All Baker McKenzie articles – Page 2
-
OpinionClosure cases: How trade unions are changing tack
It is not uncommon to hear of trade unions stepping in to protect defined benefit provision for members, as final salary schemes continue to close. But with a greater focus on defined contribution adequacy, union approaches to closure cases are evolving.
-
News
Court of Appeal safeguards bankrupts’ undrawn pensions
Savers who become bankrupt but have not yet drawn their pensions will not have to hand them to creditors, after a court ruling on Friday put an end to fears that pension pots were at risk.
-
Features
DWP silence on GMPs blocks Smiths implementation
Two UK defined benefit schemes operated by technology company Smiths Group have said they will implement guaranteed minimum pension equalisation but need further clarification from the Department for Work and Pensions to do so.
-
News
Scheme rules may block Treasury's advice allowance plans
The Treasury has opened a consultation on the introduction of a pensions advice allowance, which would allow members of defined contribution schemes to use up to £500 of their pot to pay for tax-free regulated financial advice.
-
News
Select committee seeks views on expanding regulator powers
The Work and Pensions Committee is to consider amending the powers of the Pensions Regulator and the make-up of the Pension Protection Fund as part of its ongoing inquiry into the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator following the collapse of BHS.
-
FeaturesFinal date set for Box Clever trustee and ITV showdown
Trustees of the Box Clever Pension Scheme and ITV were back in court last week, in the latest round of a four-year legal battle to force the broadcasting giant to help make good the fund’s £90m deficit.
-
NewsEiopa opts for standardised risk framework
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority has advocated the creation of a standardised framework for risk assessment and transparency in EU pension funds, quashing long-running fears of a shift to more stringent solvency funding requirements.
-
NewsCostly equalisation error: Morrisons handed £100m liability by High Court ruling
A High Court ruling on the benefits for 15,000 former Safeway workers has added a £100m liability to current owner Morrison’s defined benefit obligation, pointing to the difficulties involved in equalisation.
-
News
High Court ruling ramps up fears over pension liberation
The High Court has ruled against insurer Royal London for blocking a pension transfer where it suspected the receiving fund could be a pensions liberation scheme, prompting industry observers to raise concerns about protections for members, providers and trustees.
-
Features
Three ways to trim your liabilities in 2016
Analysis: While many defined benefit schemes have yet to explore ways to provide enhanced flexibility to members, there are three key strategies in this area that could ease the pressure of mounting liabilities in 2016.
-
NewsSmiths uses escrow to help slash £250m from scheme deficit
Technology and engineering conglomerate Smiths Group has signed over its £153m escrow account to its scheme in a deal that demonstrates the positive outcomes that can be achieved through strong trustee and employer collaboration.
-
News
MNOPF considers closure to future accrual
NAPF 2015: The Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund could close to future accrual, the scheme’s pensions director told delegates, because the end of contracting out will increase the cost of the scheme for employers and members.
-
NewsCourt rules same-sex pension benefit ceiling to remain
News Analysis: Schemes dodged a potential £3bn cost hike this week, as the legal position on the equalisation of pension benefits for same-sex partners withstood further challenge in the courts.
-
News
EU banking directive brings risks to schemes' derivative contracts
Schemes with liability-driven investment strategies should review counterparty creditworthiness, say lawyers, as a new EU directive has granted national authorities the power to suspend schemes’ contractual rights with struggling banks.
-
NewsIndustry left reeling by latest pension tax proposals
Summer Budget: Chancellor George Osborne today unveiled a green paper proposing a significant overhaul of the current pensions tax relief system, going beyond what the industry had expected and acting as a harbinger of further radical reform.
-
News
Employers await further guidance on scheme VAT rules
Employers will be hoping to benefit from VAT rebates on scheme services following HM Revenue and Customs’ latest guidance note, but pension lawyers have said further detail is needed on how to recover the tax.
-
News
Solvency scrutiny rumbles on in Europe with stress-testing
The resilience of UK pension schemes will be put to the test over coming months as the European pensions authority pursues its solvency and disclosure programme, though some have questioned who will bear the costs.
-
NewsAs the result shock fades, attention turns to next pensions minister
General election 2015: The Conservatives’ election triumph on Friday, alongside a near whitewash by the Scottish National party north of the border, has raised several questions about how the fallout will affect pensions.
-
NewsLabour pushes for long-termism among pension fund investors
The Labour Party manifesto pledged to force pension fund investors to disclose how they vote on remuneration, as part of a wider move to “improve the link between executive pay and performance”.
-
Opinion
Educating your members on the risk of freedom
Analysis: In the 1998 film Armageddon, while battling G-force in a shuttle around the moon, hero AJ Frost asks: “Is this supposed to be like this?”
- Previous Page
- Page1
- Page2
- Page3
- Next Page