All articles by Ian Smith – Page 11
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FeaturesNationwide uses flexible retirement to engage staff
The UK’s biggest building society has benefited from letting staff draw their pension while continuing to work, since the abolition last year of the default retirement age (DRA).
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FeaturesWHSmith doubles surplus through LDI hedging
The newsagent’s pension scheme has managed to double its accounting surplus through its liability-driven investment strategy, following continued low interest rates.
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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.
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Features
DC schemes dump trackers for multi-asset funds
Schemes have dropped equity trackers for better performing multi-asset and target date funds over the past five years, according to research published this week.
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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
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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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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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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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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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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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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FeaturesWarburtons drives huge rise in member engagement
Warburtons' pension scheme has increased the amount of defined contribution members taking investment decisions from 2 per cent to 41 per cent following an intensive, country-wide communication campaign.
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Features
Engagement vital to improve member data, schemes say
Ian Smith and Owen Walker analyse how the Kingfisher, Aviva and Scottish TV pension plans have encouraged members to update their records and improve their administrative performance.
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News
USS reform shares cost and risk with members
The Universities Superannuation Scheme has reformed its benefits, meaning active members will have to work longer and pay more to secure their retirement income.
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Features
Half of schemes considering ETVs to reduce risk
With research finding 50% of schemes are considering an enhanced transfer value (ETV) exercise to reduce their longevity risk, Ian Smith analyses five key elements of the process.
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FeaturesSchemes warned to keep an eye on illiquid assets
Schemes such as British Coal are closely managing their liquidity risk to ensure they are not locking away too much cash in hard-to-sell investments such as private equity and infrastructure.
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Features
DC schemes harness apathy to drive up contributions
Defined contribution (DC) schemes are increasing members' retirement savings by using a combination of apathy and education to ensure high levels of contributions.
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Features
Alternatives replacing equities to protect big funds
Schemes have taken advantage of alternatives to protect themselves from stock market volatility, with The Pensions Trust and GEC funds already benefiting from this approach.
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Features
Bank scheme lifts contributions through age profiling
Ian Smith explores how the National Australia Group defined contribution (DC) plan and others are improving their communication through direct engagement with employees.
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Features
Schemes adopt flexible retirement to engage members
With seven out of 10 of schemes already implementing, or set to implement, flexible retirement, Ian Smith looks at how the policy can help them improve engagement.