All articles by Benjamin Mercer – Page 33
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Data error leads Cornwall Council to overcharge hundreds of employees
Hundreds of workers enrolled in the Cornwall Pension Fund could be due a rebate after an administration error saw Cornwall Council overcharge them for their pension contributions.
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Most DB schemes do not meet regulator’s fast-track requirements
On the go: Seventy per cent of defined benefit schemes fall short of the Pensions Regulator’s ‘fast-track’ approach as proposed in its new DB funding code, according to analysis from Hymans Robertson.
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Proposed RI bill would force trustees to consider members’ ‘best interests’
The leader of the Liberal Democrats supports a proposed responsible investment bill broadening the concept of fiduciary duty to encompass sustainability concerns and aim for a ‘world worth retiring into’.
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LGPS could face legal challenges over new exit payment cap
Local Government Pension Scheme administrators face potential legal challenges, after a new cap on exit payments from public sector schemes contradicting existing regulations came into force on Wednesday.
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Second lockdown presents added uncertainty for pension schemes
After August’s worse-than-expected gross domestic product figures and the announcement of yet more anti-Covid measures appeared finally to put to rest hopes of a V-shaped recovery, experts ponder the impact of a second lockdown on pension schemes.
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SNP MPs table amendments to tackle Section 75 conundrum
On the go: Four Scottish National party MPs have tabled an amendment to the pension schemes bill in a bid to solve the problem of Section 75 debt falling due on small, unincorporated employers.
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Greenwashing poses obstacle for would-be sustainable investors
On the go: Sixty per cent of investors say greenwashing is an obstacle to their sustainable investment intentions, while active engagement is one of the key ways asset managers drive sustainable change, according to a report by Schroders.
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Nest outlines small steps to close ‘gender pensions gap’
On the go: Opting in to a pension scheme at 18, understanding if the employer matches the worker’s contributions, and adding as little as an extra £2.50 a week to the pension pot are all ways of closing the gender pensions gap, according to a report from Nest.
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Calls for retirement estimates to be dropped from first dashboards
Pension schemes and administrators have requested that the first version of the pensions dashboards run without the inclusion of estimated retirement income data, due to the lack of data and standards for these calculations.
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Covid leaves Northern Ireland Water deficit recovery in rough sea
Northern Ireland Water could have to pay an additional £4.6m a year in deficit repair contributions to its scheme, but uncertainty about how Covid-19 has impacted its investment and ongoing negotiations with trustees makes it hard to gauge its recovery plan.
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Two-thirds of DB sponsors issue 2020 profit warnings
On the go: Almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of listed companies sponsoring defined benefit schemes have issued profit warnings in 2020, according to analysis by EY.
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PodcastsPodcast: The three-step plan to fix the NHS pension scheme
Podcast: The plethora of administrative maladies facing the NHS pension scheme should be addressed by a three stage approach: capping the problem; a reactive process prioritising those closest to retirement; and proactive use of the dashboard, says Peter Glancy, head of policy development at Scottish Widows. He’s joined by Helen Morrissey, corporate PR specialist, long-term savings at Royal London, in an episode also looking at the suggestion of pensions as deposits for first-time buyers.
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Philip Green 'disliked the Pensions Regulator immensely'
On the go: Fallen businessman Dominic Chappell told Southwark Crown Court of Philip Green’s intense dislike of the Pensions Regulator, and promises made to plug the deficit of BHS pension schemes.
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APPT launches new code of practice for sole trustees
On the go: The Association of Professional Pension Trustees has set out a code of practice for trustees carrying out sole trustee appointments.
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Regulator unveils superfunds guidance for trustees
The Pensions Regulator has published new guidance for defined benefit schemes transferring into a commercial consolidation 'superfund', placing the burden of proof on trustees to show that their plan is in members' best interests.
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Sustainability and adequacy still dragging UK's pension system
Data crunch: The UK has fallen one place to 15th in the Mercer CFA Global Pensions Index, despite seeing a marginal improvement in its score, while Covid-19 increases pressure on retirement systems worldwide.
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DC contributions too small to allow for sustainable retirements
Stagnant incomes, rising wealth inherited later in life, and the relative poverty of defined contribution schemes compared with older defined benefit schemes are all factors that threaten the sustainability of retirement income, according to speakers at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference.
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NewsPPF eyes deteriorating credit ratings among DB sponsors
Deteriorating defined benefit sponsor health has led to a three-fold increase in the level of liabilities belonging to schemes that could end up in the Pension Protection Fund over the next 18 months.
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McCloud remedy could take two years to implement, PLSA warns
On the go: The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has warned it may take more than two years for the Local Government Pension Scheme to implement the McCloud remedy, casting doubt on the government’s proposed timeframe.
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Govt consultation suggests abandoning GMP conversion
The Treasury has indicated it may axe guaranteed minimum pension conversion in a new consultation, with experts citing administrative costs as a reason to ditch the idea.