All Trustees articles – Page 31
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Opinion
We have the ombudsman cases we wanted – but they provide cold comfort
When the pensions ombudsman published its first determination on a pensions liberation case late last year, I blogged that the key cases for schemes would be where trustees had blocked suspect transfers. The first few of those have now been made public.
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Opinion
Mixing it up: how added diversity could boost trustee board results
GSAM’s Kathleen Hughes argues a broader spread of backgrounds on trustee boards would better reflect schemes’ members, could achieve more effective decision-making and provide valuable experience for future company board talent.
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Opinion
Does your scheme lack a 2015 strategy?
Any other business: Most schemes lack a set strategy for the new year, governance experts say, as the industry turns its attention to the challenges of the next 12 months.
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News
Latest IORP revision ditches 'professional' qualification requirement for trustees
The latest revision of the European Commission pensions directive has removed a contentious requirement for trustees to have a "professional" qualification – reigniting debate in the industry on the merits of a minimum standard of training.
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Features
Off on a Christmas jolly? How to keep on the safe side of industry hospitality
Whether the 'good old days' of corporate hospitality provided important relationship building, or were symbolic of an overly cosy relationship between pension funds and their providers, the consensus is that times have changed.
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Opinion
Five tips for any new pension scheme trustee
Any other business: The governance burden on pension fund trustees becomes heavier by the day, making it difficult to believe why anyone would be such a glutton for punishment as to take on the role. Here are five tips for the brave new trustee.
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Opinion
Trustee education: can training be engaging and insightful?
US president Thomas Jefferson said: "To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education." This has never been more pertinent to schemes.
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Opinion
Issuing a ‘trustee P45’ – is firing scheme reps ever justifiable?
Any other business: Going against the grain is not necessarily a bad thing in a trustee; in fact it can be a necessary part of acting in members’ best interests.
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Opinion
Learning from Pimco: Has your scheme got a key-man risk?
Asset manager Pimco has been making headlines for the past week after the departure of chief investment officer Bill Gross, the so-called bond king.
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Opinion
With ALM gizmos, are we seeing the gamification of pensions data?
Any other business: Gamification, according to Gabe Zicherman, a technology guru and chair of GSummit, is “the process of using game thinking and game dynamics to engage audiences and solve problems”.
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News
Smaller schemes combine service provision to reduce legacy burden
Leading benefit consultancies have reported more small to medium-sized schemes are bundling services under a single provider in response to a growth in legacy arrangements and to benefit from economies of scale.
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News
The Pensions Trust takes names off ballot to reduce bias
The Pensions Trust has anonymised its trustee board elections in a controversial attempt to create a more diverse board, as schemes work to improve representation on male-dominated governance bodies.
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News
Risk management key trustee challenge as complexity criticised
An industry survey has shown understanding risk is the biggest challenge for defined benefit pension scheme trustees, sparking debate over whether trustees need more sophistication, or whether scheme choices need simplifying.
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Opinion
Does your trustee board have a women problem?
Any other business: The prime minister is not the only one facing questions over diversity. A quick glance around the pensions industry shows white, middle-aged men make up the majority of trustee boards.
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Opinion
Confronting the scourge of the ever-growing meeting pack
Any other business: Is there a trustee out there who makes it through every page of their meeting bumpf?
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NewsHow your scheme could benefit from the Arcadia CPI judgment
Employers have been encouraged to assess whether they can switch from the retail prices index to the consumer price index to reduce their liabilities, after a High Court ruling last week.
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Features
'Oversharing' is good. A scheme guide for dealing with the regulator
The western world is divided on the power of regulation to move it forward. On the left and in the centre, politicians promise regulation to avoid the excessive risk-taking that almost led to the collapse of the global financial system in 2008.
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Opinion
Which process provides the best trustees: election or selection?
Low voter turnout has plagued many elections. As the famous apocryphal quote from US politics runs, “A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls”.
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Features
Are iPads harming or helping trustee boards? The cases for and against tablet governance
Any other business: In the technology world, a recently unearthed speech by Steve Jobs in 1983 predicting the world dominance of the personal computer is clear evidence of the Apple co-founder’s vision.
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Opinion
Conflict is good: what your trustee board could learn from Amazon
Any other business: Encouraging and making the most of conflict and disagreement is one of the key drivers of innovation at one of the world’s most high profile companies.