All Opinion articles – Page 95

Opinion

With ALM gizmos, are we seeing the gamification of pensions data?

2014-09-29T00:00:00Z

Any other business: Gamification, according to Gabe Zicherman, a technology guru and chair of GSummit, is “the process of using game thinking and game dynamics to engage audiences and solve problems”. 

Opinion

Editorial: Measuring up

2014-09-26T00:00:00Z

This week we consider how pension funds can consider performance in two areas of their investments: diversified growth funds and fiduciary management.

Opinion

Taking a break from your investment worries

2014-09-24T00:00:00Z

Talking head: Redington’s Rob Gardner looks at the current worries facing institutional investors, and how they can get past them.

Opinion

The DC Debate – finding value for members after the Budget

2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

This quarter's DC debate focuses on the investment options that will suit savers in the post-Budget world, including the ever-present battle of jargon and whether members will understand the newfound flexibilities.

Opinion

Why independent assurance beats mandatory regulation for master trusts

2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

In the latest Informed Comment, advisory firm CCW’s Andrew Penketh makes the case for the master trust assurance framework, as opposed to a mandatory regime whose costs would be passed on to members.

Opinion

How can schemes judge DGF performance?

2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

Kevin Frisby from LCP, JLT Investment Consulting’s Allan Lindsay, Axa IM’s Yoram Lustig, HR Trustees’ Giles Payne, Aon Hewitt’s Ryan Taylor and Bruce White of LGIM discuss how schemes can measure the performance of diversified growth funds, in the first of a four-part panel discussion.

Opinion

How to measure your fiduciary management performance

2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

Buck Consultants’ Jacob Rubin and Brian McCauley clarify the benefits of fiduciary management and explain how to assess performance, in this week’s Technical Comment.

Opinion

Schemes make record gilts investment, and three other key ONS charts

2014-09-22T00:00:00Z

Schemes invested heavily in fixed income assets – including government, corporate and overseas bonds – last quarter. Anticipated rate rises, schemes derisking out of equities and even switching from synthetic to real gilt holdings have all been investment drivers.

Opinion

Justifying the fees: How to get value out of your lawyers

2014-09-22T00:00:00Z

Any other business: “The trouble with life isn’t that there is no answer, but that there are so many answers.” This quote, attributed to Ruth Benedict, could easily be applied to the world of pensions law, where achieving consensus among lawyers is an almost impossible task. 

Opinion

Editorial: The same, except very different

2014-09-19T00:00:00Z

As soon as we got one answer, we were left with a huge number of questions.

Opinion

Regulator: the AE capacity crunch has not materialised

2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

Talking head: The Pensions Regulator’s Charles Counsell argues that the anticipated capacity crunch for auto-enrolment did not materialise, but non-compliance is expected to rise.

Opinion

Here today, here tomorrow – why smart beta is not a fad

2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

Lombard Odier’s Carolina Minio-Paluello argues the evidence against market capitalisation-based indices will stand the test of time, in the latest edition of Informed Comment.

Opinion

Four steps to a targeted, practical covenant review

2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

In the latest edition of Technical Comment, Spence’s Marian Elliott runs through four steps that schemes can take to achieve a successful employer covenant review.

Opinion

Active managers dealt another blow, but schemes still loyal

2014-09-15T00:00:00Z

A survey released this week found passive funds outperformed active funds by 4.7 per cent over the past five years, adding fuel to the fire of the active versus passive management debate.

Opinion

How to deal with renegade trustees at your scheme

2014-09-15T00:00:00Z

Any other business: It has been a month where companies, governments and journalists have been accused of a personal bias. How do you ensure your trustees leave their personal interests at the door?

Opinion

Editorial: Into the unknown?

2014-09-12T00:00:00Z

The prospect of Scottish independence has moved in the past week from an interesting theoretical question to a huge potential headache.

Opinion

Why UK schemes lose out to nimble overseas competitors on infrastructure

2014-09-11T00:00:00Z

Infrastructure has been a hot topic among UK schemes over the past couple of years. With its long-term matching characteristics, it seems like a perfect fit for schemes looking to match liabilities, but inflows have been muted.

Opinion

Emerging markets were overplayed, but not any more

2014-09-09T00:00:00Z

Investec’s Atul Shinh gives three reasons why pension fund investors should get back on the emerging markets bandwagon, in the latest edition of Informed Comment.

Opinion

Webb: My pension schemes bill is focused on the saver's experience

2014-09-09T00:00:00Z

Last week, I had the privilege of introducing the pension schemes bill to Parliament, and seeing it receive an unopposed second reading.

Opinion

Fid man take-up stubbornly slow: five key charts

2014-09-09T00:00:00Z

Fiduciary management in the UK has long been marketed/talked about, with the promise of taking the responsibility for ever more complicated everyday investment decisions off the hands of trustees seeming almost too good to be true.