All Insurance articles – Page 11
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OpinionAre consolidation vehicles the future for DB schemes?
Companies offering a cheaper alternative to buyout have unions and others concerned about letting defined benefit employers off the hook via regulatory arbitrage, writes CMS’s Caroline Kurup, but consolidators remain attractive where insurance remains the end point for scheme liabilities.
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OpinionInsurance longevity swaps: Illuminating exits
2018 is expected to be a buoyant year for the longevity risk transfer market, with the recent decline in national mortality improvements not only having a positive impact on pension scheme funding, but also being reflected in more attractive longevity reinsurance pricing.
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News
PPF chief hints at closing superfunds’ regulatory advantage
Consolidation vehicles hoping to hoover up assets from deficit-weary employers could see their prices forced upwards by tough levy requirements and insurance-style protections, the chief executive of the Pension Protection Fund has said.
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News
National Grid and Zurich complete longevity transaction
More than £2bn of pensioner liabilities of the National Grid Electricity Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme have been covered by an intermediated longevity swap deal with insurer Zurich.
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News
Further details emerge on consolidator safeguards
Investors in The Pension SuperFund will not begin to receive returns on their capital until its consolidated schemes have passed a 115 per cent funding target, its executives have told the Work and Pensions Committee.
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News
Choosing the right derisking path
Analysis: Consultants say bulk annuity pricing has never been so attractive, yet the majority of pension schemes see self-sufficiency as their likely destiny. Who is wrong?
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OpinionSelf-sufficiency is not a permanent solution
Think you can outperform the insurers? It might be possible for schemes with deferred members, says JLT Employee Benefits’ Harry Harper, but employers will be keen to show pensioner liabilities the door.
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OpinionWe need flexibility and security in retirement
Freedom and choice has empowered individuals to make decisions based on their unique circumstances. However, this freedom also leads to challenges when making retirement income choices – among them, uncertainty over spending needs and longevity.
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Features
What can pension schemes learn from insurers?
Analysis: Prudent liability management features among the priorities of pension funds and insurers alike. Experts have previously called upon investors to think more like insurers, but differences in objectives, regulatory requirements and scale mean that total strategic convergence between schemes and insurers is unlikely.
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Opinion
Could improved understanding revive the annuity?
Analysis: Many savers have been reluctant to purchase an annuity following the government’s introduction of freedom and choice in 2015, but should they be nudged to reconsider their options?
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OpinionInnovation in the bulk annuity market
James Parker, Peter Coyne and Mark Jenkins of CMS Cameron McKenna outline two innovations driving the bulk annuity market following Solvency II
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OpinionHow to get your bulk annuity deal to the front of the insurer queue
When it comes to securing a bulk annuity deal preparation is everything, says Aon Hewitt’s Michael Walker.
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OpinionEurope and pensions – where things are headed in the next three years
Matthew Connell from insurance company Zurich says not even pensions products can avoid the legislative pull of the European Union, whether the UK stays or goes.
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Opinion
The cost of a buy-in: A trio of factors dominate pricing
Feature: Many more schemes are expected to explore derisking avenues such as buy-ins and buyouts in 2016, but whether to press ahead will come down to affordability, which hinges on at least three key factors.
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Opinion
Indecision and fear: tax changes threaten the role of pensions in employee benefits
From the blog: More than half of schemes are considering offering a cash allowance to members affected by pension tax changes, as alterations to the lifetime allowance threaten to drive high-earners away from workplace pensions.
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Opinion
Why the UK’s standing in the European pensions market is so important
Data Crunch: Spence Johnson’s Magnus Spence outlines why the UK’s place in European pensions is so significant, accounting for half of all assets held between Germany, the Netherlands and itself.
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OpinionDerisking dead ends
Editorial: If you’re short of gift ideas for your favourite veteran trustee or scheme manager, the Pension Protection Fund’s Purple Book could be a good shout.
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Opinion
How to take advantage of medically underwritten bulk annuities
Medically underwritten buyout prices are coming down, says Barnett Waddingham’s Gavin Markham, and it could be time for trustees to take advantage of them.
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OpinionWhy the power of IGCs should not be underestimated
Investment governance committees lack the power of a trustee board, says Sackers’ Helen Ball, but they can still change workplace pensions for the better.
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Opinion
Is the medically underwritten annuity market too good to be true?
Buyouts remain a popular derisking strategy for defined benefit schemes. Aon Hewitt’s Martin Bird looks at how the medically underwritten option is gaining ground in this burgeoning market.