All articles by Ian Smith – Page 10
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Features
PPF levy change hits solvent employers
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) accepts its new levy calculation will mean increased charges for schemes with low insolvency risk, except when they are in the highest funding brackets.
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FeaturesRoyal Mail and M&S trim trustees to reflect membership
The Royal Mail and Marks & Spencer pension schemes have reduced the size of their trustee boards to ensure they are more representative of their membership.
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Features
Kingfisher plans for 30% auto-enrolment opt-out
Kingfisher is focused on tightening up its administrative and payroll systems to deal with an anticipated 30 per cent opt-out rate following auto-enrolment next year.
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FeaturesCo-op battles 95% apathy with tiered AE scheme
The Co-operative Group has managed its risk of employee disengagement from auto-enrolment by introducing a tiered scheme that mixes defined contribution and career average to suit members' needs.
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Features
Avon aims to avert mass opt-out with roadshows
Avon Pension Fund will go on the road in April to explain benefit changes to avoid a slew of members opting out and threatening the viability of the scheme.
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Features
How Sony classifies DC funds for members
As two investment bodies change their fund classifications, Ian Smith looks at how schemes like Sony already communicate investment choice to members.
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Features
Schemes called to help high earners on tax dilemma
Schemes have been called upon to improve their members' retirement outcomes by providing information to help them decide on tax-efficient saving.
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FeaturesWembley scheme saves £3m at High Court
The Wembley pension scheme saved £3m by pursuing a court decision to uphold an amendment on indexation. Ian Smith and Pippa Stephens look at how other schemes can profit from the decision.
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FeaturesWebb on AE challenges for medium schemes
Video: Pensions minister Steve Webb discusses with Ian Smith the auto-enrolment delays and what should be top of the agenda for medium-sized employers (5:39).
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Features
USS helps members beat AVCs tax charge
The universities scheme made a late amendment to its added years benefit to help members avoid an unforeseen annual allowance charge.
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Features
GMPF drives annual member admin cost below £14
Local government schemes are using benchmarking and reduced paper trails to save administrative costs. Ian Smith looks at what the private sector can learn from the public sector.
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Features
Printing scheme aims to cut member fees with AE
The Printing Industry Pension Scheme (PIPS) expects to multiply its employer membership through auto-enrolment. Ian Smith explores how it is planning to use the reform to control costs for members.
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Features
MNOPF weighs up DC section to manage s75 risk
The navy officers' fund is considering launching a DC section to help its employers avoid triggering section 75 debts.
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Features
Adnams and Jacobs compensation cases highlight admin risk
Members of the Adnams and Jacobs Engineering schemes have been awarded compensation for administration errors. Pippa Stephens and Ian Smith analyse how monitoring third parties could help schemes manage this risk.
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FeaturesPennon: Separate DB/DC cash to reduce admin risk
As the regulator toughens its demands on hybrid scheme governance, Ian Smith analyses how schemes including Pennon are managing their administration risk through clear separation of defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) funds.
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FeaturesM&S prepares trigger to manage AE payroll risk
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is working on a payroll trigger for the 5,000 staff who will dip in and out of the auto-enrolment bracket. Ian Smith looks at how schemes are managing this regulation risk.
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FeaturesAir Products: Don’t 'pussyfoot' on overseas covenant
Ian Smith explores how the Air Products plan and others have dealt with their overseas parent employer to avoid covenant risk, as experienced by Alitalia's UK scheme.
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Features
British Steel manages sponsor risk with cash and assets
The metal producer's pension scheme has shored up the risk of an indebted sponsor through a series of security and derisking agreements with its employer.
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FeaturesBBC diversifies with insurance-linked securities
The broadcaster’s scheme said its 1% allocation to ILSs provided “genuine diversification” to equities last year but the market remains limited.
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Features
Improve member knowledge, regulator warns on DC
Defined contribution schemes risk punishment by the Pensions Regulator if they fail to tell members the impact of contributions on their retirement. Ian Smith looks at how DHL and others are meeting the challenge.