All articles by Benjamin Mercer – Page 6
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NewsDWP’s consultation on DB funding regulations expected in July
On the go: A long-awaited Department for Work and Pensions consultation into regulations underpinning the new defined benefit funding code is expected towards the end of July, putting the code on track to launch in late 2023, according to a spokesperson from the Pensions Regulator.
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NewsEmployers call for UCU backing over USS governance review
On the go: Universities UK, the group representing 340 Universities Superannuation Scheme employers, has called for the backing of the University and College Union over the scheme's governance review.
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NewsAon and Mercer issue ‘urgent’ call to action over LDI strategies
Consultancies Aon and Mercer have urged pension schemes, trustees and sponsors to prepare to intervene to protect their schemes, as bond market volatility puts strain on liability-driven investment strategies.
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NewsPensionBee reports providers to DWP alleging transfer rules abuse
PensionBee has reported a number of providers to the Department for Work and Pensions, accusing them of exploiting regulatory loopholes to obstruct and delay transfers.
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NewsOrigo launches pensions dashboard connector
On the go: Fintech company Origo is to launch its own pensions dashboard connector in September, giving providers an interface with the dashboards that enables them to respond to user requests and provide pensions data.
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NewsMP calls for inquiry into war pension claims process
An MP has called for an inquiry into alleged failings by the War Pension Scheme and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, asking whether the claims process for injured veterans is fit for purpose.
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NewsHMRC clarifies tax treatment of GMP arrears
On the go: HM Revenue & Customs has set out the tax treatment for arrears and interest when equalising for guaranteed minimum pension, explaining the circumstances under which there is an obligation to deduct tax.
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NewsLGPS escapes McCloud cost-cap breach
On the go: The Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales, alongside its Scottish and Northern Irish equivalents, has avoided the cost-cap breach suffered by a number of other public sector schemes resulting from the impact of the McCloud remedy cost on their 2016 valuations.
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NewsTrustees urged to include ESG factors in covenant assessment
On the go: Accounting for Sustainability and the Employer Covenant Practitioners Association have teamed up to launch a “top tips” guide for considering environmental, social and governance risk in the employer covenant process, hailed by the Pensions Regulator chair Sarah Smart as “an important first port of call for trustees”.
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NewsDWP’s dashboards consultation criticised over launch date proposals
A second government consultation into pensions dashboards has been criticised over plans to give schemes just 90 days’ notice before the dashboards go live, with experts warning of a capacity crunch.
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NewsIndustry calls for clarity on TPR’s enforcement powers
Industry experts, though broadly supportive of the Pensions Regulator’s approach to its new enforcement powers, have nonetheless called for additional clarity in how they will be used, with some concerned that outcomes could be determined in part by “luck”.
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NewsPDP connects first commercial dashboard provider
On the go: The Pensions Dashboards Programme has completed the connection of the first commercial dashboard provider, alongside another integrated service provider.
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NewsRetirement guidance is improving but decumulation challenges remain
On the go:Support available to those approaching retirement is improving, particularly in master trusts, but a comprehensive framework is still required to ensure all savers get the help they need, according to new research.
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NewsONS reveals schemes’ overseas investments and assets
On the go: The Office for National Statistics has published data on UK-funded occupational pension schemes’ overseas assets and direct investments for the first time.
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NewsCost of discretionary increases to combat inflation could hit £18bn
The cost of awarding discretionary increases to members could now add £18bn to defined benefit schemes' liabilities, experts have warned, as inflation continues to rise.
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NewsGovt to push ahead with firefighters and police McCloud reforms
The government will press ahead with planned reforms implementing the McCloud remedy with respect to members of the police and firefighters’ pension schemes, making amendments to ill-health provisions for the latter, despite concerns the remedy might itself be discriminatory.
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NewsPASA guidance addresses ‘ever-changing’ DC landscape
On the go: The Pensions Administration Standards Association has updated its defined contribution guidance to account for the “ever-changing” complexities in the sector.
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NewsTPR’s new DB funding code expected in September 2023
The Pensions Regulator expects its much-anticipated new defined benefit funding code to be in place and operational by September 2023, according to its latest corporate plan.
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NewsMindset shift key to private markets in DC, trustees told
Allocating capital to long-term illiquid assets requires a shift in focus from cost to value, according to panellists at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s investment conference.
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NewsAegon and LCP criticise ‘damaging’ FRC dashboard proposals
Aegon and LCP have issued stern rebukes of the Financial Reporting Council’s proposals for calculating pensions projections for the dashboards, with Aegon arguing that the FRC’s preferred methodology would “damage the whole intention behind dashboards”.