All Features articles – Page 31
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Features
LPFA reports doubling in employers needing covenant review
The London Pensions Fund Authority’s risk-based approach to setting contribution rates has identified around twice the number of employers that may need to provide greater solvency guarantees after its recent valuation.
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Features
Employers ensure AMD ban does not drive up active member fees
Employers have managed to keep active scheme member fees steady while scrapping higher charges for deferred members, after one provider agreed to swallow the cost of next year’s ban.
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Features
Hampshire funding level jumps after sticking with heavy equity weighting
Hampshire Pension Fund has benefited from keeping its faith in equities, seeing its funding level increase by 8 percentage points over three years as a result of strong investment returns and additional employer contributions.
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Features
NESPF automates employer data submission to plug gaps
North East Scotland Pension Fund is working towards implementing a fully automated process for employers submitting member data, after narrowly failing to hit all the Pensions Regulator’s targets for common data accuracy.
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Features
Accounting body pushes government to scrap outdated reporting regs
Industry body Pensions Research Accountants Group, together with the Financial Reporting Council, has had initial discussions with the government on jettisoning out-of-date requirements for pension scheme reporting to make way for its own enhanced disclosure regime.
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Features
Regulator reports sharp rise in non-compliance as AE expands
The number of employers failing to comply with their auto-enrolment duties over two months to March 25 nearly matched figures for the entirety of 2013, as the amount of organisations auto-enrolling ramps up.
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Features
Lancashire increases employer contributions to mitigate maturing membership
Lancashire Pension Fund has added lump-sum payments to its annual employer contributions to make up for reduced cash flow from a declining active membership.
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Features
NHS scheme moves to improve struggling employer comms
The NHS Pension Scheme will tailor its communication to different employer types to provide them with more support in fulfilling their obligations, after a survey revealed substantial criticism of its approach.
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Features
IBM case a lesson to consider scheme history
Schemes must look at historical context when considering and communicating benefit changes, lawyers have urged, after the High Court ruled earlier this month that technology company IBM breached its duty of good faith with employees when closing its defined benefit scheme.
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FeaturesTfL faces fresh demands for contract worker DB membership
Transport union RMT has reignited calls for all Transport for London employees undertaking work on a contract basis to be allowed to join its defined benefit pension fund.
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Features
Selex empowers members on AVCs with website add-on
The Selex Pension Scheme has extended the functionality of its online pensions software as it seeks to drive engagement among its members.
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Features
LPFA boosts in-house investment team as it focuses on illiquids
The London Pensions Fund Authority is strengthening its in-house investment capabilities in order to reduce investment costs and diversify further into illiquid assets.
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Features
BT suspends flexible retirement options during review
BT has suspended its flexible retirement option while it reviews the conditions under which it will consent to BT Pension Scheme members taking early payment of their pension while continuing to work at the communications company.
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FeaturesLafarge doubles contributions to cut deficit
Building materials manufacturer Lafarge has more than doubled its contributions to its UK pension fund after scheme and sponsor negotiated a beefed-up recovery plan to tackle the funding deficit.
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Features
Schemes mull increased benefits for same-sex spouses
Schemes are considering whether to set benefits provided to same-sex husbands and wives at or above the statutory minimum, lawyers have reported, with the first marriages taking place last week.
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Features
Local authority scheme members flock to beat AVC tax deadline
Local government scheme members are rushing to take their entire additional voluntary contributions as tax-free cash after widespread communication campaigns, before the option is expected to expire as LGPS reforms come into effect tomorrow.
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Features
SME achieves almost zero opt-outs after enrolling early
Chartered surveyor Dalcour Maclaren has secured a virtually entire take-up of its defined contribution plan since it auto-enrolled its small workforce last year, and now the company is looking to streamline administration of the scheme.
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Features
Budget prompts schemes to revisit lifestyle and annuity options
Schemes that default members into annuity brokerage services are considering the implications of last week’s Budget announcement, with calls for the rules around income drawdown to be simplified.
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FeaturesMineworkers scheme extends cash buffer to battle rising longevity
The Mineworkers Pension Scheme has secured a 10-year extension to the repayment deadline of its government-backed investment reserve, as it works to manage increased longevity among scheme members.
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Features
Local authority schemes expect modeller to boost engagement
Scheme managers hope a new pensions modeller will stop members opting out as result of local government pension scheme changes by showing them how their benefits will be affected by the reforms.