All Governance articles – Page 23
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OpinionTime gap to stop fiduciary flipping looks CMA’s best bet
That the Competition and Markets Authority has found evidence that most pension schemes look to their existing consultant when appointing fiduciary managers will surprise few, writes IC Select’s Roger Brown, but only one of the watchdog’s four remedies has the potential to change the industry for the better.
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OpinionDeciding on the size of your trustee board
Focusing on the abilities of each individual on a trustee board is generally more important than worrying about the size of the board, says Rachel Croft at Independent Trustee Services.
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OpinionDC should stand for decent contributions
From the blog: In recent years, regulators have put so much emphasis on the minutiae of defined contribution pensions that we seem to have forgotten about the bigger picture.
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News
TPR levies first fine on professional trustee
On the go: The regulator has disclosed that it has imposed a £3,000 fine against a professional trustee for failing to update their scheme’s register with news of their appointment.
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News
Rate of investment consultant tenders has plummeted, survey finds
Less than 3 per cent of pension schemes retendered for investment consulting services last year, compared to 18.6 per cent of schemes in 2008, according to research from selection specialists IC Select.
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OpinionRegulator must work with industry on professional trustee standards
Both the Pensions Regulator and industry working groups are seeking to define the responsibilities and standards expected of professional trustees. If they do not achieve consistency, writes the Pensions Management Institute’s Tim Middleton, it will be hard to justify their implementation.
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OpinionExpect as few as 15 master trusts within five years
Uncertainty and market jostling will greet the enforcement of the master trust authorisation regime in October, but the end result should benefit members, according to Stephen Coates at JLT Employee Benefits.
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NewsCoats proposes merger of its UK DB schemes
Industrial thread manufacturer Coats has proposed a merger of its three UK defined benefit pension schemes to cut costs and increase efficiency.
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OpinionDesigning DC default funds for better outcomes
From active and passive investment management to member concerns and ESG – three experts, including a mastertrust director, a consultant and a finance director, debate the key issues facing DC default fund providers.
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Opinion
What role does ESG play in default fund design?
Paul Todd, director of investment development at Nest, Lydia Fearn, head of DC and financial wellbeing at Redington, and Keith Stephenson, director of finance and resources at the Association of Commonwealth Universities, discuss the role of ESG in default fund design, as well as the greatest challenges facing DC default fund providers.
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Opinion
Is ESG on course to become the norm in DC defaults?
Late last year the UK government said it was “minded” to make pension fund trustees produce environmental, social and governance statements.
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OpinionWhat could we expect from the regulators’ joint pension strategy?
How could the Financial Conduct Authority and the Pensions Regulator’s joint strategy improve pensions regulation? Aegon’s Kate Smith discusses the regulators’ current responsibilities and the benefits of the watchdogs working together on certain issues.
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OpinionHow to ensure good value for members
From governance and investment to member engagement and communications, seven experts, including HR directors, look at how employers, providers and trustees can ensure better outcomes for members of defined contribution schemes.
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NewsSchemes told to be active owners to ensure long-term returns
Pension funds are becoming more active in exercising ownership to improve governance of investee companies, but there is still scope for investors to further integrate environmental, social and governance factors, a panel of experts from across Europe has said.
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Opinion
Is ESG on course to become the norm in DC defaults?
High profile corporate governance failures, campaigns against the use of plastics, and US pension funds criticised for holding gun manufacturers after the latest school shooting – a powerful combination of recent events has pushed environmental, social and governance investing further up the institutional agenda.
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News
Hammersmith & Fulham weighs up fossil fuel divestment
The £1bn London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Superannuation Fund is discussing whether to lower its fossil fuel exposure as part of its next investment strategy review.
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OpinionHow can employers, providers and trustees work together to ensure good governance?
Rosemary Lemon from Hays, Caroline Roberts from Visit Britain, Nasir Rafiq from Islamic Relief Worldwide, Mark Rowlands from Nest, Ami Bartrip from the Financial Times, Jason Green from Finance & Technology Research Centre and, Andy Cheseldine from Capital Cranfield, discuss the importance of governance in delivering good member outcomes.
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Features
Can you run your scheme better than a sole trustee?
Analysis: Defined benefit trustee boards are finding it increasingly difficult to source a full complement of member-nominated trustees, as final salary becomes a legacy benefit system. Is the rise of the sole corporate trustee inevitable?
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FeaturesTeesside invests in energy storage ahead of pooling
The £3.9bn Middlesbrough Borough Council Teesside Pension Fund has invested in operational grid-scale energy storage assets, through the British Strategic Investment Fund.
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OpinionCampaign for greater transparency is critical to proper governance
Chris Roberts at Dalriada Trustees explains the benefits of the FCA’s new requirements for fund managers to provide details of transaction costs when requested to do so by trustees or IGCs.