All Opinion articles – Page 24
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OpinionBetter ESG integration is a marathon, not a sprint
Claire Curtin of the Pension Protection Fund welcomes new requirements on environmental, social and governance factors, but says the industry should acknowledge that this is not something that can happen overnight, and should be viewed as a journey towards a better, more sustainable future.
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OpinionSeparated by a common system?
Nest Insight’s Matthew Blakstad says despite the fundamental differences between the pension systems in the UK and the US, the two countries could both benefit by sharing common solutions to encourage employees to save more for their retirement.
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OpinionDon’t panic over 2020 valuations
Not all schemes will come out of the Covid-19 crisis in a worse shape than they entered it. Wherever trustees sit in the spectrum, their first priority should be gathering information, writes Dalriada Trustee’s Charles Ward.
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OpinionA roadmap to designing a corporate bond strategy
There are two ways of classifying a pension scheme’s objectives when designing its corporate bond portfolio: ‘spread capturing’ and ‘Sharpe maximising’.
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OpinionGood behaviour begins at home
The investment industry is happy to sign up to sustainability standards on clients’ behalf, but has proved reluctant to make even simple commitments on companies’ own behaviour, writes IC Select’s Peter Dorward.
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OpinionPensions technology hampered by underinvestment in data
We shop and bank online, receive our Amazon deliveries by drone and sign up to challenger banks like Monzo via apps. Comparatively, pensions administration remains steadfastly behind the curve, writes the Pensions Administration Standards Association’s Girish Menezes.
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OpinionTrustees cannot afford to ignore trans discrimination issues
Gowling WLG’s Liz Wood warns that trustees should be aware of their transgender members’ rights and ensure benefits are not being calculated in a discriminatory manner.
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OpinionPublic sector pensions on the brink of madness
If the current conundrum with discrimination issues in the public sector pension schemes were a work of fiction, no one would believe it.
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OpinionThree key considerations for trustees on coronavirus
Now declared a pandemic, growing concerns and uncertainty around the coronavirus outbreak continue to dictate global markets. Eoin Murray of Federated Hermes assesses whether pension funds be ‘buying the dip’ or remaining steadfast in their long-term strategy.
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OpinionMinister wide of the mark on self-employed
Instant analysis: Speeches made by government ministers at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association's conferences are one of the year's highlights for pensions policy-watchers, and often say as much about the person as the policies they launch.
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OpinionWhat HMRC’s guidance means for GMP in 2020
Buck’s Mark Williams explains why trustees, administrators and consultants are still facing challenges on guaranteed minimum pensions equalisation despite recent guidance from the taxman.
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OpinionAuto-enrolment can help solve care crisis
Auto-enrolment can play a decisive part in helping individuals save for later-life care, explains Penny Cogher, partner at Irwin Mitchell.
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OpinionUnnecessary obstacles creating unequal opportunities to save
Now Pensions chair of trustees Joanne Segars points out the current challenges of the gender pensions gap and how some simple solutions could go a long way to correct this imbalance.
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OpinionThe biggest driver of change in DC
Data Crunch: Broadridge’s Jonathan Libre looks at recent changes in legislation in the defined contribution space and how these schemes have adapted to a fast-evolving world of requirements.
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OpinionGMP equalisation: Was it worth it?
Equality is a noble principle. But try applying this concept to pensions and you get all sorts of complications and perverse outcomes.
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OpinionGovernment’s latest green push should come as no surprise
ShareAction’s Fergus Moffatt hits out at suggestions the government’s proposal to force climate-related disclosure encroaches on schemes’ investment freedoms, and says trustees should have nothing to fear from greater transparency.
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OpinionSchemes at risk from dwindling IFA transfer market
It pays for schemes to beat the rush when looking for an independent financial adviser to handle projects such as liability management exercises, says Buck’s Mark van den Berghen, adding that in the current regulatory environment due diligence on IFAs is paramount.
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OpinionPensions in an open finance future?
The possibilities to improve pensions using open finance are many and wide-ranging, but the industry must be honest about the challenges of implementing such a framework, writes the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s George Currie.
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OpinionBig shake-up to pensions taxation would change it for worse
Willis Towers Watson’s David Robbins explains why the current pensions tax relief system works for most people, and how making changes is easier said than done.
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OpinionIs the pensions industry up to speed on cyber security?
Pension schemes present a treasure trove of valuable data for cyber criminals and scammers, yet most trustees are lagging other financial services sectors. Fieldfisher’s Jeremy Harris and James Walsh explore the key risks and steps to shore up controls.