All member engagement articles – Page 10
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NewsIsle of Man civil servants to choose between DB and DC
On the go: Civil servants on the Isle of Man are to be given a choice between an existing defined benefit scheme and a new defined contribution arrangement, the island’s government has announced.
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PodcastsPodcast: Covid-19 could have killed the PLSA
Podcast: The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association “could have died” from the financial damage wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, and was only saved thanks to prudent long-term planning. Richard Butcher, managing director of PTL, reflects on his tenure as PLSA chair in an episode covering guaranteed minimum pensions guidance, master trusts and bespoke indices for environmental, social and governance investments.
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NewsDWP sets up working group to explore ‘statements season’
On the go: The Department for Work and Pensions has established a working group looking at options to develop the ‘statements season’ proposed in its recent simpler annual benefit statements consultation.
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NewsEmployer seeks £265,000 in damages from Plumbing Pensions
A plumbing employer has filed a summons at the Court of Session in Edinburgh seeking more than £265,000 in damages from Plumbing Pensions over its alleged repeated failures to manage the scheme’s Section 75 debt.
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NewsPodcast: Too much jargon hampers sustainable investing drive
Podcast: Politicians and the pensions industry risk jeopardising the progress made on sustainable investing because they are too fond of jargon. Members are keen to get involved, but they have to understand what they are getting involved in. Georgia Stewart, chief executive of Tumelo, and Chris Hulatt, co-founder of Octopus Group, talk sustainability, inter-generational fairness and cryptocurrencies.
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NewsOmbudsman slaps fine on ‘reckless’ trustee for multiple breaches
The Pensions Ombudsman has upheld a complaint against the trustee of a small pension scheme for multiple breaches of trust and instances of malpractice, while demanding they reimburse the scheme to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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NewsIndustry experts predict limited roll-out of CDC schemes
The government's consultation on regulations governing collective defined contribution schemes was received as a welcome step forward in the industry, but experts have cautioned that initial demand is likely to be low due to the restrictive conditions and high costs imposed on the market.
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NewsGreener pensions are ‘most effective’ way to fight climate change
On the go: Making a pension “green” is more effective than going vegan, stopping flying, and switching to a renewable energy provider combined, according to new research.
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NewsPASA launches GMP conversion guidance
The Pensions Administration Standards Association has published guidance on guaranteed minimum pension conversion for trustees striving to achieve GMP equality, providing examples of approaches that have been adopted or considered by “early movers”.
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NewsDWP issues ‘stronger nudge’ to pensions guidance consultation
On the go: The Department for Work and Pensions has opened a consultation into regulations requiring trustees and scheme managers to “nudge” individuals to obtain pensions guidance.
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NewsPoor choices under pension freedoms cost savers £2bn
Savers taking advantage of pension freedoms to cash out before retirement have suffered £2bn in lost returns, spurring calls for better financial education, according to analysis by LCP.
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NewsCovid-19 spurs wave of interest in sustainable investing
Almost two-thirds of European asset and investment managers believe that the pandemic has made sustainable investing more important, according to Schroders’ Institutional Investor Study 2021.
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NewsNearly a third of Gen Xers have inadequate pension savings
Almost one in three Generation Xers — individuals aged between 41 and 56 — have inadequate pension savings and face a minimum-at-best standard of living in retirement, according to research by the International Longevity Centre and Standard Life.
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NewsGovt rejects calls for £1.2bn pension boost for mineworkers
On the go: The government has rejected calls to reform the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme that could have seen its members share an additional £1.2bn, a decision critics have branded “intransigent” and a “slap in the face”.
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NewsDesire for cryptocurrencies is ‘deeply concerning’
New research from CoreData has shown almost half of millennials, people aged between 25 and 40, want to invest at least part of their pension in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Experts, however, have warned that cryptocurrencies remain a long way off being a viable investment option.
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NewsCost and information overload are barriers to integrating ESG
On the go: Information overload and high costs are barriers to integrating sustainability in investments, a Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association poll has found.
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NewsPASA unveils counter-fraud guidance
On the go: The Pensions Administration Standards Association has unveiled its latest counter-fraud guidance, taking aim at scammers and looking to provide pension schemes with the tools used to counter an increase in criminal acts following the introduction of pension freedoms.
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NewsHigh Court clarifies rules over pension back payment arrears
The High Court has further clarified the procedure for paying arrears when a member has not claimed a back payment within the usual six-year period, confirming that scheme rules will determine whether trustees have discretion as to whether those benefits have been forfeited.
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NewsRushing DC consolidation could hurt member outcomes
The Department for Work and Pensions wants to speed up consolidation among schemes with less than £5bn in assets. Although the initiative was broadly welcomed, experts have warned that rushing its implementation could worsen member outcomes.
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NewsMore advice needed on ‘fiendishly complicated’ pension freedoms
Pension freedoms have presented members with “fiendishly complicated” choices and providers are being stymied by the blurred line between guidance and advice, a hearing of the Work and Pensions Committee has heard.