All articles by Benjamin Mercer – Page 36
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Covid-19 forces half of DC schemes to review objectives
The coronavirus pandemic has compelled more than 50 per cent of defined contribution schemes to review their objectives and 20 per cent to alter their short-term plans, according to a report by Aon.
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New GMP guidance stops short of clarifying rules around conversion
New guidance on guaranteed minimum pensions has clarified the tax implication of equalising past inequalities between men and women, but critics have said it leaves unaddressed important questions for schemes hoping to convert GMPs into regular scheme benefits.
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Nest eyes 2026 breakeven amid increased revenue
On the go: Master trust Nest has seen its income rise 75 per cent over the course of last year while its expenditure fell by £20m, leaving it well placed to weather the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to its latest annual report.
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NewsGovernment ponders solutions to £17bn McCloud problem
The Treasury has set out two proposals for ending the discrimination between scheme members that resulted from its 2015 public sector pension reforms, with costs of unwinding its scheme changes estimated to cost £17bn.
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LGPS faced with huge McCloud admin challenge
On the go: Local Government Pension Scheme administering authorities urgently need to carry out impact assessments to clarify how many of their members fall under the scope of the McCloud judgment, according to Aon.
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Trend towards master trusts continues apace
On the go: The rate at which FTSE 250 companies move to master trusts as their main defined contribution vehicle is set to accelerate over the next two years, according to a new report from Willis Towers Watson.
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NewsUSS strikes £300m deal with with affordable housing investors
The Universities Superannuation Scheme has entered into a £300m 45-year debt facility arrangement with a real estate investment trust, funding shared ownership housing developments.
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Market volatility leads to attractive returns in low-risk credit
On the go: Pension schemes should consider adopting high-quality, low-duration credit strategies such as asset-backed securities as an alternative to traditional bond allocations when looking to derisk their portfolios, according to a new report from Aon.
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£4m lost to new forms of large-scale fraud
On the go: Fraudsters are targeting investors with new, innovative and large-scale scams, according to a report by the Investment Association published today.
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Covid-19 could lead to 75% hike in deficit repair contributions
Deficit repair contributions may need to increase by 75 per cent if defined benefit schemes are to meet their recovery plan end dates, according to analysis published by the Pensions Regulator.
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Pensions Ombudsman unhappy with FOS overlap
Pensions Ombudsman Anthony Arter believes the current overlap with the Financial Ombudsman Service should be addressed as the current stance is “confusing and not satisfactory”.
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Nissan workers protest against DB scheme closure
On the go: Workers at Nissan’s Sunderland plant will stage a socially distanced protest on Saturday against the carmaker’s proposal to close its defined benefit scheme.
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NewsPodcast: Pension schemes bill could have ‘unintended consequences’
Podcast: The pension schemes bill defines criminal offences so broadly that it could have “unintended consequences” for the running of pension schemes, potentially stifling legitimate corporate activity. Tiffany Tsang, Local Government Pension Scheme and defined benefit policy lead at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, and Eversheds Sutherland partner Jeremy Goodwin both agree that more clarity is needed, in an episode also covering fallout from the passage of the insolvency bill, the launch of the Make My Money Matter campaign, and a 16th century pension scheme bailout.
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UBS pension scheme enters into £1.4bn longevity hedge
On the go: The UBS (UK) Pension and Life Assurance Scheme has entered into a £1.4bn longevity hedge with Zurich Assurance, designed to protect the scheme against the risk of the 2,700 members covered living longer than expected.
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Environment Agency scheme takes aim at private equity ESG failings
When BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker took to Twitter after the Make My Money Matter campaign launch to say he “hadn’t even contemplated that investment into our pensions could be so questionable. Will be asking questions now, though”, he manifested the point and the goal of the campaign: most people have a vision for the future, but very few realise the power of pensions in realising it.
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Formal superfunds authorisation could take 5 years
The Pensions Regulator anticipates that it could take five years for the government to put in place a statutory authorisation framework to oversee defined benefit superfunds, as it looks ahead to publishing specific guidance for trustees considering a transfer to the new vehicles.
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Scottish Widows looks to overcome long-term market challenges
Scottish Widows has announced plans to enhance its asset allocation strategy in response to lower projected returns and potentially long-lasting volatility as a result of the coronavirus crisis, following a strategic review conducted earlier this year.
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Ex-chancellor calls for flat-rate pension tax relief
On the go: Former chancellor of the exchequer Sajid Javid has called for a flat-rate pension tax relief as part of a wide-ranging post-Covid recovery plan published by the Centre for Policy Studies.
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One in five schemes considering superfunds
On the go: The Pensions Regulator’s interim guidance for consolidators has sparked a surge of interest by pension schemes, with one in five considering superfunds as an option for their endgame, according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson.
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Lockdown sees third of savers taking action on pensions
Data crunch: Seven million people, representing more than a third of savers, have taken action relating to their pensions during the coronavirus lockdown, with almost one in three reviewing their spending habits more often, according to analysis by Aviva.