All Mercer articles – Page 11
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Features
Havering makes about-turn on pooling
London Borough of Havering Pension Fund has reversed its original decision not to join the London Collective Investment Vehicle, making it one of the last of the city’s schemes to take this route to reduce manager fees.
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News
How fiduciaries can get a handle on climate change
News analysis: Disclosures on fossil fuel investments by local authority schemes have demonstrated the tension between managing the material risks of climate change and upholding fiduciary duty to members.
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NewsChurch of England targets US private loans in bid to divine 7% returns
The Church of England Pensions Board is “on the cusp” of making an allocation to private credit in the USA, as it seeks returns uncorrelated to equities.
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OpinionWhat does the recent equity volatility mean for DC schemes?
From the blog: The week of August 24 was a particularly interesting one, with global equity markets experiencing their most significant fall since 2011.
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News
BBC to lay on financial advice for members looking at transfers
The BBC is to offer paid-for independent financial advice to help members get the most from the pension freedoms, in particular to support those considering transferring their assets.
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Opinion
Why it is crucial to get a handle on transaction costs
If defined contribution scheme members are to make confident investment decisions they need to be clear on costs, says Mercer’s Andrew Williams.
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News
Carbon-conscious schemes rally for strategic climate change response
Low-carbon pension funds have called on other asset owners to seek opportunities in real assets and emerging markets to mitigate the risks of climate change.
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NewsTate & Lyle sweetens deficit pill with secured funding move
Sugar company Tate & Lyle reduced its defined benefit liability by £52m in 2014, helped by the creation of a secured funding account as a contingency to its core employer contributions.
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News
Wandsworth eyes private rents as London CIV preps for launch
Wandsworth Borough Council is considering an allocation to the private rented sector to capitalise on a “unique opportunity”, but is wary that hidden costs or changes to regulation could render the investment unviable.
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News
How to prepare your portfolio for a rise in transfer requests
Defined benefit schemes should review the shape of their liability profile and consider their investments should a high proportion of members transfer out, as figures show a sharp rise in requests.
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Opinion
Global equities survey – part two
In part two of our analysis of the global equities market, Gill Wadsworth considers how the wider trend, performance and current valuations are influencing UK schemes’ attraction to the asset class.
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Opinion
Two workplace guidance steps to avoid member confusion
Mercer’s Mark Rowlands believes pension scheme members need more than a little advice to help them make the right decisions when nearing retirement.
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Opinion
How a secondary market is starting to change fid man
Mercer’s Michael Dempsey outlines how schemes can benefit from fiduciary management’s secondary market, brought about by rapid growth in the sector.
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News
European pension funds swarm into alts for yield
European pension funds moved deeper into alternative investments last year as they sought fresh avenues of returns and liability matching in tricky market conditions.
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Opinion
Could Pip's renewables move help schemes see beyond the bluster?
“The need for infrastructure investment worldwide is massive, the attractions of the asset class are clear, and the appetite of investors for infrastructure assets is growing,” said Michael Wilkins from ratings agency Standard & Poor’s, in an FT article on the subject last month.
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News
Consultants and managers back hedge funds despite high-profile criticism
Consultants and hedge fund managers have predicted increasing pension scheme allocations to the asset class, despite recent stiff criticism of perceived high fees and a lack of transparency.
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News
Schemes plan partial DB-DC transfers to trim liabilities
Legal experts have reported an increase in pension schemes planning to reduce their liabilities by changing their rules to allow partial transfer of members' pure defined benefit assets into defined contribution arrangements.
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Opinion
Managing the impact of political shifts
Moments of uncertainty can both pose threats and create opportunity, and elections are no exception.
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News
Budget flexibilities fail to spur DB transfer interest
Predictions that the Budget flexibilities would lure members out of defined benefit pension schemes have so far proved unfounded, as data show no uplift in the proportion requesting transfer value quotations.
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News
IBM adds cat bonds to mix as it diversifies return-seeking assets
IBM Pension Plan has invested £60m in catastrophe bonds as it decreases its exposure to higher-risk assets and focuses on investments that will provide a diversified source of return.