All Alliance Bernstein articles
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NewsBiggest asset managers accused of blocking ESG shareholder proposals
Non-profit ShareAction says the lack of support by BlackRock and other major companies has stymied investors’ environmental and social ambitions.
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OpinionValue for money: Is 60:40 really good enough for Generation DC?
Pensions regulators rightly stress the primacy of value for money and good governance in defined contribution pensions. New proposals advocate that DC fiduciaries should adopt a uniform framework for analysing VFM based on three elements: charges and transaction costs, customer service, and investment performance.
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OpinionDC costs need more transparency to create member confidence
Regulators rightly stress the primacy of value for money and good governance in defined contribution pensions. However, achieving these key objectives can be challenging due to a lack of transparency.
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News
Brunel appoints managers for £2.6bn alpha equity mandate
On the go: The Brunel Pension Partnership has appointed five managers to run a £2.6bn Global High Alpha fund for its 10 Local Government Pension Scheme clients.
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OpinionDC governance: How to ensure your scheme is on the right track
When it comes to the governance of a defined contribution plan, few things are more important than the process applied to the default investment strategy.
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OpinionAre DC default strategies diversified enough?
Recent history and the performance of simple balanced portfolios would suggest defined contribution defaults are overly diversified. But we cannot assume the future will accurately mimic the past.
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OpinionSmart beta: Understand the impact on your wider portfolio
In recent years, smart beta or factor investing has gained considerable traction with pension funds seeking to earn higher risk-adjusted returns from their investments through cheaper and simpler approaches than active stock picking.
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OpinionWill the FCA market study revolutionise pensions?
The Financial Conduct Authority’s asset management market study is finally with us, but despite the dramatic headlines, the final report turned out not to be the ‘game changer’ that some hoped for and others feared.
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OpinionCan illiquid investments help weather market mayhem?
Once again, global financial markets are in shock. Donald Trump’s surprise election as US president has seen many bond markets sell off sharply while some equities have soared, particularly those in sectors expected to benefit from Trump policies, like healthcare, mining and financials.
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Opinion
Illiquid assets: Latest fad or the future of DC investment?
Analysis: Defined contribution investments are still far less sophisticated than those of many defined benefit plans, but there is growing support for making illiquid assets such as infrastructure or private equity part of DC default funds.
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OpinionActivating better DC outcomes
Have global financial markets escaped the meltdown expected following a Brexit vote? Currency markets and some bonds priced in concerns about the post-Brexit landscape, but many of the shock waves triggered immediately after the vote have receded.
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OpinionThere is no such thing as passive
“It sounds like they’re saying passive life is good, he thought. But there is no such thing as passive life. That’s a contradiction.” Philip K Dick, A Scanner Darkly
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OpinionDebunking five myths about infrastructure debt
From the blog: The global financial crisis has fundamentally changed the way infrastructure projects are funded. Governments have less to spend, while new regulatory constraints have curbed bank lending.
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OpinionAchieving better outcomes – where should the burden lie?
'We should save a lot more.' That’s the conclusion reached by the Independent Review of Retirement Income commissioned by the Labour party. The review found that people should invest 15 per cent of their income for a comfortable retirement.
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OpinionSave or suffer: How to futureproof the UK’s retirement plans
The pensions industry has struggled to encourage members and employers to commit more money to defined contribution pension plans. While some have called for contribution levels to go up, others say it is the investments that need to work harder.
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OpinionBreak down DC charges to assess value for money
As expectations of future investment returns are downgraded, it is becoming even harder to ensure that people put enough aside for their retirement, but what is the answer?
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Opinion
Innovation within the charge cap
DC Investment Quarterly: Ever since defined contribution funds have had to demonstrate value for money to members, they have sought to drive up performance of the investment strategy while controlling volatility.
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NewsTesting market conditions greet 2016
Market volatility is here to stay, experts have said, urging defined benefit trustees to assess their risk management frameworks and eliminate unintended exposures as the year kicks off.
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Features
Shropshire profits from infra but schemes struggle to fill targets
Shropshire County Pension Fund’s infrastructure investment gained 40 per cent during 2014/15, but entry into the asset class remains a challenge for some UK pension funds.