
-
NewsPharma company sees tenth of staff up contributions after face-to-face comms
Pharmaceutical company Bayer has seen increased engagement from employees towards pension saving after a communication campaign relying heavily on face-to-face interaction.
-
News
University calls for greater employer control within LGPS
The University of East London has called for a greater say in the running of the Barking & Dagenham Pension Fund, as it says funding the scheme has become a growing financial burden.
-
NewsNext splits pension fund in bid to turn buy-in to buyout
High-street retailer Next is planning to complete a partial buyout worth around £150m within three months, after completing an innovative split of its pension fund to hive off the lion’s share of its pensioner liabilities.
-
News
Wiltshire: Early engagement key to managing LGPS reform
The head of Wiltshire Pension Fund said early engagement has been crucial to its implementation of this year’s Local Government Pension Scheme reforms, as local authority decision-makers stress the importance of staff training.