All News articles – Page 279
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Returning volatility could threaten illiquid fixed income holdings, experts say
Pension scheme investors holding illiquid fixed income assets should beware the effects should increased volatility in global financial markets return, bond experts have urged.
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Lothian adds benefit extension as it looks to upgrade online services
Lothian Pension Fund has extended its online member services to allow members to calculate the pension they would get under voluntary redundancy, as well as introducing a data transfer system for employers to ensure accuracy.
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Oxfordshire latest to ditch hedge funds on fee and transparency concerns
Oxfordshire County Council Pension Scheme is axing its allocation to hedge funds in favour of diversified growth funds and infrastructure, as it seeks lower fees and greater transparency in investments.
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One in seven trustees think sponsor relationship needs work
Around one trustee on each board feels their relationship with the scheme sponsor needs to be improved, according to a survey of 100 scheme representatives, conducted as fresh regulation seeks to strengthen this bond.
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Northern Powergrid scheme looks to reduce risk with new investment strategy
Northern Powergrid Group Pension Scheme is exploring alternative means of reducing risk as its investment strategy matures, and is reviewing its property investment after “stagnant” performance.
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Schemes plough £24bn into gilts despite low yields
Pension schemes compelled last year to derisk at historically low yields quadrupled the previous year’s gilt purchases, according to official data that have left investment experts surprised.
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Dorset ditches hedge funds for infra after strategic review
Dorset County Council Pension Fund has moved into infrastructure investment and increased its diversified growth fund allocation after a shift in its investment strategy intended to reduce risk without affecting returns.
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Schemes face costly tax defeat after HMRC ruling
Defined benefit schemes have been urged by advisers to take steps to ensure they can continue to recover VAT on professional services, following an unexpected legal interpretation from HM Revenue & Customs.
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Daily Mail grabs alternative inflation linkage in place of pricey gilts
The Daily Mail and General Trust pension fund has used alternative assets to provide inflation linkage, after demand and monetary policy drove up the cost of using gilts to mitigate inflation risk.
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Fifth of smaller employers failing to prepare for AE
One in five small businesses are not currently preparing for auto-enrolment, research has shown, as concern grows around smaller employers’ ability to comply with the legislation.
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10,000 retained firefighters could take up benefits extension, union predicts
The UK’s largest firefighters union has said 10,000 ‘retained’ personnel are expected to take up the option of extended pension benefits, which bring them into line with those offered to their full-time peers.
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Revised DB code emphasises integrated risk management
The Pensions Regulator this week released a new code of practice for defined benefit schemes, focusing on trustees and employers working collaboratively on scheme funding.
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Buy-in market predicted to reach new heights
The amount of scheme liabilities underwritten by insurers is expected to reach a record high this year as buy-ins become more affordable and scheme confidence grows, derisking consultants have said.
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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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AMNT: Oz-style 'supers' could emerge from latest UK reforms
The Association of Member Nominated Trustees has said ‘to-and-through’ retirement options could pave the way for Australian-style superannuation schemes, if employers are willing to take on any additional governance burden that a post-retirement commitment could create.
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WMPF to give Brum SMEs £40m boost as funds seek social impact
The West Midlands Pension Fund has set aside £40m for a direct lending fund to provide finance to small and medium-sized businesses in the Birmingham area, seeking a positive social impact alongside return.
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Collective schemes to be enforced by valuation and reporting framework
Collective schemes – which pool members’ assets and risk – will have to comply with new valuation and reporting requirements, under initial proposals outlined yesterday in the Queen’s Speech.
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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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Careful asset selection urged in secondary property as inflows mount
Investment experts have warned about the importance of careful selection when investing in second tier-property, as schemes increase allocations to the sub-asset class.