All Hymans Robertson articles – Page 7

  • Features

    Widening spread on buyouts makes self-sufficiency harder to justify

    2020-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Data crunch: An already booming market for pensions insurance has received a two-pronged boost from the coronavirus pandemic: the turmoil rippling through the economy is providing schemes with the best ever pricing for buy-in deals, just as the demand for shedding investment risk is at its greatest.

  • Podcasts

    Podcast: The days of ‘amateurish’ trusteeship are over

    2020-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: The challenges posed by Covid-19 will accelerate the move toward professional trusteeship, according to Mercer’s chief actuary Charles Cowling, who argues that the responsibilities in this area post-coronavirus will be too much for lay trustees to handle alone. He and Catherine McFadyen, head of public sector actuarial, benefits and governance at Hymans Robertson, discuss LGPS funding, the impact of mortality rates, and give their predictions about the post-crisis world.

  • News

    Co-op scheme completes £350m buy-in with Aviva

    2020-05-13T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Co-operative Pension Scheme has completed a £350m buy-in with Aviva, taking its total transactions this year beyond £2bn, as defined benefit schemes look to capitalise on cheaper deals amid the coronavirus pandemic.

  • News

    PS Aspire pulls out of master trust market

    2020-05-05T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Punter Southall Aspire has withdrawn its master trust from the market after concluding that it was unlikely to reach the necessary scale.

  • News

    Regulator concerned by master trust investments weaknesses

    2020-04-30T00:00:00Z

    Investment strategies pursued by some of the UK’s authorised master trusts are exposing pension scheme savers to unnecessary risks, according to the Pensions Regulator.

  • News

    TPR signals renewed focus on sponsor affordability

    2020-04-29T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator has directed defined benefit trustees to focus on the affordability of payments into their schemes by sponsoring employers, urging collaboration to link business recovery to increased member security.

  • News

    Mercer calls for six-month DB contribution holiday

    2020-04-28T00:00:00Z

    The government has been called on to take “urgent action” and implement a six-month contribution holiday for defined benefit pension schemes, in a bid to allow sponsors to keep their businesses afloat.

  • News

    Premier Foods sets up tasty scheme merger

    2020-04-24T00:00:00Z

    Premier Foods, maker of Mr Kipling cakes, has reached a groundbreaking agreement to merge its RHM, Premier Foods and Premier Grocery Products pension schemes, a move that the company estimates could save it as much as £145m in contributions.

  • News

    £37bn a year to flow from DB to bulk annuity providers

    2020-04-23T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Demand for buy-ins and buyouts is predicted to average £37bn a year for the next decade, according to new analysis.

  • News

    BA trustees disembark as destination comes into view

    2020-04-22T00:00:00Z

    A British Airways defined benefit scheme is shrinking its trustee board size, due to decreased workload after a buy-in and successfully weathering the Covid-19 funding storm.

  • News UK
    News

    News UK partners with Scottish Widows on pension app testing

    2020-04-14T00:00:00Z

    Newspaper publisher News UK is collaborating with Scottish Widows on the testing of a new member app, as the pensions industry counts the cost of its failed attempts to boost engagement.

  • News

    Bulk annuity deals now cover 15% of UK defined benefit liabilities

    2020-04-14T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Pension scheme buy-ins, buyouts and longevity swaps have insured £250bn of longevity risk since the market took off in 2007, which corresponds to 15 per cent of UK defined benefit liabilities, according to analysis from Hymans Robertson. 

  • News

    New guidance for joint GMP rectification and equalisation

    2020-03-17T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Pension schemes considering combining their guaranteed minimum pension rectification and equalisation projects can now follow new guidance published by the cross-industry GMP Equalisation Working Group.

  • News

    Cheshire Pension Fund questions members on investments and ESG

    2020-03-13T00:00:00Z

    The £5.8bn Cheshire Pension Fund is gauging the views of its members and participating employers on its investment strategy and environmental, social and governance policy.

  • News

    BoE adds to DB woes as stimulus struggles to ease covenant strain

    2020-03-11T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Bank of England's decision to slash its base interest rate to 0.25 from per cent 0.75 per cent will swell defined benefit liabilities, according to experts, who doubt the ability of monetary policy to ease covenant concerns but say Budget measures may offer some help.

  • News

    Coronavirus shocks DB deficit by £100bn in a week

    2020-03-03T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Market turmoil stoked by fears of the Covid-19 outbreak has added £100bn to the UK’s defined benefit deficit in a week, according to Hymans Robertson analysis.

  • News

    Auto-enrolment process creates 'employee underclass'

    2020-02-27T00:00:00Z

    Three out of four pensions professionals say employers should be free to statutorily enrol any employee they wish, even if current auto-enrolment age and earnings criteria are not met.

  • News

    City of Westminster scheme to cut equities and diversify portfolio

    2020-01-30T00:00:00Z

    The City of Westminster Pension Fund has shifted its investment strategy in response to concerns about volatility in equity markets, added to a need to diversify risk and lock down an improved funding ratio.

  • News

    Contractors take advantage of LGPS loophole on exit payments

    2020-01-23T00:00:00Z

    The pensions industry is still waiting for the government to close a loophole allowing outsourcers to claw back surplus from the Local Government Pension Scheme even when they have not paid into the plan.

  • News

    HMRC delays GMP reconciliation final timeline again

    2020-01-16T00:00:00Z

    On the go: HM Revenue & Customs has again declined to announce a new timeline for the guaranteed minimum pension reconciliation final data cuts, despite having promised that its next update would bring a string of delays to an end.