All articles by Stephanie Hawthorne – Page 15
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Opinion
Inertia and engagement both have a place in pension comms
Analysis: Defined contribution schemes have been warned to “adapt or die” on member communications, with a range of experts calling for a rethink of engagement.
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News
Scottish Borders fund opts for sustainable equities
On the go: The £711m Scottish Borders Council Pension Fund has become the first UK local authority pension scheme to invest in Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s Global Sustain Strategy.
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News
Field condemns TPR failure to act on Johnston Press pension
On the go: The chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee has condemned The Pensions Regulator’s finding that restructured publisher Johnston Press did not use a ‘pre-pack’ insolvency to avoid its pension obligations.
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News
Employers keep workers in the dark on pension freedoms
On the go: Some employers are still sticking their heads in the sand when it comes to pensions reforms. Only 59 per cent have alerted their employees to pension freedoms, according to the Employer Engagement Survey 2018 published by the Department for Work and Pensions in March 2019.
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News
FTSE350 pension deficit rises to £45bn
On the go: The total deficit of FTSE350 companies’ defined benefit pension schemes increased to £45bn from £41bn at the end of February. The move was caused by an increase in liabilities to £811bn from £806bn, partially offset by asset values increasing to £766bn from £765bn, according to Mercer figures released this week.
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News
Bulk annuity volumes beat expectations with £24bn in 2018
On the go: Legal & General took the largest share of the bulk annuity market in 2018, accounting for 35 per cent of the sector, in a year when buy-ins and buyouts totalled £24bn.
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News
New lower life expectancy figures trim £20bn off DB liabilities
On the go: Life expectancies at age 65 are around five months lower for both males and females than they were a year ago, at 19.8 years and 22.4 years according to the Continuous Mortality Investigation. The figures come with caveats but are expected to cut £20bn from FTSE 350 defined benefit liabilities.
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News
TPR could face last-minute ‘tsunami’ of master trust applications
On the go: With just over three weeks left until the end of the authorisation window for master trusts, 13 applications have been received by the Pensions Regulator from the 90 master trusts in the market, meaning it could face a last-minute tsunami of applications, according to consultancy Hymans Robertson.
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News
£7.1m bulk annuity boom for PIC
On the go: Pension Insurance Corporation saw a near doubling of new pension insurance business to £7.1bn of premiums (2017: £3.7bn), for clients including BHS, Siemens and Rentokil, its parent company's 2018 results published today revealed.
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News
SEI seeks master trust authorisation just weeks before the deadline
On the go: With just weeks to go before the final deadline of March 31, SEI is the latest trust to reveal that it has applied for authorisation of its SEI Master Trust.
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News
Aon ends takeover talks with Willis Towers Watson
On the go: Insurance brokerage and consulting giant Aon has pulled out of takeover talks for rival Willis Towers Watson.
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News
Schemes should discuss options ahead of Brexit-day clash
On the go: One in seven UK pension schemes faces a Brexit conundrum with their valuation year-end dates falling due on March 31, the Sunday after the UK is due to leave the EU on March 29, Aon says.
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News
Eurozone equities at 20 per cent discount v US stock market
On the go: The eurozone stock markets could be set to outperform the US, UK and Japan, according to NN Investment Partners.
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News
Record £10bn annuity sales boosts L&G profits
On the go: Legal & General’s 2018 results released on Wednesday showed a record £10bn annuity sales, as demand grew for both institutional risk transfer deals and individual annuities.
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FeaturesDoctors express anger at NHS scheme failings
The leviathan NHS Pension Scheme is under fire again, with a Byzantine labyrinth of responsibilities, administration failings, and frustrations at government pensions policy infuriating medical staff.
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Features
LGPS funds strive to make an impact with build to rent
A minor revolution is taking place in town halls across the country. Local authority pension funds are changing tack, eschewing traditional equities for alternatives, and looking to make a difference with their allocations.
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News
LifeSight first master trust to gain TPR authorisation
On the go: Willis Towers Watson’s LifeSight is the first master trust to gain authorisation, the Pensions Regulator confirmed on Wednesday.
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News
Unregulated companies source of 52% of all scams
On the go: More than half of all scams can be linked back to unregulated introducers or advisers, according to research by the Pension Scams Industry Group.
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News
PPF beset by fresh court proceedings over 50% payout level
On the go: Court proceedings have started against the Pension Protection Fund, seeking to challenge its approach for calculating any increases due to its members as a result of a European Court of Justice ruling last September.
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News
Mercer Marsh Benefits unifies in the UK
On the go: Mercer Marsh Benefits has regrouped its UK and benefits teams under the MMB brand. The restructure follows the acquisition of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group by Marsh & McLennan, the parent company.