All Covenant articles – Page 6
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News
LGPS authorities expected to justify new pension powers
On the go: Local Government Pension Scheme administering authorities will be expected to justify the use of their new powers around reviewing employer contributions, spreading exit payments, and setting up deferred debt arrangements.
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NewsOpinion split on Pension Schemes Act implications
A survey carried out as part of a webinar by law firm Sackers has laid bare a deep divide in the industry over powers afforded by the Pension Schemes Act.
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Arcadia schemes could have enough assets to survive outside PPF
On the go: Arcadia pension scheme members could receive a greater portion of their savings after a string of property and infrastructure sales raised enough capital to bring them out of the Pension Protection Fund.
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DB deficits fall £21.4bn in January
On the go: The aggregate deficit of the 5,318 defined benefit schemes in the Pension Protection Fund 7800 Index fell by £21.4bn in January.
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Trustees demand greater access to technology to support their role
On the go: The coronavirus pandemic has seen off the quarterly meeting cycle, with 80 per cent of trustees agreeing that ad hoc and online meetings are the way forward, according to new research.
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NewsDWP proceeds with ‘revolutionary’ climate change agenda
The Department for Work and Pensions has proposed broadening the scope of climate risk analysis to cover not just the environmental impact of pension schemes’ portfolios, but also sponsor covenants and actuarial valuations.
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Thousands warn of ‘unjustified’ USS discount rate rises
More than 3,000 people have written to the trustees of the Universities Superannuation Scheme to criticise proposed changes to the valuation methodology that, they say, will result in its members and employers being overcharged by the scheme.
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How schemes can navigate the post-Covid recovery
Defined benefit schemes should use the post-Covid recovery to conduct a thorough postmortem of the effects of 2020’s events on their portfolios and strategies, according to Barnett Waddingham.
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‘Challenging’ 2020 forces 80% of DB schemes to reassess portfolios
On the go: Eighty per cent of defined benefit pension schemes plan to reassess their investment portfolios after the events of 2020 put returns in doubt, according to research by the Pensions Management Institute and River and Mercantile.
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PodcastsPodcast: New powers in Pension Schemes Act could cause bankruptcies
Podcast: New criminal provisions in the Pension Schemes Act are so broadly drafted that they could strangle legitimate business activity, potentially resulting in unnecessary bankruptcies. So says Arc Pensions Law partner Jane Kola, who, along with Society of Pension Professionals president James Riley, warn about the potentially dire consequences and call for more clarity from the regulator. More cheerfully, this inauguration day episode also covers the future of actuaries, small pots, and Donald Trump’s pension.
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News
New pensions act offences have ‘far-reaching consequences’, LCP warns
On the go: New powers granted to the Pensions Regulator by the Pension Schemes Act could see directors, lenders and trustees made criminally liable for their mistakes, LCP has warned.
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NewsNew DB funding code could be delayed until 2022
The Pensions Regulator has issued an interim response that experts say could presage meaningful changes to the final version of the defined benefit funding code, which is likely to be delayed until 2022.
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DB deficits ‘relatively stable’ with £7.6bn hike in December
On the go: The aggregate deficit of the 5,318 defined benefit schemes in the Pension Protection Fund 7800 Index grew by £7.6bn in December.
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News
Trustees should monitor sponsor longevity when assessing covenant
On the go: Sponsor longevity is a vital part of covenant assessment, requiring professional judgement and a range of strategic tools, according to a new report by the Employer Covenant Practitioners’ Association.
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PodcastsPodcast: Economic uncertainty, DC consolidation, ESG to mark 2021
Podcast: Economic uncertainty from the pandemic and the aftereffects of Brexit, solving the small pots problem and consolidation in the defined contribution universe, and yet more environmental, social and governance regulation are the themes to watch out for this year. These are the predictions for the pensions industry in 2021 from Marc Hommel, senior pensions adviser at EY-Parthenon, and Sue Pemberton, head of technology and DC consulting at Premier Pensions.
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NewsEdinburgh Woollen Mill collapse leaves £17.5m pension black hole
Clothing and homeware manufacturer Edinburgh Woollen Mill’s collapse into administration has sparked fears its defined benefit scheme will not recover the £17.5m owed to it.
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News
Aftershocks from 2020 could see wave of DB scheme closures
On the go: The events of 2020, combined with exacerbating longer-term trends, could spark a wave of benefit reviews by UK companies, which in turn could result in a large number of defined benefit schemes closing in 2021, according to a new report by Aon.
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News
Insolvency dawns on 22% of FTSE 350 DB schemes’ rated sponsors
On the go: Almost a quarter of FTSE 350 defined benefit schemes with rated sponsors expect corporate insolvency before they reach buyout, according to analysis from Hymans Robertson.
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News
RPI reform drives up inflation hedging cost
Demand for inflation hedging is now returning after it was suppressed during the government’s consultation on the retail price index. However, the limited supply of index-linked bonds is itself having an inflationary effect, according to Insight Investment.
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NewsWeekly roundup: It’s not easy being Green
Welcome to Pensions Expert’s roundup of a week in which we bade farewell to a few of the high street’s better-known names, and the Pension Protection Fund brightened everyone’s mood with its new doomsday scenario.