All Zedra articles – Page 4

  • Features

    John Laing targets speedy return to full funding

    2017-03-24T00:00:00Z

    The John Laing Pension Fund has agreed a recovery plan worth £171m to be paid over seven years by its sponsor, infrastructure investor John Laing, following an actuarial valuation.

  • Roundtable
    Opinion

    How schemes can use credit in uncertain times

    2017-03-22T00:00:00Z

    How should pension fund investors use credit? Where can the best opportunities be found, how liquid is the asset class, and how important is it to have the right manager? Five specialists discuss the pros and cons of credit assets in a rapidly changing world.

  • Opinion

    Does credit investment all come down to manager selection?

    2017-03-20T00:00:00Z

    What made a successful credit investor over the past year? Does bottom-up analysis still matter in world shaped by macro events? Bestrustees’ Bob Hymas, PGIM’s Jonathan Butler, PTL’s Richard Butcher, Redington’s Greg Fedorenko and Willis Towers Watson’s Chris Redmond share their views in the final part of our fixed income roundtable.

  • News

    CDC could refocus industry on purposeful finance

    2017-03-17T00:00:00Z

    Refocusing the industry on the purpose of finance could deliver huge benefits to UK pensions, a new academic paper has suggested, as calls were lodged for the resurrection of collective defined contribution.

  • Opinion

    Which types of credit generate the highest returns?

    2017-03-13T00:00:00Z

    How have different credit types performed, and why should schemes tread carefully when it comes to direct lending? Bestrustees’ Bob Hymas, PGIM’s Jonathan Butler, PTL’s Richard Butcher, Redington’s Greg Fedorenko and Willis Towers Watson’s Chris Redmond share their views.

  • PLSA
    News

    PLSA ‘superfunds’ solution gets lukewarm reception

    2017-03-07T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association is calling on the government to facilitate consolidation while creating a regulatory framework for the creation of superfunds, but the proposal has seen a muted response.

  • Opinion

    What role does credit play in a portfolio?

    2017-03-06T00:00:00Z

    How can schemes of different sizes get the best exposure, and is the asset class liquid when it needs to be? Bestrustees’ Bob Hymas, PGIM’s Jonathan Butler, PTL’s Richard Butcher, Redington’s Greg Fedorenko and Willis Towers Watson’s Chris Redmond discuss credit investment.

  • Opinion

    Is it time for DC defaults to embrace ESG?

    2017-02-22T00:00:00Z

    Large defined benefit funds and defined contribution mastertrusts have long been using their investments to engage with or divest from companies involved in controversial practices. Now, a renewed public focus on environmental, social and governance issues, as well as corporate reporting, could convince more to follow.

  • source: Getty Images
    News

    Managers improving stewardship disclosure, but ESG has a way to go

    2017-02-07T00:00:00Z

    Quality of stewardship reports among asset management firms is steadily improving, according to the Financial Reporting Council, but some managers continue to dismiss environmental, social and governance issues.

  • 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.

  • 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?

  • Getty Images
    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'.

  • 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

    PTL’s Richard Butcher outlines a process schemes can use to check up on the route and progress of their investments when it comes to sustainability.

  • 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.