Latest articles from Sarah Cowburn

Managing relationships with your auditor

Bloomberg

Any other business: Having your scheme audited might feel like getting teeth pulled, but like the dentists of this world, auditors are a necessary evil.

Transaction charges: What? Why? When?

From the blog: Debate about the disclosure of transaction charges has made waves across the pensions industry this year. Will the autumn bring a fresh set of challenges and paperwork for trustees and independent governance committees? Or is it possible to draw answers from information already out there? 

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The Weekly Wrap: August 14 edition

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A round-up of the pensions industry stories published across the FT Group this week – from a management buyout of Wealth at Work, to the FCA winning a High Court injunction against a Swiss fund manager and Hungarian traders.

What the latest PPF 7800 data means for your scheme

From the blog: The great and the good of the pensions industry might be kicking back on the beach this month but the ongoing challenge of managing scheme liabilities awaits September’s return to reality.

With an interest rate rise on the year-end horizon, schemes may be looking to refresh their derisking strategies – but with rises already priced in they may need to seek duration protection in alternative assets.

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Stamp dealer takes adviser to task over admin issues

Stamp (Getty)

Stamp trader Stanley Gibbons sought redress from a former adviser after issues were raised concerning the company’s scheme rules, a move that has cost the scheme £1.7m in legal fees.

Charity on board with AE early-mover advantages

A micro employer has set up a non-contributory auto-enrolment plan three years ahead of its staging date, as the Pensions Regulator steps up support for smaller businesses seeking a provider.

Lothian targets income in global equities

Lothian Pension Fund upped its allocation to lower-risk global equities last year aiming to target a regular income from growing dividends, as schemes battle to find attractive yields at a fair price.

The Weekly Wrap: July 17 edition

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A round-up of the week’s pension stories across the FT Group, from a consultation launched by the Work and Pensions Select Committee on pension freedom guidance, to South Korea's national pension service voting on Samsung's merger.  

 

Pension scams: Time to fight back

Staying one step ahead of 'shapeshifting' pension scammers has to be a continual process. This month sees pension and consumer bodies ramp up the pension liberation awareness message.

Covenant lessons from the Greek crisis

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Any Other Business: Alexis Tsipras was forced to yield to an aggressive economic supervision programme by eurozone leaders on Monday and agreed to hand over €50bn of Greek assets for privatisation, bank recapitalisation and debt repayment.