All Covenant articles – Page 13
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News
CFOs pushed to increase focus on DB schemes
A new survey has found that 59 per cent of chief financial officers said they should become more involved with the management of their companies’ defined benefit schemes, following a steep post-Brexit DB deficit increase.
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NewsUnite plans strike ballot as Post Office mulls scheme closure
Unite, the union, is seeking a mandate for strike action from its members who work for the Post Office following proposals to close the defined benefit scheme to accrual.
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News
Brexit creates opportunity but uncertainty remains, experts warn
Scheme trustees should look to capitalise on opportunities created by the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union, but strategic change should wait until details emerge, experts have said
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News
Experts eye hedging and CPI as UK DB deficit up £170bn in weeks
UK defined benefit pension deficits grew by £170bn over seven weeks in the run-up to the EU referendum, jumping to £900bn as market volatility following the result put further strain on funding positions.
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Opinion
How can trustees stand their ground in sponsor discussions?
Trustees have every right to be a little confused. Shortly after the Pensions Regulator was created in 2005, trustees felt they were being asked to ‘act like a bank’.
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Opinion
Government warned against 'knee-jerk' reactions on DB funding after BHS
From the blog: The failure to rescue high street giant BHS could have widespread impact on the pensions industry, with experts warning the entry of its two defined benefit schemes into the Pension Protection Fund will not be automatic.
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OpinionBuchanan: How to tackle zombie DB schemes
The Work and Pensions Committee enquiry into the BHS Pension Scheme, coupled with the fate of Tata Steel, once again shines the spotlight on defined benefit pension schemes for all the wrong reasons.
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OpinionTata, BHS and the rest
Editorial: From Port Talbot to London, defined benefit pensions have become the worry of the nation – probably rightly so.
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FeaturesHalcrow plots rescue of DB scheme
Engineering company Halcrow’s pension scheme is expected to agree a liability-management exercise in coming weeks after the High Court ruled a previous proposal was illegal.
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OpinionTime for sponsors to fIRM up their thinking
For corporates, pension funding is an issue that just will not go away, so perhaps it is time for some fresh thinking before embarking on any more rounds of discussions with their trustees.
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NewsHow to manage an overseas parent company
Any other business: A good relationship with a strong sponsoring employer is a great boon to a pension scheme, as it can mean access to a generous recovery plan and robust guarantees for the future of the scheme and its members.
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News4imprint hits home straight with buy-in conversions
Trustees of 4imprint’s defined benefit pension scheme have reached agreement to convert two previous buy-in arrangements to a buyout, as the US-focused company looks to tackle its UK legacy obligations.
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News
Barclays scheme probes impact of ringfencing
Barclays is assessing which of its entities will participate in the bank’s UK Retirement Fund from 2026, when ringfencing regulations become fully effective, as schemes across the sector face up to complex covenant questions.
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OpinionKeep calm and understand your risks
From the blog: Equity markets are volatile. This is not news, but reading some of the recent pensions press you could be forgiven for thinking that it was.
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News
Strong covenants offer schemes more slack on investment risk
Schemes with strong employer covenants could find it easier to take on more investment risk, experts have said, in light of the Pensions Regulator’s increased focus on integrated risk management.
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OpinionNew pensions accounting standards: What is the impact on employer balance sheets?
For employers participating in group defined benefit pension plans, and in relation to plan surpluses, the new UK generally accepted accounting principles for 2015 will have a significant effect.
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News
Regulator aims to 'eradicate surprises' with risk management guide
The Pensions Regulator has issued a practical guide on integrated risk management to help trustees assess and respond to covenant, investment and funding risks, but experts have said schemes will need additional help.
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OpinionA relativity problem in the funding universe
Talking Head: Employer covenant has finally achieved the prominence it deserves in the assessment and monitoring of defined benefit scheme risks – in regulatory terms at least, following the Pensions Regulator's funding code in 2014 and its follow-up guidance this August.
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News
LPFA confronts employer risk through covenant monitoring
Keeping a constant eye on the financial strength of employers has brought the London Pensions Fund Authority £310m worth of guarantees, assurances and cash since its 2013 triennial valuation.
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News
Trustees are struggling in funding negotiations
The Pensions Regulator will undertake an in-depth review of its 2014 defined benefit funding code next year, as trustees struggle to exert power against employers armed with the watchdog’s new strategic objective.