All articles by Benjamin Mercer – Page 36
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News
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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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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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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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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PodcastsPodcast: 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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Environment Agency scheme takes aim at private equity ESG failings
The Environment Agency Pension Fund, one of the UK’s largest public sector pension schemes and long-acknowledged as a leader in ethical and sustainable fund management, was among the first to sign up the Make My Money Matter campaign. While the fund has made great strides in making its portfolio more sustainable, the pressure is on its private equity managers to go even further.
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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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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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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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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.
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News
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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Government plans to push ahead with small scheme consolidation
On the go: The government looks set to press ahead with plans to encourage small schemes to consolidate, according to analysis of consultation documents by LCP.
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Widespread industry support for regulator’s Covid-19 response
On the go: Industry professionals are “overwhelmingly positive” about the Pensions Regulator’s response to Covid-19, though they remain pessimistic about future prospects, according to a report from the Pensions Management Institute.
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Insolvency bill retains potential to damage DB schemes
Government attempts to mitigate the risk its new insolvency legislation poses to defined benefit pension schemes have only been partly successful, and company moratoriums could still see schemes lose out on valuable contributions, experts have said.
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Work and pensions committee urged to open inquiry into scams
On the go: The head of a transparency pressure group has written to the chair of the work and pensions committee to request it opens an inquiry into the scope and extent of pension scams.
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OECD encourages regulators to be flexible in response to pandemic
On the go: Policymakers should allow for regulatory flexibility in their approach to recovery plans to make sure that people saving for retirement stay the course during the Covid-19 crisis, the OECD has recommended.
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Seven-year scam poses ‘serious questions’ for TPR
The Pensions Ombudsman has finally brought to a close a seven-year case that left members of three pension schemes looking to recoup losses in excess of £14m. However, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the Pensions Regulator in this case.
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NewsBoE governor reignites row between superfunds, insurers and regulators
In an intervention which laid bare a deep divide both in the industry and between regulators, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has reignited a long-running feud between traditional insurers and advocates of new superfund models, while casting doubt on the Pensions Regulator’s ability to oversee consolidators.
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High Court rules ‘drafting errors’ sufficient to justify switch to CPI
A High Court decision has found in favour of a pension scheme switching to the consumer price index from the retail price index, but only because of a drafting error in the scheme’s rules.
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Aviva strikes £150m buy-in with General Healthcare Group
On the go: Insurer Aviva has secured a £150m buy-in contract with the General Healthcare Group & Life Assurance Plan.