All Defined benefit articles – Page 166
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NewsPensions minister outlines plans, warns of AE challenges
Pensions minister Richard Harrington laid out his intentions for the pensions industry today, speaking at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference in Liverpool.
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NewsNortel scheme could avoid PPF after creditor agreement
The trustees of the Nortel UK pension scheme edged closer to repairing its deficit last week as they reached a consensus with other stakeholders and creditors on how to divide their insolvent sponsor’s residual assets.
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FeaturesKingfisher ups hedging level as scheme slips into surplus
Screwfix and B&Q owner Kingfisher’s defined benefit fund has extended its programme of hedging interest and inflation risk, allowing the scheme to maintain its strong funding level amid a low-yield environment.
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Features
Oxford University Press tackles pensions fraud with data matching
The Oxford University Press pension scheme has volunteered to take part in the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative data matching exercise to help detect and prevent benefit fraud.
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FeaturesNESPF adds DGFs and PE after global equities disappointment
The North East Scotland Pension Fund has taken further steps to diversify its growth portfolio, divesting from underperforming global equities and allocating to a range of private equity houses and diversified growth funds.
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FeaturesEdinburgh University proposes raft of changes to plug scheme deficit
The University of Edinburgh has proposed a number of changes to its defined benefit pension fund to make the scheme more affordable and sustainable, as its deficit has risen by a quarter.
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News
TPR and PPF call for muscular regulation
Both the Pensions Regulator and the Pension Protection Fund have called for more wide-ranging, interventionist regulation of defined benefit schemes, evidence published by the Work and Pensions Committee has this week shown.
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OpinionHow members' mental health issues affect pension schemes
Any Other Business: Every year 70m working days are lost due to mental health, while a quarter of people consider resigning due to stress, according to the Mental Health Foundation, so how do work-related mental health issues affect pension schemes and employers?
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FeaturesComet scheme enters alternatives space
In a bid to improve diversification and returns, the Comet Pension Scheme has added alternatives to its portfolio, as rising deficits and the current economic environment prompt many pension funds to hunt for yield.
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News
TPR uses lesser-known power to move scheme into the PPF
The Pensions Regulator has used its voidable modification powers to move a scheme attached to an insolvent employer into the Pension Protection Fund, it reported this week.
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FeaturesStagecoach tightens governance reins with scheme merger
Stagecoach Group has merged one of its smaller pension plans with its £1.3bn defined benefit scheme, but the company has maintained a separate section for the smaller fund, keeping liabilities separate while potentially sharing some costs.
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Features
DWP silence on GMPs blocks Smiths implementation
Two UK defined benefit schemes operated by technology company Smiths Group have said they will implement guaranteed minimum pension equalisation but need further clarification from the Department for Work and Pensions to do so.
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OpinionUnpacking the proposed DB bill
In May this year, as chair of the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, Frank Field promised an inquiry into defined benefit schemes, “considering radical solutions to one of the great problems of this age”.
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News
Select committee inquiry: What should change to safeguard DB?
As the deadline for submitting views on defined benefit to the Work and Pensions Committee has passed, experts say there is a need for greater flexibility, potential benefit reductions and increased powers for the Pensions Regulator.
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FeaturesRBS scheme diversifies with US life settlements
The RBS Pension Scheme has made a number of new investments as part of its long-term plan to diversify its portfolio.
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NewsQuestions surround Bernard Matthews sale as PPF prepares to step in
Turkey producer Bernard Matthews has gone into administration, with the pension scheme expected to enter the Pension Protection Fund assessment period, but questions remain as to why the scheme was allowed to fail.
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Features
Employers congregate to solve Baptist scheme deficit
The Baptist Union of Great Britain has established an employer group to develop a strategy for plugging the scheme’s increased deficit.
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Features
PPF deficit figures presage hard times for funding and dividends
Analysis: Following the Pension Protection Fund’s news of yet another record deficit in defined benefit pensions, many schemes can expect to gear up for challenging funding negotiations, amid growing fears for company dividends.
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NewsBritish Steel pensions rule change proposals shelved
The government has reportedly put aside plans to change pensions legislation that would allow Tata Steel UK’s pension scheme to stay out of the Pension Protection Fund, according to insiders briefed on the issue.
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FeaturesShell becomes latest scheme to push electronic comms
The Shell Contributory Pension Fund has begun requesting email addresses from members as it takes the first step towards electronic communication, the latest in a long line of schemes to do so.