All Defined contribution articles – Page 88
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News
Pension freedoms see more than £7bn withdrawn in 2018
On the go: The UK’s fondness for pension freedoms continues unabated, with £1.9bn withdrawn from pension schemes under flexible pension rules in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to the latest HMRC figures published on Friday.
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PodcastsPodcast: ESG - Trustee investment duties explained
Podcast: New regulations coming into force this year mean pension schemes will be required to publish more-detailed statements of investment principles. These will address financially material environmental, social and governance risks, such as climate change. In this episode, Stuart O’Brien, a partner at law firm Sackers, discusses recent ESG-related developments, the danger of conflating ethical matters with ESG considerations, and explains how schemes can respond to member and pressure group queries.
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News
IFS: Bad assumptions damage annuity value assessment
On the go: Declining annuity sales are driven by individuals consistently underestimating how long they will live, according to new research form the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
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News
Government provides £329m safety net to Nest
On the go: The government has given Nest, the workplace pension provider, a contingent liability guarantee of £329m to enable it to comply with the tough new master trust regime amid accusations of unfair state aid.
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News
DB providers lag on administration with months-long info delays
Defined benefit pension providers are lagging behind their defined contribution counterparts when it comes to providing information necessary for advising members on matters such as pension freedoms, recent research has shown.
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News
Smart absorbs Lighthouse master trust as consolidation intensifies
On the go: Financial advice business Lighthouse Group has decided not to pursue authorisation for its master trust, handing over employers and members to competitor Smart Pension.
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OpinionHow to beat volatility in 2019
With an eye purely on the numbers, it might be tough to pinpoint exactly what has led to the worst year for stock markets since the end of the global financial crisis.
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Features
Cummins scheme introduces sharia-compliant option
The Cummins UK Pension Plan has launched a fund for defined contribution members wishing to invest their pension in compliance with sharia law, while experts call for better sharia pensions provision across the UK.
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News
FCA warns of looming retirement poverty prospect
On the go: Inadequate retirement incomes that do not meet consumers’ expectations remain the central challenge for the pensions industry, according to the Financial Conduct Authority.
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News
Accounts manager admits workplace pensions cover-up
On the go: A Bradford-based accounts manager lied to investigators to try to hide the fact that restaurants had not given their employees workplace pensions.
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News
Older workers look away from 'cliff-edge' retirement
Almost half of UK workers over the age of 50 prefer to transition gradually into retirement by blending work and retirement, according to a new study
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News
Master trusts slow to seek authorisation from TPR
On the go: Master trusts continue to be tardy in applying for authorisation from the Pensions Regulator, with the watchdog revealing that it has only received six applications for authorisation as at December 31 2018.
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News
144% rise in number of businesses fined for auto-enrolment errors
On the go: The number of businesses fined by the Pensions Regulator for auto-enrolment errors has climbed 144 per cent to 35,810 in 2017-18 from 14,650 in 2016-17, according to recent analysis by commercial law firm EMW.
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News
SFGB opens for business
On the go: The Single Financial Guidance Body launches this week, as three existing providers of government-sponsored financial guidance merge.
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News
ACA backs further AE reforms despite small employer opt-outs
Smaller employers expect a rise in the number of staff opting out of their auto-enrolment pension as minimum contribution rises bite, research has shown.
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News
Uber loses appeal over driver employment rights
On the go: Judges have dismissed an appeal against a ruling that Uber’s drivers should be treated as workers rather than as self-employed.
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News
Savers unfazed by AE contribution rises
Auto-enrolment savers have proved indifferent to a rise in their contribution rates imposed earlier this year, according to research, but the government remains unconvinced by the case for using inertia to tackle low self-employed saving rates.
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OpinionHow is UK schemes’ appetite for private market assets changing?
While private market investments that deliver protection, yield and diversification should continue to be attractive to schemes in 2019, implementation choices will be key to ensuring that outcomes for investors live up to expectations, according to bfinance’s Peter Hobbs and Sam Gervaise-Jones.
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Features
How can we get the ‘squeezed middle’ saving more for retirement?
Analysis: Research has shown that 35 to 49-year-olds are worried they are not saving enough for retirement, with many facing several financial challenges. So, what can be done to help this ‘squeezed middle’ group of workers put more towards a pension?
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News
TPR warns trustees to check scheme status or fall foul of the law
On the go: Trustees of some pension schemes may be in the dark over their status, potentially leading them to fall foul of master trust legislation that could close their scheme.