All discount rate articles
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NewsLGPS employer contributions could rise despite improved funding
The Local Government Pension Scheme Scheme Advisory Board has noted the possibility of employer contribution rates rising, despite the expectation that many local authority schemes will have improved their funding positions — or even moved into surplus — as of March 31 2022.
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NewsFTSE 100 schemes see surplus hit £100bn record
On the go: Defined benefit schemes sponsored by FTSE 100 companies have seen their surplus on an IAS 19 basis hit a record £100bn in mid-May, according to new analysis.
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NewsBT slashes pensions deficit by £4bn in one year
On the go: BT has cut its defined benefit pensions deficit by £4bn in the year to March 31 2022, a fall partly attributed to a higher discount rate due to increased yields.
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NewsPublic sector pensions cost £57bn more than declared, report finds
The government is misleading parliament and the public over the cost to the taxpayer of public sector pensions, a report from the Institute of Economic Affairs has claimed, while raising further questions around the visibility of these pension schemes.
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NewsCalls for an inquiry over teachers’ 7-year contributions gap
Councillors have called for an independent inquiry to determine how 14 members of the Teachers’ Pension Agency found they were missing seven years’ pension contributions from their employer.
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NewsPublic sector schemes told to conclude 2016 valuations
The Government Actuary’s Department has agreed with HM Treasury that its amendments to the cost-control framework used in public sector schemes meet the government’s policy objectives, drawing a line under the troubled 2016 valuation process and allowing public sector schemes to complete these.
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NewsSTV Group reaches agreement on DB schemes’ valuations and funding
On the go: Glasgow-based media company STV Group has reached an agreement with the trustees of its two defined benefit schemes over its December 2020 funding valuations and recovery plans.
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NewsGovt presses ahead on public sector schemes cost-control reform
The government has announced its intention to push ahead with reform of the cost-control mechanism used in public sector pensions, despite criticism from some in the industry.
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NewsActuaries propose changes to public sector pension increases
The Association of Consulting Actuaries is calling on the government to change the way it calculates pension increases for unfunded public sector schemes, proposing that these are based on economic growth rather than inflation, as this would be “fairer” for future generations of taxpayers.
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NewsFirstGroup explores change in DB scheme discount rate
Bus and train operator FirstGroup is to engage in “strategic discussions” with its trustees, after the funding valuation for the First UK Bus Pension Scheme was finalised and improvements were made to its technical provisions.
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NewsAlmost a third of tranche 14 schemes in surplus
Detailed analysis of triennial valuations with due dates up to January 2021 has shown that almost one in three defined benefit and hybrid schemes are in surplus, but many pension funds face a headwind due to falling interest rates.
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NewsAon criticises USS valuation assumptions as ‘overly prudent’
Aon has criticised the methodology and assumptions underlying the Universities Superannuation Scheme trustee’s response to the USS valuation, accusing it of being overly prudent and failing to properly justify several of its assumptions.
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News
University employers urge USS to reconsider its valuation outcomes
On the go: Universities UK, which represents 340 Universities Superannuation Scheme employers, has written to the trustees of the scheme urging a rethink of its valuation outcomes.
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NewsUSS deficit increase requires ‘unaffordable’ contribution hikes
The Universities Superannuation Scheme’s deficit has quadrupled to more than £14bn, requiring contribution rate hikes from employers amounting to an “unaffordable” 56.2 per cent of payroll, according to figures announced on Wednesday.
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PodcastsPodcast: Tackling climate change will require a ‘step change’ in governance
Podcast: The government’s “revolutionary” plans to tackle climate change “ain’t half prescriptive” when it comes to pensions investments, and will require a “step change” in governance to achieve. So say Stuart O’Brien, partner at Sackers, and ITS director Tegs Harding, who also discuss the consequences of another row at the Universities Superannuation Scheme and the cartelisation of the advisory market.
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News
Thousands warn of ‘unjustified’ USS discount rate rises
More than 3,000 people have written to the trustees of the Universities Superannuation Scheme to criticise proposed changes to the valuation methodology that, they say, will result in its members and employers being overcharged by the scheme.
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OpinionHow much has DB regulation cost?
Iain Clacher and Con Keating investigate the cost, including lost tax on businesses’ profits, of ever-increasing contributions to defined benefit pension schemes.
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News
TPR’s fast-track proposal 'risks levelling down by employers'
Actuaries have expressed concern that the Pensions Regulator’s proposal of a ‘fast-track’ route for compliance, with its expectations on defined benefit funding, could spur market-leading employers to level down their approach.
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OpinionPension funds face a dilemma if negative rates materialise
The era of low interest rates has created challenges for trustees that could become acute and require redress if low interest rates become negative, writes Pavan Bhardwaj of Ross Trustees.
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News
Regulator rebuffs calls to abandon new DB code
On the go: The Pensions Regulator has dismissed calls from industry to halt its work on a new defined benefit funding code, arguing that the affordability principle it espouses is “even more important and relevant in the light of Covid-19”.