All Investing in the UK articles – Page 3

  • News

    Access Pool launches seven new sub-funds worth £5.5bn

    2021-02-08T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Access Pool, which handles assets for 11 Local Government Pension Scheme funds with around £46bn in assets under management, has launched seven new sub-funds worth £5.5bn.

  • News

    Master trust competition hots up despite consolidation

    2021-02-02T00:00:00Z

    Data crunch: The majority of master trusts are targeting defined contribution schemes in a bid to boost their assets under management, leading to heightened competition in a marketplace where there is scepticism about acquiring rivals.

  • News

    How schemes can navigate the post-Covid recovery

    2021-01-21T00:00:00Z

    Defined benefit schemes should use the post-Covid recovery to conduct a thorough postmortem of the effects of 2020’s events on their portfolios and strategies, according to Barnett Waddingham.

  • News

    DB schemes over-reliant on ‘historically improbable’ returns

    2020-09-11T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Underfunded defined benefit schemes in the UK will require “once-in-a-century” equity performance if they are to avoid carrying their funding gaps well into the 2030s, according to a new report from Willis Towers Watson.

  • News

    Covid-19: Markets bounce back; bulk annuity prices drop

    2020-03-25T00:00:00Z

    While the FTSE 100 registered the biggest one-day gain since 2008, bulk annuities seem to be significantly more affordable than they were before. At the same time, alternative assets have not seen the biggest impact yet. Read our round-up of pensions and finance news about the coronavirus outbreak.

  • News

    Diversification helps Nest mitigate FTSE slump

    2020-03-24T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Diversification in Nest’s default funds seems to be paying off, as the government-backed workplace pension scheme has seen a decrease of 17.6 per cent since the beginning of this year, while the FTSE 100 has fallen by 34.3 per cent.

  • Opinion

    Is there a future for equities in DB?

    2019-12-02T00:00:00Z

    Data Crunch: Corporate defined benefit schemes have been shifting allocations away from equities as a means of reducing funding volatility and focusing on assets that can deliver contractual cash flows.

  • News

    Woodford debacle wipes out £63m from Kent Council Fund

    2019-11-21T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Kent County Council Superannuation Fund has seen the value of its holdings in Woodford Investment Management’s flagship fund fall 24 per cent in six months, wiping out £63m.

  • Features

    Buy-in pricing could improve in post-Brexit world

    2019-10-03T00:00:00Z

    Brexit volatility could be a good thing for defined benefit pension schemes looking to insure liability risk, according to experts.

  • News

    Return to equities not a sign of volatility ending, consultants say

    2019-05-21T00:00:00Z

    Data crunch: UK pension fund allocations to equities ticked upwards in the first quarter of 2019, according to data collected by Pensions Expert’s sister title MandateWire, as managers sought to capitalise on falling prices in late 2018.

  • Features

    Active managers unable to mitigate late 2018 volatility

    2019-04-18T00:00:00Z

    For active managers, the ultimate test of mettle will always be whether they can beat their benchmark. As of the end of 2018 the news looks good for stockpickers specialising in UK equities, but analysts say there are still concerns behind the numbers.

  • Opinion

    How to beat volatility in 2019

    2019-01-21T00:00:00Z

    With an eye purely on the numbers, it might be tough to pinpoint exactly what has led to the worst year for stock markets since the end of the global financial crisis.

  • Features

    Should schemes become more eurosceptic?

    2018-06-04T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: Trustees may be tempted to act upon the past few weeks’ eurozone headlines, which have detailed sweeping geopolitical change across Italy and Spain and frightened investors in the process.

  • Features

    Kent stands by Neil Woodford despite massive underperformance

    2018-05-15T00:00:00Z

    Despite concerns over the performance of its UK equities mandate with Woodford Investment Management, the Kent County Council Superannuation Fund has elected to retain its mandate with the embattled asset manager.

  • Features

    JLR drives down costs with DC strategy refresh

    2018-03-09T00:00:00Z

    UK automotive stalwart Jaguar Land Rover has embarked on a complete overhaul of its defined contribution offering in a bid to drive down costs and improve member outcomes.

  • News

    Gina Miller: Brexit could change retirement attitudes

    2017-11-16T00:00:00Z

    Economic turmoil induced by the UK’s exit from the EU might tempt savers to draw from their retirement pots sooner, according to Gina Miller, founding partner at wealth manager SCM Direct.

  • Features

    Scapa sticks to risk management strategy with Pie

    2017-07-21T00:00:00Z

    Adhesive tape manufacturer Scapa has carried out a pension increase exchange exercise, in its latest move to manage the cost and risk of its legacy defined benefit scheme.

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    Features

    Manchester University upgrades investment strategy

    2017-05-18T00:00:00Z

    Trustees of the Manchester University Superannuation Scheme have adopted a new liability-driven investment strategy, while dropping a UK equity mandate in favour of global equities.

  • News

    State of the nation: What's going on in DC accumulation?

    2016-05-27T00:00:00Z

    One of the spectres that hung over the announcement of freedom and choice in the 2014 Budget was the fear the proposition would be so attractive people would abandon their defined benefit schemes to make the most of the flexibility.

  • Features

    Market effects of possible Brexit throw up investment questions

    2016-02-26T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: Trustees must consider how growing uncertainty over the UK’s future in the European Union could hit their holdings, consultants have said, identifying both headwinds and opportunities en route to the referendum.