All volatility articles – Page 3
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Features
Alternative risk premium funds fail to deliver on promises in testing 2018
Analysis: Pension schemes continue to pour assets into fast-growing alternative risk premium strategies, despite a torrid 2018 for returns and concerns over the diversification benefits delivered by the funds.
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OpinionWhat is the global market outlook for 2019?
Markets are no longer full of the optimism that greeted 2018’s arrival, with trade wars weighing on the global economy. Nonetheless, long-term investors with dry powder can find reasons to be excited, writes JPMorgan Asset Management’s Karen Ward.
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Opinion
DC Debate Q3: Getting the right amount of risk in defaults
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.
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OpinionChoose wisely – not all DGFs justify their fees
An enormous variety of strategies, risk levels and returns are encompassed under the diversified growth fund moniker. Realistic expectations and careful due diligence are essential if schemes are to pick the right one, writes JLT Employee Benefits’ Jignesh Sheth.
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OpinionOne year out, Brexit is still a major pensions risk
Market volatility may be the Brexit-related phenomenon that most hurts UK pension schemes, writes EY’s Gordon Wood, but the decision to leave the EU also has implications for sponsor covenants and regulation.
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OpinionWill the return of volatility save active management?
Active managers have had a hard time in markets that have only gone one way, but the prospect of market volatility returning may offer them a lifeline, says Aon’s Matthew Towsey.
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News
Could DGFs deliver a better DC experience?
Analysis: The perceived wisdom of defined contribution investment had always been one that places an emphasis on simplicity.
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OpinionHow to prepare for the next stock market crash
Ominder Dhillon at M&G Investments explains how pension funds can prepare for another stock market crash, by embracing flexibility and taking advantage of volatility.
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Opinion
How can DC schemes deliver value for money?
There are few more prolific terms overheard in the pensions industry than value for money, and far fewer that evade objective definition quite so comfortably.
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OpinionWhich retirement option should your default strategy target?
Maria Nazarova-Doyle at JLT Employee Benefits explains why the default outcome should be seen as more than just a single option.
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Opinion
How are DGFs being used in DC?
How are defined contribution schemes using diversified growth funds, and what roles do member engagement and cost constraints play? Naomi L’Estrange from 2020 Trustees, Shuntao Li from Barnett Waddingham, Neil McPherson from Capital Cranfield, Murray Taylor from JLT Employee Benefits, and Percival Stanion from Pictet Asset Management discuss DGFs in DC and the issue of fees.
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FeaturesPearson moves away from hedge funds into DGFs
The pension plan of publishing giant Pearson Group has scrapped its hedge fund exposure and invested in diversified growth funds, in a bid to control investment risk and costs as the scheme nears self-sufficiency.
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Features
Imperial Tobacco fund sharpens returns focus
The Imperial Tobacco Pension Fund has cut its exposure to shares and corporate bonds in favour of alternative asset classes, with a view to increasing the scheme’s sources of return and reducing reliance on equities.
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NewsTrustees told to focus less on market volatility
From Brexit to Trump, the political events of 2016 added to market uncertainty throughout the year, but trustees should take care not to be too fixated on volatility.
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FeaturesLuxfer Group ups DGFs in portfolio restructure
Global materials technology company Luxfer Group has restructured the growth portfolio of its defined benefit scheme to invest in diversified growth funds, as research has predicted continued demand for these strategies.
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Features
Is there a place for smart beta in DC portfolios?
Are smart beta products suitable for default defined contribution funds, or are they too complex? Could reduced volatility address problems with DC saving? AQR’s Scott Richardson, Capital Cranfield’s Jonathan Reynolds, RPMI Railpen’s Steve Artingstall, SpenceJohnson’s Robert Holford and Xerox HR Services’ Simon Hill discuss.
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Opinion
When things get hairy: Don’t overreact to President Trump
From the blog: Donald J Trump has been elected president of the US, sparking marked but short-lived market fluctuations and suggesting that you probably shouldn’t take investment advice from a pollster.
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Opinion
Active management of passive funds – a viable strategy for DC?
Since the introduction of freedom and choice, value for money has been high on the agenda for defined contribution schemes. As trustees try to keep on top of costs, could an active asset allocation approach work for schemes with underlying passive funds?
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OpinionHow to take some of the worry out of market volatility
Large falls in financial markets have the potential to seriously knock the confidence of defined contribution savers. A 2014 DC member survey, for example, underlined a troubling degree of aversion to sudden falls in pension savings.
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FeaturesNilgosc turns to low vol equities
The Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee has made a £300m allocation to low volatility global equities in an effort to reduce overall risk while closing its funding gap.