All articles by Benjamin Mercer – Page 12
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NewsSurvey finds ‘overall lack of trust’ in the pensions industry
On the go: Last year saw a small rise in members’ trust in pensions, but almost a third (31.5 per cent) still have “no or very little trust” in the industry, according to a Trafalgar House survey.
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NewsMadeline Forrester appointed PPI chair of council
On the go: The Pensions Policy Institute has appointed Madeline Forrester as its new chair of council.
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NewsCall for evidence on state pension age changes as costs mount
On the go: The independent review of the state pension age has published a call for evidence seeking views on the fairness, sustainability and affordability of the system.
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NewsClimate change could impact sponsor cash flow and longevity
On the go: Climate change could have significant impact on sponsor covenant, hitting cash flows and potentially impacting sponsor longevity, according to a report from the Employer Covenant Practitioners Association.
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NewsSole trusteeship to achieve ‘significant growth’ in 2022
Sole trusteeship to achieve 'significant growth' in 2022Data crunch: The professional corporate sole trusteeship model is expected to have a 'very positive' impact on scheme governance in 2022, with smaller plans being the quickest on the uptake, a Ross Trustees survey findsEnterkeywords.sh_embed {position: relative;height: auto;width:100%;z-index: 0;overflow: hidden;background-color: #222;color: white;font-family: 'Lato', ...
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NewsEx-Norton owner pleads guilty to illegally investing pension funds
The former owner of Norton Motorcycles has pleaded guilty to the charge of illegally investing pension scheme money in his failing company.
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NewsOpperman defends change to ombudsman appointment criteria
On the go: Pensions minister Guy Opperman has defended changes to the appointment criteria for the Pensions Ombudsman, after the last recruitment attempt failed to attract a suitable candidate.
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NewsMid-sized deals prompt strong growth in bulk annuities market
On the go: Strong demand for bulk annuity transactions is likely to persist until the end of the decade, with annual liability deals totalling around £40bn, according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service.
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News‘No legal basis’ for interest payments on FAS compensation
On the go: Pensions minister Guy Opperman has sought to explain discrepancies in compensation payments between the Pension Protection Fund and the Financial Assistance Scheme arising from the Hampshire ruling, detailing that there is no legal basis for paying interest on arrears in the FAS.
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NewsInterest rate rise could cut £100bn from DB liabilities
On the go: The Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates could see up to £100bn in long-term liabilities removed from UK pension schemes, XPS Pensions has estimated.
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NewsEmployers look to modify USS proposals in light of inflation
On the go: Universities UK, the group representing 340 employers in the Universities Superannuation Scheme, has proposed temporarily removing a cap on inflationary increases proposed as part of its solution to the scheme’s controversial 2020 valuation, following member concerns.
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NewsAlternative assets could give DC higher returns with no extra risk
Alternative assets could present defined contribution schemes with a means to increase value for members without taking on any extra risk, according to a new report from the Pensions Policy Institute.
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NewsThink tank warns old DC schemes can erode member benefits
On the go: Members could be suffering poor value for money and seeing their benefits erode by not moving their pensions out of old defined contribution pots, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned.
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NewsDWP reveals lack of applications for GMP compensation
On the go: The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that nobody has applied for guaranteed minimum pensions compensation, despite the publication of a factsheet designed to boost member awareness of the issue.
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NewsGovt proposes ‘find and view’ dashboards amid public sector delay
The government will be moving forward with the ‘find and view’ functionality on pensions dashboards from launch day, despite industry concerns about the size of the task ahead, while it acknowledged that public sector schemes will only be onboarded in 2024 due to the “considerable work” caused by the McCloud remedy.
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NewsOmbudsman cracks down on trustees with new anti-scam unit
The Pensions Ombudsman has launched a new specialist team dedicated to investigate breaches of trust, and allegations of dishonest and fraudulent behaviour by pension scheme trustees.
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NewsUCU confirms strike action in February over USS dispute
The University and College Union has confirmed its members will participate in another round of industrial action in February in response to the ongoing dispute with employers over the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
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NewsUCU proposes solution to avoid further USS strikes
The University and College Union has presented a new set of proposals it says will avert future strike action over Universities Superannuation Scheme benefits.
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NewsOpperman declines to give timetable for auto-enrolment expansion
Industry experts have expressed disappointment at the lack of a timetable for expanding auto-enrolment, following a debate on the topic in Westminster Hall.
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NewsTPR to accept CDC applications from August
The Pensions Regulator has published its draft code of practice governing authorisation for collective defined contribution schemes, and is set to begin accepting applications from August.