All Zedra articles – Page 4

  • News

    Trustees overlook strategic objectives due to deficit distraction

    2017-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Deficits distract the majority of trustees from focusing on the ultimate goal of paying members’ pensions, recent research has found, but some experts highlighted the role of covenant strength and scheme size in deciding where the priority should be.

  • News

    DGF growth expected to continue despite challenges

    2017-01-25T00:00:00Z

    Experts predicted the continued growth of the diversified growth fund market this week, even as the asset class comes under increased scrutiny over performance and competition from advisers.

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    News

    Government urged to pick up the pieces of failing mastertrusts

    2017-01-18T00:00:00Z

    The mastertrust legislation horse is being put before the cart now that the pension schemes bill has reached the House of Commons, as the debate is shifting to who will be the 'funder of last resort'.

  • News

    How to choose a professional trustee for your scheme

    2017-01-18T00:00:00Z

    Any other business: A regulatory burden that has proved too much even for some professional trustees and a challenging investment environment mean running a scheme has arguably never been harder. So should schemes appoint professional trustees, and what qualities do they need to look for?

  • Opinion

    What's the outlook for DC in 2017?

    2016-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Defined contribution adequacy and stagnant investments were key concerns for trustees in 2016, so what do experts think the new year has in store for DC?

  • News

    Increased contributions vital to continue AE success story

    2016-11-25T00:00:00Z

    The real tests of auto-enrolment are still to come, one of the architects of the initiative has warned, as an adequacy report found many defined contribution-reliant members of Generation X are already beyond auto-enrolment’s help.

  • News

    FCA wants to strengthen duty on managers and consultants

    2016-11-18T00:00:00Z

    About £109bn of investor assets is held by managers who charge high fees but do not offer significant variation from an index-tracking strategy, the Financial Conduct Authority’s interim report on competition in the asset management market has found.

  • News

    Capital protection key as ABF introduces equities overlay

    2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

    The Associated British Foods’ UK defined benefit pension scheme has implemented an equities derivative overlay strategy to give added risk protection to its substantial portfolio of growth assets, maintaining a strong allocation to equities.

  • Features

    Increased contributions for BA scheme rewarded by investors

    2016-10-28T00:00:00Z

    The trustees of the New Airways Pension Scheme have agreed a new funding arrangement with sponsor British Airways, a move that saw share prices in BA’s parent company International Airlines Group soar by more than 5 per cent on Wednesday.

  • Opinion

    Monitoring the sustainability of your scheme's investments

    2016-10-25T00:00:00Z

    The science, or art, behind sustainable investment is still contentious: inevitably linked with environmental, social and governance engagement and confused with 'ethical' investment, many trustees try not to think too much about it – instead investing against short-term measures.

  • News

    Pensions bill boosts mastertrust governance

    2016-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Mastertrusts will be subject to new restrictions on governance and financial stability, along with penalties for failure to supply adequate information, under rules set out in the pension schemes bill yesterday.

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    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.

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    Opinion

    How members' mental health issues affect pension schemes

    2016-10-12T00:00:00Z

    Any Other Business: Every year 70m working days are lost due to mental health, while a quarter of people consider resigning due to stress, according to the Mental Health Foundation, so how do work-related mental health issues affect pension schemes and employers? 

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Lifting the curtain on transaction costs

    2016-10-07T00:00:00Z

    Editorial: The Financial Conduct Authority’s proposals for transaction cost disclosure have been welcomed across the industry, but confusion has crept in over how this will affect trust-based schemes.

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    Features

    Royal Mail diversifies alternatives ahead of planned scheme closure

    2016-09-14T00:00:00Z

    The Royal Mail Pension Plan has diversified the alternatives investments in its portfolio, adding new private debt and infrastructure funds, while almost eliminating its exposure to equities in one of its sections.

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    Features

    Pirelli announces £600m longevity swaps as deal flow set to accelerate

    2016-09-01T00:00:00Z

    Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli’s two main UK pension schemes have agreed longevity swaps covering £600m of pensioner liabilities, as researchers have suggested market volatility and insurer competition mean schemes could see attractive prices emerge on risk settlement products.

  • News

    GPP provider list will raise standards, trustees say

    2016-06-22T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator has added the first group personal pension provider to itslist of recommended GPPs open to all employers. It expects more providers to apply for inclusion, and said GPP demand will increase ahead of auto-enrolment compliance deadlines. 

  • News

    Recent pension deficit reductions are unlikely to be sustainable

    2016-06-07T00:00:00Z

    A survey of FTSE 100 companies’ pension schemes showed that during 2015 the overall pension deficit was reduced by £15bn, mostly by lower salary assumptions and higher discount rates, but experts say the trends responsible for the reduction have now reversed.

  • News

    Deluge of information stifles retirement choices

    2016-06-02T00:00:00Z

    An excess of information on the pension freedoms risks poor outcomes for “procrastinating” defined contribution savers, experts have warned, meaning the industry must improve member communication and engagement.

  • Features

    GMP top priority this year but trustees could be missing the bigger picture

    2016-05-06T00:00:00Z

    Respondents to consultancy Capita’s 'Pension scheme insight report' cited guaranteed minimum pension reconciliation, member communications and derisking as their main concerns for 2016, but experts say there are more acute challenges that schemes fail to address.