All articles by Owen Walker – Page 2
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Features
Achieving fixed price key to Arnold Laver buyout
Timber firm Arnold Laver secured a fixed price for its £45m buyout thanks to an enhanced transfer value (ETV) exercise and a long-term strategy of hedging risk.
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Features
Why 83% of Arup members make max contributions
Since setting up a contract-based DC scheme last year, Arup has seen 83% of its members make maximum contributions. Owen Walker discovershow.
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Features
Key challenges for 2012 actuarial valuations
More than 40% of schemes will undergo a triennial actuarial valuation this year. Owen Walker assesses their main obstacles – and how to overcome them.
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Features
Inflexible DC defaults fail members, study finds
Owen Walker looks at the latest economic research into creating defined contribution (DC) default funds to help members maximise their retirement income.
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Features
Engagement vital to improve member data, schemes say
Ian Smith and Owen Walker analyse how the Kingfisher, Aviva and Scottish TV pension plans have encouraged members to update their records and improve their administrative performance.
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Features
M&S cost savings to spur mastertrust copycats
Owen Walker analyses M&S’s mastertrust structure, which the retailer will set up to mitigate the administration costs associated with auto-enrolment
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Features
T Rowe Price bucks trend with DC lifestyle equity exposure
US fund manager T Rowe Price’s UK pension scheme has taken a more adventurous defined contribution lifestyle asset allocation to help members get a higher retirement income.
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Features
Saul avoids member backlash in switch to Care
The Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London used negotiations to avoid a hostile response from members, when it changed its benefits structure earlier this month.
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Features
Survey: Schemes shun traditional fixed income assets
In our second feature revealing the survey insights of 44 leading schemes and trustees, Owen Walker hears their two-year plan for fixed income investing.
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Features
Schemes turn their backs on traditional assets
Schemes reveal their reappraisal of the risk-reward characteristics of assets and how they have adjusted their portfolios, in the second instalment of the Intelligent Thinking survey.
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Features
Schemes divided over value of active managers
The ability of active fund managers to deliver value in the low-growth environment has proved a divisive issue for schemes, a schemeXpert.com and Pensions Week survey has shown.
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Features
Diversification not just about assets, advisers warn
In this first instalment of our annual survey of schemes and their advisers, we look at how funds have diversified their investments – and where consultants see room for improvement.
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Features
FTSE 100 schemes reassess actuarial assumptions
A report by LCP into the accounting disclosures of FTSE 100 pension schemes has revealed a wide range of assumptions used when assessing liabilities.
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Features
PPG improves investment efficiency with fiduciary management
The PPG Industries pension scheme's move to fiduciary management has led to a quicker and more efficient investment decision-making process, according to its pensions director.
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Features
Saul diversifies with three specialist EM mandates
The Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London has committed 7.5 per cent of its portfolio to three emerging market funds.
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Features
Insurers deliver flexible derisking payment plans
Schemes looking to take advantage of the current favourable pricing in the derisking market have been offered a range of flexible payment options by insurers.
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FeaturesRPMI tackles covenant risk with employer ratings
RPMI has rated its more than 150 different sponsors according to how strong their covenant is, as it assesses how to improve the scheme’s security.
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Features
Thomas Miller confronts volatility with DC default design
Owen Walker discovers how the Thomas Miller pension scheme introduced absolute return funds to its defined contribution (DC) default option to provide members with a better savings experience.
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Features
Stewardship Code to focus on ESG and lending
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is to review the UK Stewardship Code this summer, and is expected to incorporate stock lending and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
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Features
Pearl shaves fifth off DC fund charge
The Pearl Group Staff Pension Scheme will reduce by a fifth the amount of fees members pay to invest in one of its defined contribution funds later this month.
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