Latest articles from Meike Wijers

Second-tier wins out against core property investments

The ground underneath the bricks and mortar asset class trembled after the downturn in 2008, when a housing and mortgage implosion triggered the global financial crisis.

LGPS given reform blueprint to cut costs

News analysis: Local government pension schemes are being called upon to increase governance and change investment structures to save taxpayers £1bn a year.

Encouraging trustees to embrace sustainability

News analysis: Industry experts are coming up with inventive ways to help schemes allocate more of their assets towards sustainable and responsible investments, but pension funds are lagging behind.  

Members need push to use scheme calculators

The use of pension charges calculators to inform members has become the norm for pension funds, industry experts say, but member engagement is still low.

Schemes turn to 'esoteric' ABFs to fill deficits

News analysis: Schemes are being forced to be more creative in finding assets to back funding, industry experts have said, following deals using brands, intellectual property and whiskey.

Pip battles into infra market to drive down fees

The Pensions Infrastructure Platform is moving closer towards establishing a framework for how investments will be managed and allocated, but the route to launch has been peppered with challenges, finds this report from our The Specialist series.

BA communicates with members on growth objective

BA teaser

The Pensions Regulator’s new objective to support employer growth has filtered through to members of the British Airways pension schemes, where trustees have met with the airline and regulator as part of the valuation process.

EC tentative on IORP II deadline amid criticism

The European Commission has stepped back from its summer deadline for publishing a new Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision, as more national pension fund associations voice scepticism over its timeframe.

Experts divided on takeover code change implications

News analysis: Legal experts are split on whether changes to the takeover code coming into effect today have any impact on the power of pension schemes whose sponsors are the target of a merger or acquisition.

2012 saw rise in derisking deals, but drop in value

Growth in derisking deals

Data analysis: Last year saw the greatest number of £100m-plus individual derisking deals made by schemes since 2008, despite an overall drop in the volume of business, according to new data.