All articles by Benjamin Mercer – Page 26
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NewsMelrose to cut GKN pension deficit with asset sale
On the go: Industrial company Melrose is to further its commitment to cutting the GKN pension deficit by pledging an additional £100m of money raised from the sale of one of its subsidiaries.
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NewsEnvironment Agency to go net-zero, LGPS pool backs ESG framework
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with the Environment Agency Pension Fund targeting net-zero carbon emissions, and the Border to Coast pool supporting a framework for standards in alternative assets.
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Schemes to spend £1.5bn on GMP equalisation past transfer top-ups
New research from Buck suggests the bill for equalising guaranteed minimum pension benefits in past defined benefit scheme transfers continues to grow, with at least £1.5bn needed for schemes to top up these historic transactions.
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NewsCloud-based data recovery service wins industry praise
A new cloud-based service promising independent data backup facilities for pension schemes has won praise from industry experts, who hailed it as an “innovative solution” to the rare but worrisome prospect of administrator failure.
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Actuaries call for simplified pensions tax system
On the go: The Association of Consulting Actuaries has leant its voice to those calling for a simplified pensions tax system, but cautioned that any changes must be “realistic, manageable and proportionate”.
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TPR takes three suspects to court over multimillion-pound fraud
On the go: Three people appeared in court on Tuesday following an investigation by the Pensions Regulator into a multimillion-pound pension fraud.
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Dashboards milestone reached as PDP looks for architecture supplier
On the go: The Pensions Dashboards Programme has issued an invitation to tender for a supplier to provide digital architecture.
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PodcastsPodcast: Treasury admin fund could help tackle McCloud
Podcast: The Treasury should create a fund to help schemes cope with the administrative load of the McCloud remedy. So says Ray Martin, director at HS Sole Trustees, who is joined by Pensions Administration and Standards Association chair Kim Gubler to discuss TPR’s new climate change agenda, the NAO’s warning about the burdensome McCloud judgment, and a bizarre proposal for a national pension fund.
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NewsAon criticises USS valuation assumptions as ‘overly prudent’
Aon has criticised the methodology and assumptions underlying the Universities Superannuation Scheme trustee’s response to the USS valuation, accusing it of being overly prudent and failing to properly justify several of its assumptions.
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NewsBridging pension option smooths Rolls-Royce scheme restructure
The introduction of a bridging pension option in the Rolls-Royce UK Pension Fund has helped smooth the transition for its members following a scheme restructure announced in May 2020.
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Industrial action threats in response to new USS employer consultation
On the go: The University and College Union has once again hinted that industrial action may be called for after accusing Universities UK of failing to stand up for members.
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NewsUUK consults on way out of USS valuation wrangle
Universities UK, the employer group representing 340 Universities Superannuation Scheme employers, has opened a consultation on a range of measures intended to settle the long-running feud over the 2020 USS valuation.
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PASA rejects single provider approach to dashboards digital identity
On the go: The Pensions Administration Standards Association has objected to the proposal by the Pensions Dashboards Programme for a “central digital identity”, arguing that it would create a “single point of failure”.
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NewsNAO urges govt to address McCloud’s administrative impact
NAO urges govt to address McCloud's administrative impactThe National Audit Office has urged HM Treasury to address the administrative impact of the McCloud remedy as a matter of urgency, while highlighting a need to tackle the problem of cost control in public sector pensions.Enterkeywords.sh_embed {position: relative;height: auto;width:100%;z-index: 0;overflow: hidden;background-color: #222;color: ...
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NewsUSS rejects attempt to reopen controversial valuation
The Universities Superannuation Scheme has rejected a request by Universities UK, the advocacy group representing 340 higher education employers, to revisit the controversial assumptions behind its most recent valuation.
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PodcastsPodcast: TPR’s criminal powers policy will evolve with experience
Podcast: The Pensions Regulator’s policy around the use of its controversial new powers “will evolve” in response to evidence, court cases and industry experience, its director of regulatory policy, analysis and advice revealed.
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Guidance brings ‘welcome clarity’ for trustees over financial advice
On the go: New guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Pensions Regulator has clarified what constitutes unregulated financial advice, allowing schemes to offer cash equivalent transfer value quotations and annuity estimates, but banning drawdown illustrations.
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NewsIndustry facing trustee exodus due to TPR’s new powers
Concerns about the reach and remit of the new powers afforded to the Pensions Regulator have not been addressed by its guidance or draft policy, and are even forcing some trustees to quit, Aon has said.
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NewsMPs call on government to mandate anti-scam intelligence sharing
MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee have called on the government to beef up anti-scam intelligence sharing via legislation, amid warnings tech giants are profiting from pension scam adverts.
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DWP consults on removing charge cap DC investment barrier
On the go: The Department for Work and Pensions on Friday opened a consultation into whether the charge cap acts as a barrier to defined contribution scheme investments in a range of alternatives, such as venture capital, illiquids and growth assets.