All Features articles – Page 32
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Features
Solvency reform could boost cat bond value for schemes
Demand for insurance-linked securities such as catastrophe bonds has been rising even as yields have been decreasing, as consultants expect Solvency II to increase supply.
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Features
SME says auto-enrolment a 'doddle', advice unnecessary
F2 Chemicals has become the latest employer to question the need for external advice and has offered staff a new defined contribution scheme paying in more than the statutory minimum, ahead of its 2015 staging date.
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Features
AE non-compliance expected to increase as SMEs stage
News analysis: Consultants have urged employers auto-enrolling this year to ensure they are dedicating enough resources to the process, with the Pensions Regulator raising concerns about non-compliance.
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FeaturesStrathclyde rebalances bond portfolio in drive for greater returns
Strathclyde Pension Fund has decreased its allocation to corporate bonds in favour of a wider absolute return bond strategy, to rebalance its portfolio as spreads tighten.
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FeaturesAsset-backed funding on the rise as schemes beef up security
Industry experts have predicted asset-backed funding strategies would survive a Scottish independence 'Yes' vote as well as current regulatory scrutiny, as greater accessibility has seen the average size of these structures decrease.
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Features
Push to extend trustee diversity efforts to company board selections
NAPF Investment Conference 2014: Pension trustee boards can provide a governance training ground for mid-level executives looking to get onto company boards, but diversity efforts have stumbled among member-nominated trustees, experts have said.
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Features
Charges cap stifles investment sophistication, say experts
NAPF Investment Conference 2014: A cap on annual management charges could lead to some actively managed funds becoming unavailable to defined contribution schemes, industry figures have said, as they called for greater transparency and innovation in DC investment.
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FeaturesRPMI ups emerging market exposure to drive returns
NAPF Investment Conference 2014: The Railways Pension Scheme aired plans to increase its exposure to emerging markets, including investment in alternatives, as it seeks further return drivers.
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Features
How do you approach LDI with schemes that do not already have it in place?
Barker Tatham's Steve Barker, PTL's Richard Butcher, Spence's Marian Elliott, Legal & General Investment Management's Laura Brown, Axa Investment Managers' Jonathan Crowther and Redington's Dan Mikulskis discuss schemes' first steps in the market.
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FeaturesLiability-driven investment: assets, strategies, innovation
A panel of experts debate the increased use of liability-driven investment in the UK, whether there is any alternative to gilt investment, and where innovation is coming from, in this four-part discussion.
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Features
Digesting the latest government figures on DC quality and charges
The Department for Work and Pensions' latest survey of 1,321 DC plans and providers gave a comprehensive picture of the charges at UK pension funds.
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Features
Plumbing scheme offers lower contribution rate to tempt employers
The Plumbing and Mechanical Services Industry Pension Scheme will offer a lower contribution scale to new employers joining the career average scheme, to help it compete with defined contribution arrangements.
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Features
Schemes weigh up long-term value in Japanese equities
News analysis: Despite recent turbulence, Japanese economic prospects opened the window for pension schemes to invest in the country's equities market, consultants have said – provided investors approach it with caution.
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Features
M&S sizes up auto-escalation to improve outcomes
Marks and Spencer is considering what auto-escalation could do to improve member outcomes as it looks to raise the quality of its provision following auto-enrolment.
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Features
Essex merges functions after admissions rise
Essex Pension Fund has combined its employer, investment and administration teams into a single structure to deal with an increased number of employers joining the scheme.
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FeaturesManagers’ examples on reducing risks from 2013
Year in review: Pension managers and trustees took a variety of measures to protect their members’ benefits, Pensions Week reported over the past year, from more efficient administration software to covenant safeguards.
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Features
How Carillion managed ‘year-long’ longevity swap project
Carillion improved its governance and data to ensure a good deal on its £1bn longevity swap, as it sought to hedge greater-than-anticipated life expectancy among members of its defined benefit schemes.
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Features
Royal Mail to address member knowledge gap
Royal Mail Pension Plan is considering a revamp of its communications strategy after more than half of its members said they do not understand how their scheme works.
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FeaturesHalf of DC schemes opt for multi-asset defaults
Data analysis: Almost half (49 per cent) of defined contribution schemes now employ a multi-asset or diversified growth fund in the default phase, reflecting a desire to manage investment volatility for scheme members.
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Features
Berkshire revisits absolute return to boost performance
The Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund is reevaluating the structure of its absolute return portfolio following the failure to achieve its benchmark target.