All Investment articles – Page 53
-
OpinionDirect contribution: Are pension reforms driving better ESG?
Although the Covid-19 crisis intensified consumer and investor focus on business behaviour in 2020, environmental, social and governance issues have been on the radar of occupational pension scheme trustees for several years.
-
News
Aon warns USS consultation could confuse employers
Aon has warned that the consultation document presented by the trustee of the Universities Superannuation Scheme will be of only limited use to employers, and may leave some unable to make vital decisions.
-
News
Cheshire in the vanguard on TCFD carbon revelations
The Cheshire Pension Fund is one of the first UK pension funds to report on the carbon footprint of its £6.1bn investment portfolio, estimating that its stock portfolio’s carbon intensity is a third less than the benchmark.
-
News
Border to Coast appoints multi-asset credit managers
On the go: Border to Coast Pensions Partnership has appointed four specialist managers for its multi-asset credit fund, which will have assets worth £2.7bn.
-
OpinionCoronavirus crisis shines the spotlight on fiduciary management
This year, we have witnessed significant market drama to a degree not seen since the financial crisis of 2007–08.
-
News
Fund managers’ ESG claims outperform reality
A third of asset managers are still not engaging on climate change, according to analysis by Redington. But of those that do, experts warn that their environmental, social and governance ratings may not be all that they appear.
-
News
Eviction ‘holiday’ poses threat to schemes’ property investments
The government’s extension of a measure designed to provide relief to struggling tenants could adversely affect pension scheme property investments, especially where the scheme acts as a landlord, experts have warned.
-
News
Mercer launches DB master trust as demand for consolidation increases
Mercer has launched a new defined benefit master trust promising sponsors enhanced governance and economies of scale, amid an accelerating trend towards consolidation and outsourced solutions, with pensions minister Guy Opperman stating that “bigger is better”.
-
News
Credit downgrades pose ‘serious challenge’ for pension schemes
On the go: A decrease in the average credit quality of fixed income indices, coupled with increased competition for high-quality assets, poses significant challenges for pensions schemes, according to Axa Investment Managers.
-
News
Covid and regulatory burdens push building society to outsource scheme
With the work of lay trustees becoming more complex, and the pandemic highlighting other areas in need of sponsors’ attention, the Furness Building Society has opted to outsource services for its defined benefit scheme, a trend that is expected to accelerate.
-
News
DB schemes over-reliant on ‘historically improbable’ returns
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
Smaller schemes to prove value for members or face consolidation
Defined contribution schemes with assets below £100m will have to prove their value for members, or face being advised to wind up or consolidate, according to new rules proposed by the Department for Work and Pensions.
-
News
Bulk annuity volumes hit £12.6bn in H1 2020
On the go: Total buy-in and buyout volumes reached £12.6bn in the first half of this year, the second-highest value on record, according to analysis published by LCP.
-
News
Ombudsman decision sets financial loss precedent
A recent Pensions Ombudsman determination has opened the floodgates for financial loss claims resulting from the mere possibility of missing out on stock market profit, due to trustees being tardy in processing transfers.
-
News
DB pension deficit falls £59bn in August
On the go: The aggregate deficit of the 5,422 defined benefit schemes in the Pension Protection Fund 7800 Index fell by £59bn in August.
-
News
Consultants seek to push up industry sustainability standards
A new working group formed by 12 UK investment consultants is aiming to encourage standardisation of practices and meaningful action on sustainability among asset owners.
-
PodcastsPodcast: DB schemes could be ‘doomed to failure’ by new funding code
Podcast: Defined benefit schemes could be “doomed to failure by measures that are designed to help them”, says Baroness Ros Altmann of the proposed new funding code. She is joined by SEI’s client strategy director Alistair Jones to discuss that issue, as well as the challenges faced by master trusts, and the increasingly bizarre McCloud remedy that, though intended to tackle age discrimination, has been accused of age discrimination.
-
Opinion
Has the DGF had its day?
Diversified growth funds have been a staple of UK pension allocations across corporate defined benefit, the Local Government Pension Scheme, and defined contribution schemes since the financial crisis of 2008-09 demonstrated the perils of poorly diversified, heavily equity laden, market dependent investment.
-
News
Unison presses LGPS schemes to work harder on green transition
Workers’ union Unison has called for local authority pension schemes to back ‘green’ causes with dedicated funds as part of their increasing commitment to climate-aware investing.
-
News
Nest achieves tobacco-free goal ahead of schedule
On the go: Nest, the government-backed master trust, announced on Thursday that its investment portfolio is free of investments in tobacco companies.