All articles by Emma Powell – Page 3
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NewsHow your scheme could benefit from the Arcadia CPI judgment
Employers have been encouraged to assess whether they can switch from the retail prices index to the consumer price index to reduce their liabilities, after a High Court ruling last week.
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News
Newly defined money purchase plans wake up to actuarial and comms obligations
Trustees and employers offering money purchase benefits may face increased member communication and valuation requirements as a result of the government’s new statutory definition.
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Features
Vodafone scheme completes CWW merger with £325m employer payment
Vodafone has contributed £325m to its defined benefit scheme as it completes the transfer of the Cable & Wireless Worldwide Retirement Plan, after purchasing the rival telecoms company in 2012.
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Features
NESPF beefs up governance to prep for Scottish LGPS reform
North East Scotland Pension Fund plans to establish a dedicated governance team – incorporating communication responsibilities – to deal with the increased workload produced by local government pension scheme reforms.
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News
Civil service employers face increased contributions after discount rate cut
Participating employers of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme will face an increase in their pension costs, due to a reduced discount rate, following government efforts to control public spending.
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Features
Imperial Tobacco ups employer contributions after funding drop
Imperial Tobacco has increased contributions to its UK defined benefit scheme to boost its winding-up funding level, which has dropped by 12 percentage points, according to its latest valuation.
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Features
Barking and Dagenham plans social housing investment to hedge inflation
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Pension Fund plans to invest around £25m in social housing in order to hedge against inflation and diversify away from traditional assets.
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Opinion
Avoiding a talking shop: how to get more out of your trustee meeting
Any other business: Economist and diplomat John Galbraith once said: “Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” But with fiduciary duty weighing heavily on trustees, board meetings must be a forum for effective decision-making.
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Features
Local government schemes reject forced passive CIV proposals
Local authority schemes have rejected government proposals to mandate pooling assets into a passively managed common investment vehicle, but did see benefits in other suggestions put forward.
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Features
EE closes scheme to future accrual on affordability concerns
Telecoms company EE has closed the defined benefit section of its scheme to future accrual in order to equalise benefits offered to members in a structure which will be more sustainable for the company.
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Features
Isle of Wight fund mulls ethical investment policy after council reclaims public health role
Isle of Wight Pension Fund is considering setting its own policy on social, environmental and ethical factors to be considered when making investment decisions, after the council took back responsibility for public health.
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FeaturesCaterpillar trims active equities to fill LDI buffer fund
Caterpillar Pension Plan has cut its active equity exposure and plans to sell out of property as part of a trigger-based derisking strategy to boost its liability-driven investment portfolio.
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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.
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Opinion
Kingfisher reviews its DC set-up to meet newfound flexibilities
Kingfisher Pension Scheme is planning to review member outcomes as it looks to make sure its default fund fits with the greater at-retirement flexibility opened up by the Budget.
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Features
How JPMorgan and RBS give DC members retirement flexibility
JPMorgan and Royal Bank of Scotland are working to offer members of their defined contribution schemes flexibility in how they access their retirement savings, in light of the Budget reforms.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.