All Podcasts articles – Page 3
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PodcastsPodcast: No way to avoid the indexation ‘rules lottery’ as inflation bites
Podcast: High inflation will spur more schemes to look to switch from the retail price index to the consumer price index, but there is still no way around the “rules lottery”. Eversheds Sutherland partner Stuart Earle and Aon partner Lynda Whitney discuss inflation, the botched attempt to raise the normal minimum pension age, and a new value for money framework.
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PodcastsPodcast: Trustees need to address sponsor covenant climate risk
Podcast: With climate change becoming central to investment discussions, trustees also need to think about how similar risks can affect the strength of their scheme’s sponsor and its ability to stand behind the pension fund. In this podcast, Lincoln Pensions managing director Michael Bushnell explains what questions trustees need to ask, what to do with the information they get, and why employers really need to pay attention to climate change in their pension finance discussions.
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PodcastsPodcast: Industry ‘irritation’ with TPR’s code of practice could have been avoided
Podcast: The negative reaction of the industry to the Pensions Regulator’s new code of practice shows what can happen if consultations are handled poorly, says Tim Middleton, director of policy and external affairs at the Pensions Management Institute. He is joined by Steven Taylor, partner at LCP, to discuss consultations, collective defined contribution schemes, and flexibility within the defined benefit universe.
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PodcastsPodcast: Covid-19 could have killed the PLSA
Podcast: The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association “could have died” from the financial damage wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, and was only saved thanks to prudent long-term planning. Richard Butcher, managing director of PTL, reflects on his tenure as PLSA chair in an episode covering guaranteed minimum pensions guidance, master trusts and bespoke indices for environmental, social and governance investments.
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PodcastsPodcast: Market capacity may be barrier to DC scheme consolidation
Podcast: There may be limited capacity in the master trust market to take on a rush of defined contribution pension funds as the government continues with its consolidation push, according to Kim Gubler, chair of the Pensions Administration Standards Association, and David Saunders, senior partner elect at Sackers. In this episode, our panellists also discuss Aon and Willis Towers Watson’s abandoned merger, new developments in the pensions dashboards project and the regulator’s review of schemes eligible for the Fraud Compensation scheme.
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PodcastsPodcast: TCFD helps schemes to understand financial risks
Podcast: The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures requirements are a great opportunity for pension funds to set a strategy which helps them understand the financial risks involved in climate change, says Will Martindale, group head of sustainability at Cardano. He is joined by Joanne Segars, chair of the board of directors of LGPS Central and chair of Now Pensions, to discuss how schemes can best implement the imminent new rules.
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NewsPodcast: Too much jargon hampers sustainable investing drive
Podcast: Politicians and the pensions industry risk jeopardising the progress made on sustainable investing because they are too fond of jargon. Members are keen to get involved, but they have to understand what they are getting involved in. Georgia Stewart, chief executive of Tumelo, and Chris Hulatt, co-founder of Octopus Group, talk sustainability, inter-generational fairness and cryptocurrencies.
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PodcastsPodcast: Tapping DC for Long-Term Assets Fund requires ‘rigorous’ scrutiny
Podcast: HM Treasury’s proposals to tap defined contribution schemes for its new Long-Term Assets Fund is not a bad idea, but problems with daily dealing remain, and it requires the kind of “rigorous” scrutiny applied to other new asset classes. PensionBee chief executive Romi Savova and Jonathan Parker, head of DC and financial wellbeing at Redington, discuss the LTAF, rumours of a tax raid, and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s new Responsible Investment Quality Mark.
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PodcastsPodcast: Treasury ‘ignored advice’ in public sector pension reforms
Podcast: A report from the Public Accounts Committee about the public sector pensions reform has showed that Treasury ignored advice that could have prevented the McCloud case, argues Ian Neale, co-founder of Aries Insight. He is joined by Sackers partner Claire Carey, in an episode also covering industry consultation fatigue and the new Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures reporting requirements.
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PodcastsPodcast: Trustees should focus more on scheme admin in anti-scam fight
Podcast: The Pensions Ombudsman has declared schemes should have their transfer and due diligence procedures updated within a month of new anti-scams guidance. Compliance will require a huge amount of administrative time and resources, and trustees should give scheme administration more focus. LCP partner Francesca Bailey and Pensions Management Institute president Lesley Alexander talk scams, dashboards and corporate activity.
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PodcastsPodcast: Police officers let down by poor McCloud communication
Podcast: Police officers, who have complained about the ramifications of the government’s McCloud remedy, face a difficult battle to get their plight rectified, in another case where inadequate policy and communications has created damaging uncertainty for members. Quietroom development lead Joe Craig and Taylor Wessing senior associate Hadassah Shulman discuss this case, as well as simpler annual statements and the government’s anti-scam proposals.
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PodcastsPodcast: Pension schemes’ under-allocation to China is ‘anachronistic’
Podcast: UK pension schemes are too often under-allocated to China and missing out on the significant opportunities presented by its continued growth and development. There are, however, lingering environmental, social and governance concerns around investing in the “nominally communist” state, says RisCura investment consultant Lars Hagenbuch. He is joined by SEI Investments director Cyprian Njamma in an episode also covering Covid-19 mortality data and the Pensions Regulator’s proposed asset information reform.
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PodcastsPodcast: Illiquids not necessarily the answer for DC
Podcast: Illiquid asset classes might seem attractive in theory, but there would be difficulties establishing them in a defined contribution pension portfolio, even if all the regulatory burdens were removed. Brian Henderson, partner and director of consulting at Mercer, is joined by Shola Salako, professional trustee at Dalriada, to discuss alternatives, putting the S in ESG, and fixing the problems with chair’s statements.
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PodcastsPodcast: Treasury admin fund could help tackle McCloud
Podcast: The Treasury should create a fund to help schemes cope with the administrative load of the McCloud remedy. So says Ray Martin, director at HS Sole Trustees, who is joined by Pensions Administration and Standards Association chair Kim Gubler to discuss TPR’s new climate change agenda, the NAO’s warning about the burdensome McCloud judgment, and a bizarre proposal for a national pension fund.
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PodcastsPodcast: TPR’s criminal powers policy will evolve with experience
Podcast: The Pensions Regulator’s policy around the use of its controversial new powers “will evolve” in response to evidence, court cases and industry experience, its director of regulatory policy, analysis and advice revealed.
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PodcastsPodcast: Uber decision poses challenges for master trust sector
Podcast: For master trusts, onboarding gig economy workers who could be entitled to a pension following the Supreme Court’s Uber verdict is not as simple as it may sound. Hymans Robertson’s Patrick Bloomfield, partner, and senior DC investment consultant Victoria Panormo unpack the problem, in an episode also covering the Pensions Regulator’s draft criminal powers policy, and the Department for Work and Pensions’ climate risk consultation.
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PodcastsPodcast: Budget 2021 - ‘Reckless conservatism’ in DB landscape
Podcast: Wednesday’s budget did not go far enough to counter the “reckless conservatism” in the defined benefit landscape when it comes to risk and growth assets, hampering the government’s drive to unleash pensions on the post-pandemic recovery, according to Conservative party peer baroness Ros Altmann. She is joined by Isio partner Mike Smedley, in a discussion that also includes the lifetime allowance freeze and what was missing from the chancellor’s statement.
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PodcastsPodcast: Timms calls for pension transfer rules change
Podcast: The current law governing transfers is not fit for purpose and there are too many bodies involved in handling pension scams, according to Work and Pensions Committee chair Stephen Timms.
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PodcastsPodcast: Tackling climate change will require a ‘step change’ in governance
Podcast: The government’s “revolutionary” plans to tackle climate change “ain’t half prescriptive” when it comes to pensions investments, and will require a “step change” in governance to achieve. So say Stuart O’Brien, partner at Sackers, and ITS director Tegs Harding, who also discuss the consequences of another row at the Universities Superannuation Scheme and the cartelisation of the advisory market.
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PodcastsPodcast: New powers in Pension Schemes Act could cause bankruptcies
Podcast: New criminal provisions in the Pension Schemes Act are so broadly drafted that they could strangle legitimate business activity, potentially resulting in unnecessary bankruptcies. So says Arc Pensions Law partner Jane Kola, who, along with Society of Pension Professionals president James Riley, warn about the potentially dire consequences and call for more clarity from the regulator. More cheerfully, this inauguration day episode also covers the future of actuaries, small pots, and Donald Trump’s pension.