All Governance articles – Page 20

  • News

    IGCs face ‘huge challenges’ with extended oversight remits

    2019-12-17T00:00:00Z

    The new rules coming into force for independent governance committees – taking oversight of the provider’s policy on environmental, social and governance factors, and guaranteeing the value for money of new investment pathway solutions – have been branded a “huge challenge” by industry experts.

  • News

    Ombudsman sides with Shell on climate change dispute

    2019-12-10T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Ombudsman has sided with the Shell Contributory Pension Fund in the legal challenge regarding the disclosure of climate change information, which has prompted environmental lawyers ClientEarth to request the body to review its internal procedures.

  • News

    Brunel appoints managers for £2.6bn alpha equity mandate

    2019-12-10T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Brunel Pension Partnership has appointed five managers to run a £2.6bn Global High Alpha fund for its 10 Local Government Pension Scheme clients.

  • News

    Only three asset managers ‘walking the walk’ on climate change

    2019-11-28T00:00:00Z

    Among the world’s 15 largest asset managers, only three companies are making the grade on environmental, social and governance considerations, a report from InfluenceMap shows.

  • David Weeks
    Opinion

    Fix democratic deficit before mandating professional trustees

    2019-11-21T00:00:00Z

    If the Pensions Regulator really wants a professional trustee on every board, it should prove that this will add value, says the Association of Member Nominated Trustees’ David Weeks, arguing that more immediate action should be taken to address weakening member representation on scheme boards.

  • Amanda Burdge
    Opinion

    Is more needed to clean up fiduciary management?

    2019-11-11T00:00:00Z

    Quantum Advisory’s Amanda Burdge says the welcome Competition and Markets Authority remedies for fiduciary management still leave the door open for managers to mark their own scorecards in some situations.

  • Lesley Carline
    Opinion

    Introduction of professional trustees should be gradual

    2019-10-24T00:00:00Z

    The industry remains divided over whether trustee boards should be mandated to appoint a professional trustee because, while they might improve standards, they also lead to an increase in costs. To tackle this, the Pensions Management Institute’s Lesley Carline explains why the regulator should adopt a phased introduction of professional trustees.

  • News

    Nearly one in five schemes use FM as green issues come to the fore

    2019-10-24T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Despite a regulatory investigation, assets managed by fiduciary managers have broken the £170bn barrier, up 21 per cent from £142bn in 2018.

  • News

    FRC unveils stewardship code addressing ESG engagement

    2019-10-23T00:00:00Z

    On the go: A new code from the Financial Reporting Council dictates how asset managers and pension funds should engage with companies for better environmental and social outcomes, including on climate change.

  • News

    Opperman pushes 50 largest funds to lead way on climate change

    2019-10-07T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Pensions and financial inclusion minister Guy Opperman has written to the largest pension funds in the UK, reminding them to pull their weight in the fight against climate change.

  • Opinion

    Seven features that define DB pension schemes

    2019-10-03T00:00:00Z

    Jonathan Libre, a principal in the Emea Insights team at Broadridge Financial Solutions, discusses seven key factors that define DB pension funds, and how they can provide a useful framework through which schemes can be examined. 

  • News

    TPR: 400 schemes fail to review data within three years

    2019-10-02T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Pensions Regulator is demanding that four hundred pension schemes review their data urgently within six months as part of a crackdown on poor record-keeping, with tough sanctions for non-compliance.

  • Features

    Catherine Howarth: ESG statements are just the start

    2019-09-30T00:00:00Z

    Pension schemes are engaging with issues such as climate change more than ever before, but there is still a lot of work to do before the industry starts seeing real implementation and delivery, says ShareAction’s chief executive, Catherine Howarth.

  • Donny Hay
    Opinion

    Site visits: Get to know a fiduciary manager before you tie the knot

    2019-09-30T00:00:00Z

    Selecting a fiduciary manager is just like marriage: you want to take time to select the right partner. Trust comes from knowing people well and seeing them often. Much like selecting a partner for life, you want to know the whole family (firm), not just the edited bits online (the beauty parade that many rely on in selection).

  • News

    Now Pensions among four new authorised master trusts

    2019-09-24T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Pensions Regulator has authorised a further four master trusts to continue operating in the defined contribution market, including the once embattled provider Now Pensions.

  • News

    Skeleton staff levels pose hidden dangers for pension funds

    2019-09-19T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Smaller pension schemes may be underestimating the risks posed to their funds by trustee governance gaps and over-reliance on key individuals.

  • John Simmonds
    Opinion

    Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas

    2019-09-16T00:00:00Z

    Too much of the pensions industry serves its own interests rather than those of its members, says CEM Benchmarking’s John Simmonds. The problem, he argues, lies in the role of scale. But is bigger truly better when it comes to pensions?

  • News

    Pension funds totalling £367bn demand climate action

    2019-09-16T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Some of the UK’s largest pension funds, representing 4m members, are demanding asset managers take immediate action on climate change.

  • News

    Aegon and Nest join list of authorised master trusts

    2019-09-10T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Nest, the master trust set up by the government to back auto-enrolment, has received authorisation from the Pensions Regulator, along with four other multi-employer schemes.

  • Podcasts

    Podcast: Tackling the 'long tail' of underperforming smaller schemes

    2019-08-15T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: The Pensions Regulator’s latest defined contribution survey revealed that only 4 per cent of micro schemes and 1 per cent of small schemes are meeting all of the watchdog’s governance standards. David Fairs, TPR’s executive director for regulatory policy, analysis and advice, has previously described the “long tail” of underperforming smaller schemes as “unacceptable”. In this podcast, Mr Fairs talks to Pensions Expert about what the survey’s findings mean, and how the DC landscape might change.