All Sackers articles – Page 8

  • News

    Trustees not convinced by indexation change arguments

    2016-11-23T00:00:00Z

    Trustees are overwhelmingly in favour of restructuring scheme benefit structures in response to the defined benefit crisis, a recent survey has suggested, but stop short of supporting a statutory override on increases of accrued benefits.

  • News

    'Rules lottery' continues after Court of Appeal's RPI/CPI judgment

    2016-11-04T00:00:00Z

    Trustees of the Barnardo Staff Pension Scheme will not be allowed to provide indexation of benefits in line with the consumer price index, according to a Court of Appeal decision earlier this week.

  • Unite protest (Getty)
    Opinion

    Closure cases: How trade unions are changing tack

    2016-10-24T00:00:00Z

    It is not uncommon to hear of trade unions stepping in to protect defined benefit provision for members, as final salary schemes continue to close. But with a greater focus on defined contribution adequacy, union approaches to closure cases are evolving.

  • Getty Images
    News

    How can you see through 'greenwashing'?

    2016-10-17T00:00:00Z

    Any other business: Socially responsible investment has grown in popularity in recent years, filling up column inches in the industry press and sections of annual reports, where schemes and asset managers outline their philosophies and approaches.

  • Getty Images
    Features

    Stagecoach tightens governance reins with scheme merger

    2016-10-05T00:00:00Z

    Stagecoach Group has merged one of its smaller pension plans with its £1.3bn defined benefit scheme, but the company has maintained a separate section for the smaller fund, keeping liabilities separate while potentially sharing some costs.

  • News

    TPR uses lesser-known power to move scheme into the PPF

    2016-10-05T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator has used its voidable modification powers to move a scheme attached to an insolvent employer into the Pension Protection Fund, it reported this week.

  • British Steel Pension Scheme
    News

    British Steel pensions rule change proposals shelved

    2016-09-15T00:00:00Z

    The government has reportedly put aside plans to change pensions legislation that would allow Tata Steel UK’s pension scheme to stay out of the Pension Protection Fund, according to insiders briefed on the issue.

  • News

    Schemes embrace fid man, but not third-party advisers

    2016-09-08T00:00:00Z

    Trustees are reporting high levels of satisfaction with fiduciary management, research from consultancy Aon Hewitt has shown, but some experts still raised concerns about appointments and monitoring.

  • Features

    Norcros moves to mastertrust in bid to improve governance

    2016-08-09T00:00:00Z

    Bathroom and kitchen products company Norcros is transferring its money purchase section to a mastertrust arrangement to provide "more focused governance" and greater flexibility. 

  • Opinion

    Value for trustee money?

    2016-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Editorial: The new defined contribution code that came into force this week is, by and large, being welcomed by the pensions industry, which lauded the focus on legal advice (Sackers), as well as its emphasis on administration (PASA) and security of assets (Working Party on DC Governance).

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Playing the waiting game

    2016-07-01T00:00:00Z

    Editorial: As the reality of the leave vote is sinking in, the British stiff upper lip is invoked incessantly by the pensions industry in an attempt to convince themselves and each other that things can’t be as bad as they are.

  • News

    Finalised IORP II may not make it to UK after Brexit vote

    2016-06-30T00:00:00Z

    A provisional final text of the EU’s revised Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision directive was published last week, as the UK’s presumed exit from the bloc cast doubt over its implementation.

  • Caroline Legg
    Opinion

    Take a deep breath: Brexit might not change much for schemes

    2016-06-28T00:00:00Z

    Caroline Legg from law firm Sackers looks at what last week’s ‘leave’ vote might mean for UK pension funds.

  • Opinion

    A balancing act: Will the Lisa meet its dual objectives?

    2016-05-24T00:00:00Z

    The Specialist: The Lisa’s success will depend on whether it finds investments to meet both of its goals.

  • Getty Images
    Features

    Halcrow plots rescue of DB scheme

    2016-05-06T00:00:00Z

    Engineering company Halcrow’s pension scheme is expected to agree a liability-management exercise in coming weeks after the High Court ruled a previous proposal was illegal.

  • Getty Images
    Features

    Fallout from contracting-out continues at Bombardier

    2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

    Workers at engineering company Bombardier are considering industrial action over employer plans to pass on the cost of contracting-out cessation to members of two of its defined benefit schemes, while sharing the cost for the Railways Pension Scheme.

  • Getty Images
    Opinion

    Would Brexit mean less red tape for UK schemes?

    2016-03-29T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: The volume of European regulatory changes has radically increased the governance burden on UK pension schemes in recent years; voting to leave the European Union must be tempting for trustees keen to cut the red tape.

  • News

    Hertfordshire joins Access LGPS pool

    2016-03-24T00:00:00Z

    Hertfordshire County Council Pension Fund has joined with 10 other local authority schemes to launch the £33bn Access asset pool, as Local Government Pension Scheme funds work through the governance implications of pooling.

  • Opinion

    What the latest IGC reports tell us

    2016-03-22T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: For as long as the term 'independent governance committee' has been floating around the pensions industry there have been questions about how they will work.

  • News

    PLSA launches DB taskforce as deficits spiral

    2016-03-11T00:00:00Z

    PLSA Investment Conference 2016: While the combined deficit in the PPF 7800 index has reached £322.8bn, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association said it has launched a taskforce to “tackle the problems faced by defined benefit pension schemes”.