All Law & regulation articles – Page 136
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News
Override sought ahead of state pension reforms
Legal experts have called for a statutory override in scheme rules to avoid members getting more benefits than originally intended from bridging pensions, as the industry approaches the switch to a single-tier state pension in 2016.
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Features
Shell surpasses legal minimum by equalising same-sex spouse benefits
Shell has gone above the legal minimum to guarantee same-sex married couples equal spousal benefits in its defined benefit pension fund, while other schemes have maintained a tiered benefit for same-sex partners.
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News
LLPs forced to consider enrolling partners after Supreme Court ruling
The Pensions Regulator has said limited liability partnerships will have to consider auto-enrolling their partners, after a Supreme Court decision threw their employment status into doubt.
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Transfer industry: pot-follows-member transfers can cost just £1
Pension transfer systems have countered concerns raised by industry figures that implementing pot-follows-member could result in high costs, which may be passed onto members.
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News
Employer raises doubts on impersonal retirement guidance
Industry figures have predicted that early engagement and face-to-face guidance will drive take-up of the Budget’s promised guidance guarantee, as the industry debates how it will be delivered.
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NewsPPF targets transparency with insolvency levy changes
Schemes will be able to more precisely focus their efforts to reduce their Pension Protection Fund levy, following the lifeboat’s proposals to make its insolvency risk system more transparent.
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News
PPF assesses out-of-cycle valuations for schemes affected by 'money purchase' definition
The Pension Protection Fund launched a consultation last week to assess the material change in risk to the lifeboat brought about by the changes to the definition of money purchase benefits, which will come into force later this year.
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News
Wiltshire: Early engagement key to managing LGPS reform
The head of Wiltshire Pension Fund said early engagement has been crucial to its implementation of this year’s Local Government Pension Scheme reforms, as local authority decision-makers stress the importance of staff training.
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News
Local authority experts debate how to fireproof governance
Local authority scheme experts at Wednesday's National Association of Pension Funds' 2014 Local Authority Conference discussed greater separation in decision-making structures, or increasing guidance, as ways to improve governance.
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News
Schemes face LDI rethink to meet Emir collateral demands
Industry experts have warned that schemes using liability-driven investment strategies may face higher costs and additional risks when the European Market Infrastructure Regulation’s collateral diversity requirements come into force.
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News
Webb seeks to alleviate scheme guidance concerns
Pensions minister Steve Webb has tried to assuage the concerns of defined contribution schemes by implying the guaranteed retirement guidance could be delivered in less intensive ways than face-to-face meetings.
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Features
Mastertrusts call for governance standards to be made mandatory
Two of the country's largest mastertrusts have called for a legal standard to raise the barriers to entry for providers, as the industry evaluates the Pensions Regulator's assurance framework.
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News
Webb reveals further detail on guidance guarantee
Pensions minister Steve Webb released this week further details about the upcoming guidance guarantee, with concerns mounting on the timetable for its implementation and the subsequent burden on pension schemes.
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Features
Employers ensure AMD ban does not drive up active member fees
Employers have managed to keep active scheme member fees steady while scrapping higher charges for deferred members, after one provider agreed to swallow the cost of next year's ban.
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News
Provider's failed attempt to reclaim death benefit sets rectification warning
Schemes have been reminded they cannot simply revoke decisions if a mistake has been made, after the pensions ombudsman ruled against a scheme provider that tried to claw back death benefit payments.
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FeaturesTfL faces fresh demands for contract worker DB membership
Transport union RMT has reignited calls for all Transport for London employees undertaking work on a contract basis to be allowed to join its defined benefit pension fund.
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Features
IBM case a lesson to consider scheme history
Schemes must look at historical context when considering and communicating benefit changes, lawyers have urged, after the High Court ruled earlier this month that technology company IBM breached its duty of good faith with employees when closing its defined benefit scheme.
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News
Consultants expect DC flexibility to drive DB member transfers
Defined benefit schemes could see a short-term increase in requests from members to switch their benefits into defined contribution schemes, due to potential government plans to restrict such transfers, benefit consultants have predicted.
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Features
Schemes mull increased benefits for same-sex spouses
Schemes are considering whether to set benefits provided to same-sex husbands and wives at or above the statutory minimum, lawyers have reported, with the first marriages taking place last week.
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News
Scheme costs to ratchet up under IORP II revision
Trustees and schemes will face substantial administrative burden after the European Commission announced revisions to its incoming pension fund directive, including a requirement to continually evaluate environmental risk, which have been deemed “too prescriptive” by experts.