All Sackers articles – Page 4

  • Features

    Authorised master trusts look ahead to supervision

    2020-01-02T00:00:00Z

    The newly authorised master trust sector is bracing itself for a further increase in regulatory scrutiny as the supervision regime takes hold, since one-to-one supervision and annual statement requirements could amount to something approaching a “mini-authorisation” once a year.

  • News

    Trustees receive positive sign from ombudsman on scam checks

    2019-12-19T00:00:00Z

    Trustees and administrators must maintain the utmost vigilance against scammers, industry experts warn, despite a Pensions Ombudsman determination on a £367,601 loss to fraudsters favouring the ceding pension scheme.

  • News

    National Grid completes £1.6bn buy-in with Legal & General

    2019-11-26T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The National Grid UK Pension Scheme has completed a £1.6bn buy-in with Legal & General.

  • News

    Trustees vindicated in RPI/CPI switch complaint

    2019-11-22T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Ombudsman sided with pension scheme trustees in two separate cases over the decision to switch their inflation measure away from the retail price index.

  • News

    Is regulation needed to avoid pre-pack abuse?

    2019-09-05T00:00:00Z

    The government is considering legislation to prevent companies from abusing pre-pack administration to dump pension liabilities into the Pension Protection Fund, but some experts say further regulation is unnecessary.

  • News

    HSBC scheme agrees £7bn longevity swap package

    2019-08-06T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Trustees of the HSBC Bank UK Pension Scheme have agreed the second-largest longevity swap in UK history, insuring £7bn of the scheme's liabilities against living too long.

  • Joanne Smith
    Opinion

    Gearing up for GMP equalisation

    2019-07-23T00:00:00Z

    Sackers’ Joanna Smith sets out a helpful checklist for pension schemes to plan ahead of guaranteed minimum pension equalisation.

  • News

    DOIs: Could a cup of coffee lead to £1m DB fine?

    2019-05-03T00:00:00Z

    A lack of clarity on proposed new legislation means a meeting over a cup of coffee to discuss a corporate transaction could cost an employer up to £1m in civil fines if a declaration of intent is not made in advance, according to law firm Pinsent Masons.

  • News

    L&G master trust default goes green due to member demand

    2019-03-13T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Legal & General Mastertrust is switching its default investment strategy to take account of environmental, social and governance risks, after a study revealed almost 60 per cent of its members favour the approach.

  • Features

    Caffyns appoints fiduciary manager and overhauls portfolio

    2019-02-15T00:00:00Z

    Trustees of the £86m Caffyns Pension Scheme have appointed a fiduciary manager to improve the performance of the fund’s assets, leading to a restructuring of its investment portfolio.  

  • Podcasts

    Podcast: ESG - Trustee investment duties explained

    2019-01-24T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: New regulations coming into force this year mean pension schemes will be required to publish more-detailed statements of investment principles. These will address financially material environmental, social and governance risks, such as climate change. In this episode, Stuart O’Brien, a partner at law firm Sackers, discusses recent ESG-related developments, the danger of conflating ethical matters with ESG considerations, and explains how schemes can respond to member and pressure group queries.

  • News

    Merseyside goes green with £400m multi-factor equity allocation

    2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

    Merseyside Pension Fund has committed £400m to a new climate-friendly multi-factor fund, developed in collaboration with FTSE Russell, as part of its strategy on managing environmental, governance and social risks.

  • News

    Reuters Pension Fund completes £625m pensioner buy-in

    2018-12-17T00:00:00Z

    The trustee of the Reuters Pension Fund and Thomson Reuters have completed a £625m full pensioner buy-in for the scheme, in the biggest annuity transaction yet for insurer Canada Life.

  • News

    Civil partner LGPS survivor benefits set to match widows

    2018-10-05T00:00:00Z

    Survivors of same-sex civil partnerships and same-sex marriage will receive the same survivor benefits as those provided to widows under new proposals for the Local Government Pension Scheme.

  • DWP
    News

    DWP scraps plans for schemes to check members’ ethical views

    2018-09-12T00:00:00Z

    Controversial plans by the government to force trustees to outline how they have taken members’ ethical views into account in their investment strategies have been scrapped, it was revealed on Monday.

  • Opinion

    DC Debate Q3: Updating asset allocations

    2018-09-03T00:00:00Z

    In the second part of this quarter’s debate, our five DC professionals look beyond the traditional bond and equity portfolio to consider issues including diversified growth funds, alternatives and ESG.

  • Opinion

    DC Debate Q3: Getting the right amount of risk in defaults

    2018-08-30T00:00:00Z

    In the first instalment of this quarter's DC Debate, five experts dive into the appropriate amounts of risk and diversification for defined contribution members at various points in their savings journey.

  • News

    Lookers merges defined benefit schemes

    2018-08-14T00:00:00Z

    UK motor resale company Lookers has amalgamated two of its defined benefit pension schemes, as experts highlight the improved efficiency and cost savings associated with mergers.

  • Peter Murphy
    Opinion

    Schemes must be prepared for an interventionist regulator

    2018-07-02T00:00:00Z

    Defined benefit trustees and employers should both expect to see more of the Pensions Regulator in the coming years, says Sackers’ Peter Murphy, as its new approach and suite of powers look set to target scheme funding and corporate transactions.

  • Features

    Making ESG part and parcel of the DC investment process

    2018-06-27T00:00:00Z

    Earlier this year, the Environmental Audit Committee wrote to the UK’s largest 25 pension schemes to ask how they manage the risks climate change poses to retirement savings.