All social articles – Page 8
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News
Trend towards master trusts continues apace
On the go: The rate at which FTSE 250 companies move to master trusts as their main defined contribution vehicle is set to accelerate over the next two years, according to a new report from Willis Towers Watson.
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NewsPodcast: Pension schemes bill could have ‘unintended consequences’
Podcast: The pension schemes bill defines criminal offences so broadly that it could have “unintended consequences” for the running of pension schemes, potentially stifling legitimate corporate activity. Tiffany Tsang, Local Government Pension Scheme and defined benefit policy lead at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, and Eversheds Sutherland partner Jeremy Goodwin both agree that more clarity is needed, in an episode also covering fallout from the passage of the insolvency bill, the launch of the Make My Money Matter campaign, and a 16th century pension scheme bailout.
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News
Environment Agency scheme takes aim at private equity ESG failings
When BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker took to Twitter after the Make My Money Matter campaign launch to say he “hadn’t even contemplated that investment into our pensions could be so questionable. Will be asking questions now, though”, he manifested the point and the goal of the campaign: most people have a vision for the future, but very few realise the power of pensions in realising it.
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News
How can schemes make ESG compliance meaningful?
Analysis: The UK pension industry’s first attempt at compliance with new sustainability reporting rules has left campaigners unimpressed, to say the very least.
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PodcastsPodcast: 'Crystal ball-gazing' makes ethical investment tough for trustees
Trustees aiming to make ethical investment decisions can find it tough to justify them without recourse to a crystal ball, as the legal requirements are ill-defined, says Irwin Mitchell’s pensions partner Penny Cogher. In this episode she’s joined by independent consultant and long-time pensions expert Malcolm McLean for a discussion covering capital-backed endgame deals, the complications of new insolvency laws, and some morally dubious LGPS investments.
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News
Brunel achieves carbon intensity reduction target
Brunel Pension Partnership has achieved its target of reducing the carbon intensity of its active portfolio by 7 per cent a year in time for the UN’s World Environment Day, but smaller schemes saddled with pooled products may lack the clout required to emulate them.
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NewsUSS divests from coal, tobacco and weapons manufacturers
The UK’s largest pension scheme has announced it is to divest from selected coal, tobacco and weapons manufacturers, following years of campaigning by members and activist groups.
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News
ESG-focused investments show durability through market meltdown
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how important environmental, social and governance factors are when making investment decisions, according to analysts.
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News
HSBC ahead of curve with TCFD compliance
As the government seeks powers to mandate pension schemes to disclose their climate change risks, the HSBC Bank (UK) Pension Scheme is already on its second report under the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
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News
L&G to launch fossil fuel free fund
On the go: PensionBee will offer Legal & General’s first fossil fuel-free fund, in response to demand from consumers to exclude oil from their pension investments.
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News
Cheshire Pension Fund questions members on investments and ESG
The £5.8bn Cheshire Pension Fund is gauging the views of its members and participating employers on its investment strategy and environmental, social and governance policy.
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OpinionAuto-enrolment can help solve care crisis
Our ability to support our elderly reaches tipping point by 2029 unless the government takes decisive action now.
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OpinionThe biggest driver of change in DC
Data Crunch: Over the past few years, defined contribution schemes have had to adapt to substantial changes introduced by the government and the regulators.
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News
Social care crisis: is auto-enrolment the answer?
Auto-enrolment-style contributions could hold the key to solving the UK’s growing social care crisis, according to the sponsors of a report into the funding shortfall for care in later life.
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News
DWP: Government will not dictate schemes’ ESG investments
The government insists it is not intervening in pension scheme investment strategies with a climate change amendment to the pension schemes bill introduced earlier this month.
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News
Nest joins campaign for Barclays fossil fuel divestment
On the go: Master trust Nest has joined a group of institutional investors urging Barclays to publish a plan to gradually phase out its financing of fossil fuel companies.
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News
TPR ordered to set out climate change strategy
On the go: The government is expecting the Pensions Regulator to publish a strategy for dealing with the financial risks arising from climate change, among other requirements to integrate the Green Finance Strategy into its activities.
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PodcastsPodcast: Regulator should take ‘softly-softly’ approach to DC consolidation
Podcast: The Pensions Regulator should take a “softly-softly” approach to defined contribution consolidation, similar to what happened with master trusts during the authorisation process, where subtle conversations occurred and schemes decided to exit in an orderly manner, according to Adrian Boulding, director of policy at Now Pensions. He and Rosalind Connor, partner at Arc Pensions Law, discuss the response from the watchdog to its consultation of the future of trusteeship and governance, among other topics.
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News
ESG amendments to give govt ‘unprecedented new powers’
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has warned that government bodies will have “unprecedented new powers” to interfere in pension scheme investment strategies if an amendment to the pension schemes bill is passed.
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OpinionPension funds must be a positive part of regenerative capitalism
Pension fund trustees, and particularly their investment consultants, are among the most influential decision-makers when it comes to the deployment of capital in the UK and beyond.