All articles by Angus Peters – Page 8

  • News

    Accreditation system for professional trustees launched

    2020-02-11T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Professional trustees will be able to sit exams in order to gain accreditation in their field from April this year, the Association of Professional Pension Trustees announced on Monday.

  • Wind turbines, sunset
    News

    What are the risks of flouting ESG statement rules?

    2020-02-10T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: A report into trustees’ first efforts on the new statements of investment principles has yielded damning results. But what can regulators, or even members, actually do about it?

  • Getty Images
    News

    University strikes announced as talks fail to placate union

    2020-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Staff at 52 UK universities are to strike over pensions for 14 days during February and March, despite recent talks between employers, trade unionists and the trustees of the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

  • News

    Telent: Buy-in could have scuppered scheme rescue

    2020-01-29T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The trustees behind the record-breaking £4.7bn buyout of the Telent pension scheme say purchasing partial buy-in contracts could have derailed their aim of securing all members’ benefits.

  • News

    Academic support for renewed strike action swells

    2020-01-29T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Up to 52 universities could now be affected by strike action if a dispute over the Universities Superannuation Scheme is not solved, after a reballot of institutions by the University and College Union.

  • News

    Climate disclosure guidance for schemes expected in March

    2020-01-28T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Department for Work and Pensions is set to issue guidance in March to trustees on reporting the impact of their investments on climate change, pensions and financial inclusion minister Guy Opperman has confirmed.

  • News

    Brunel lays down gauntlet with ESG policy

    2020-01-27T00:00:00Z

    The Brunel Pension Partnership has issued a radical challenge on climate change to its asset managers and peers, as the local authority pool attempts to reduce the carbon intensity of its equity portfolios by 7 per cent year on year.

  • News

    ‘Constructive talks’ held on USS valuation

    2020-01-24T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Stakeholders and trustees of the £68bn Universities Superannuation Scheme have agreed shared statements of purpose with regards to the plan, as the opening rounds of talks to break a valuation deadlock were branded “constructive” by the meeting’s chair.

  • News

    USS DC section to begin exploring alternative assets

    2020-01-22T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Universities Superannuation Scheme is to begin adding alternative assets to its default defined contribution portfolio, the £68bn pension giant announced on Wednesday.

  • News

    Train operators' legal battle with government kicks off

    2020-01-20T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Train operators will argue that the government has unfairly excluded them from rail contracts over its stance on pensions, in a High Court case that begins on Monday.

  • News

    Regulator outlines Q1 policy plans

    2020-01-16T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Pensions Regulator is to publish recommendations on trustee diversity and governance in February, as the watchdog set out its policy commitments for the early months of 2020.

  • Angus Peters
    Opinion

    New year, new attitude to ESG compliance?

    2020-01-15T00:00:00Z

    Happy New Year, the world is burning. While readers will doubtless have tried to take a step back from work as the second-hottest year in recorded history came to a close, it will have been tougher to disregard footage of Australia’s south-east being engulfed in flames.

  • News

    Professionals say regulation creating unnecessary costs

    2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

    On the go: A survey of pensions professionals has uncovered concerns about the added cost burden placed on schemes by increasingly strict regulation.

  • News

    UK crawls back towards PPF surplus

    2020-01-14T00:00:00Z

    On the go: UK defined benefit schemes are inching towards being fully funded on the basis used by the Pension Protection Fund, new figures from the lifeboat reveal.

  • Features

    E-admin hopes dashed by data quality

    2020-01-13T00:00:00Z

    Data crunch: Pensions administrators and open finance enthusiasts may have one eye on the ‘e-admin’ future of full dashboard compliance, modelling and targeted engagement, but a survey of trustees reveals the perennial roadblock – poor-quality member data.

  • News

    National Grid scheme commits £185m to UK renewables

    2020-01-09T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The National Grid UK Pension Scheme has awarded a £185m mandate to Octopus Renewables to manage UK solar and onshore wind assets.

  • News

    Nest eyes move into infra equity

    2020-01-07T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Master trust Nest is inviting tenders from managers of infrastructure equity assets, as the provider continues to add to its portfolio of alternatives.

  • News

    Government brings identical bill back to parliament

    2020-01-07T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The Department for Work and Pensions has reintroduced its pension schemes bill in the House of Lords, after the December general election delayed its debate in Parliament.

  • News

    Trustees sitting on hands over ESG investment

    2020-01-06T00:00:00Z

    On the go: A new survey has raised serious doubts as to whether pension funds will take meaningful action in the short term on sustainable investment issues, despite new regulations coming into force in October.

  • News

    Derisking trend to continue apace

    2019-12-24T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Pensions consultancies say bulk annuity volumes could reach this year’s £40bn mark again in 2020, but put the ‘new normal’ for the industry at closer to £30bn.