All News articles – Page 298
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Regulator considers stringent testing for indy trustees to raise standards
The Pensions Regulator is considering requiring formal qualifications for independent trustees and trustee chairs, in order to raise governance standards, its executive director told delegates at Wednesday’s conference.
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Early engagement key to guidance success, managers say
Pensions managers at two leading UK employers have called on schemes to communicate with their members well in advance of their retirement age, as schemes react to the government's guidance guarantee.
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NewsSchemes drop gilts to diversify fixed income
UK pension funds were at the forefront of European institutional investors dumping government bonds for higher-yielding fixed income assets in the first three months of 2014, investment data have shown.
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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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NewsBattle to plug deficits continues as FTSE 100 see £8bn deterioration
The total pension deficit of FTSE 100 defined benefit schemes worsened by an estimated £8bn, bringing the total to £57bn at the end of 2013, according to research, but experts maintain larger schemes are managing their risk exposures effectively.
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PPF plots future £4.4m saving from taking member services in-house
The Pension Protection Fund plans to make savings of around £4.4m a year by bringing its member services in-house, the pensions lifeboat’s three-year strategic plan has revealed.
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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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Employers turn to reservoir trusts to capture funding gains
Employers are increasingly using reservoir trusts to increase the funding and security of defined benefit schemes, in a desire for less complicated asset-backed structures in light of recent regulatory scrutiny.
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Missed payments case reveals AE compliance lessons for SMEs
The Pensions Regulator has directed an employer to stump up £143,000 in contributions left unpaid due to payroll errors, with industry experts predicting bad press could have a positive impact on smaller employers with their own auto-enrolment problems.
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Schemes consider currency overlay to mitigate fluctuations as economies recover
Schemes are considering implementing currency hedges on risky assets as investment experts predict currency adjustments after a long period of relative stability in the developed world.
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Lafarge trustees seek merger assurances to protect members
The trustee board of Lafarge’s UK pension fund has begun discussions with its sponsor to ensure members would be protected under its proposed $40bn (£23.8bn) merger with Holcim to form a global cement maker giant.
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Essex sees funding boost as it reduces gilt reliance
Essex Pension Fund has seen a 9 percentage-point jump in its funding level partly due to a change in how it calculates liabilities, as schemes shift towards valuation methods that avoid relying on historically low gilt yields.
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Local authority schemes see low take-up for 50/50 contributions
Local authority schemes have reported low initial take-up for the 50/50 contribution option introduced in Local Government Pension Scheme reforms earlier this month as an alternative aimed at stopping some people leaving the scheme altogether.
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Synthetic equities see interest as schemes look for creative ways to derisk
Defined benefit schemes are showing interest in synthetic equity strategies in order to move cash from growth portfolios to liability-matching strategies in an effort to shore up funding levels.
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Greater DC flex forecasted to raise member savings
Increased at-retirement flexibility for defined contribution members introduced by the Budget may lead to higher member contributions, experts have predicted, which could put pressure on some employers’ pension structures.
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The Cut: What reporting changes could mean for your scheme's financial statements
Today the Pensions Research Accountants Group released a statement of recommended practice for pension schemes' financial reports, under a three-month consultation that will close on July 16.
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SME uses investment guarantee to ensure good AE outcomes
Engineering company Centek has so far seen its defined ambition-like auto-enrolment investment set-up outperform the underpin it created to guarantee a minimum retirement outcome for its workforce of uninitiated savers.
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LDI struggling to penetrate medium and smaller-sized schemes
Liability-driven investment strategies are struggling to gain ground outside larger schemes, with regulatory data indicating just one in 17 medium-sized plans have implemented hedging strategies.
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Low-cost passive DC loses ground as schemes seek ‘smoothed’ returns
The number of FTSE 100 trust-based defined contribution schemes using lower-cost, fully passive management for their default options has dropped by almost a half as diversified growth funds become more popular, research has found.
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Surrey looks to lock in gains as funding level rises
Surrey County Council Pension Fund is exploring derisking strategies after its assets made further gains against liabilities since its 2013 triennial valuation.