All Opinion articles – Page 72
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OpinionJust say it
Editorial: Last Monday a debate took place in the House of Commons after campaign group Women Against State Pension Inequality had handed over a petition asking for transitional arrangements.
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OpinionPension funds and insurers share appetite for infrastructure
Solvency II has made it easier for insurers to invest in infrastructure. Elodie Laugel from Axa Investment Managers looks at whether pension schemes now have to expect more competition for deals from this sector.
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OpinionDefine the measures of success before going in-house
Looking only at costs, using an in-house team for part or all of a pension fund’s investment activity is tempting, but cost is only one dimension of measuring success.
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OpinionInvestment lessons from DB
Talking Head: Defined contribution schemes could pool assets and risk to improve returns, says the Society of Pension Professionals’ Duncan Buchanan.
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OpinionIntegrated risk management: Seeing the bigger picture
What if I told you that a diagram from the Pensions Regulator is an example of the artistic technique of stippling – where individual dots of paint are used to build up a picture? The approach illustrated is essentially a framework on which to hang actuarial funding risk, investment risk and those risks relating to the strength of the sponsor’s business: their own investments, the market in which they operate and their continuing ability to support the pension scheme.
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OpinionA cold front from Europe
Editorial: Trustees had better wrap up warm: a chilly wind is blowing from Europe. A short sunny spell in Brussels last week was quickly followed by a cold front from Frankfurt, where the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority is based.
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Opinion
Funding and reinsurance emerge as biggest challenges on the road to buyout
Feature: The introduction of Solvency II last month has made buying out in full even trickier than before, but there are things trustees can do to make it more likely to happen.
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OpinionUnderstanding interest rates is key to assessing their impact
From the blog: Changes in interest rates, and more specifically bond yields, can have profound influences on defined benefit and defined contribution schemes, so it is important trustees understand how they work.
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OpinionWhen knowledge is power: how to manage your advisers
Independent Trustee Services’ Janine Wood looks at whether your consultant has too much say in your scheme and how that could change.
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OpinionPMI: Move to cash undermines pensions as HR tool
Talking Head: The Pensions Management Institute’s Tim Middleton says it is time to rethink the increasing move towards cash in pension provision.
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OpinionThe end of short-service refunds: Some quirks to look out for
Changes to the rules on short-service refunds come with some quirks trustees need to be aware of. Adeline Chapman, associate at law firm Sackers, explains what they are.
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OpinionShould Britain’s pension schemes support the UK economy?
From the blog: UK pension schemes have no obligation whatsoever to help the national economy. Pension scheme trustees are legally bound to try and make investments that provide returns to pay pensions. And nothing more.
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OpinionInput > income > outcome
Editorial: A flurry of innovation in defined contribution scheme design has been catalysed by the pension freedoms. Glidepaths are forking out in an attempt to capture the wants and needs of this new age of retiree, while diversified growth funds continue to find homes in these newly lengthened growth phases.
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Opinion
Altmann: Many employers going above AE minima as reform beds in
Talking Head: Auto-enrolment is part of a cultural shift that requires time and for providers to engage with savers, says pensions minister Ros Altmann.
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OpinionForget freedom, millennials want security
From the blog: Born between 1980 and 2000 and entering the workplace amid one of the most significant booms and busts of recent history, millennials face a unique set of financial challenges.
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OpinionSix pages or 60? What to expect from an IGC report
The Society of Pension Professionals’ Duncan Buchanan looks at what to expect from independent governance committees’ first annual reports.
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Opinion
The cost of a buy-in: A trio of factors dominate pricing
Feature: Many more schemes are expected to explore derisking avenues such as buy-ins and buyouts in 2016, but whether to press ahead will come down to affordability, which hinges on at least three key factors.
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OpinionSpeed dating for LGPS funds: How to choose your pooling partner
The government-imposed asset pooling of Local Government Pension Scheme funds forces committees to ask themselves on what basis they will choose pooling partners. Mercer’s Jo Holden gives tips on what schemes should focus on.
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OpinionNew pensions accounting standards: What is the impact on employer balance sheets?
For employers participating in group defined benefit pension plans, and in relation to plan surpluses, the new UK generally accepted accounting principles for 2015 will have a significant effect.
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OpinionSkip the all-you-can-eat buffet in 2016
Monetary intervention, a commodity slump and the US dollar will all shape capital markets this year. BlackRock’s Ewen Cameron Watt says what asset owners need to focus on.