All Defined contribution articles – Page 106

  • Features

    Is there a place for smart beta in DC portfolios?

    2016-11-29T00:00:00Z

    Are smart beta products suitable for default defined contribution funds, or are they too complex? Could reduced volatility address problems with DC saving? AQR’s Scott Richardson, Capital Cranfield’s Jonathan Reynolds, RPMI Railpen’s Steve Artingstall, SpenceJohnson’s Robert Holford and Xerox HR Services’ Simon Hill discuss.

  • News

    Consumers to be encouraged to shop around with proposed annuity provider rules

    2016-11-28T00:00:00Z

    New plans announced by the Financial Conduct Authority will require annuity providers to make consumers aware of rival deals before they purchase an annuity, but some experts say there should be a similar solution for other retirement products.

  • Getty Images
    News

    FCA annuity provider rules to encourage consumers to shop around

    2016-11-28T00:00:00Z

    New plans announced by the Financial Conduct Authority will require annuity providers to make consumers aware of rival deals before they purchase an annuity, and some experts say there should be similar rules for other retirement products.

  • News

    FCA reveals transfer data as experts note 'dramatic' increase

    2016-11-25T00:00:00Z

    Close to 8,000 people transferred out of defined benefit schemes and into defined contribution between Q3 2015 and Q1 2016, figures from the Financial Conduct Authority show, but experts estimate the numbers may be even higher.

  • News

    Increased contributions vital to continue AE success story

    2016-11-25T00:00:00Z

    The real tests of auto-enrolment are still to come, one of the architects of the initiative has warned, as an adequacy report found many defined contribution-reliant members of Generation X are already beyond auto-enrolment’s help.

  • Karen Watkin
    Opinion

    Can illiquid investments help weather market mayhem?

    2016-11-24T00:00:00Z

    Once again, global financial markets are in shock. Donald Trump’s surprise election as US president has seen many bond markets sell off sharply while some equities have soared, particularly those in sectors expected to benefit from Trump policies, like healthcare, mining and financials.

  • Opinion

    Illiquid assets: Latest fad or the future of DC investment?

    2016-11-24T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: Defined contribution investments are still far less sophisticated than those of many defined benefit plans, but there is growing support for making illiquid assets such as infrastructure or private equity part of DC default funds.

  • News

    'Unconflicted' MNTs have a place on trustee boards, experts say

    2016-11-23T00:00:00Z

    Communicating complicated legislative changes, focusing on defined contribution governance and protecting members’ benefits are just a few of the challenges faced by trustee boards.

  • News

    Draft Lisa rules attempt to prevent AE opt-outs

    2016-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Providers of the lifetime Isa should warn savers that substituting their pension for the product will mean they lose out on employer contributions, draft rules published by the Financial Conduct Authority have proposed.

  • Getty Images
    Features

    No gain without pain: Children and financial education

    2016-11-17T00:00:00Z

    Any Other Business: Learning to manage money from an early age could help children get used to deferring gratification, potentially proving invaluable in saving for later life.

  • Bloomberg
    News

    Early exit charge cap attracts criticism and praise

    2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

    Both the government and the Financial Conduct Authority have confirmed plans to introduce caps on early exit pension charges, but authorities should take care not to actively encourage early decumulation, experts say. 

  • News

    HMRC system changes ‘not catching anyone unawares’

    2016-11-10T00:00:00Z

    HMRC is making software changes as part of ongoing plans to ensure its systems are up to date, but as long as pension administrators making pay-as-you-earn or pension scheme returns are prepared, they should not be too concerned, experts have said.

  • Opinion

    Empower DC savers to shape a better future

    2016-11-08T00:00:00Z

    Last weekend, I watched National Geographic’s new documentary ‘Before the Flood, in which Leonardo Di Caprio explores the topic of climate change: what is causing it, its impact on the planet, and what must be done to prevent it.

  • Features

    HSBC pioneers ESG in DC with £1.85bn multi-factor fund

    2016-11-08T00:00:00Z

    The HSBC Bank UK Pension Scheme has selected a multi-factor fund with a tilt towards low-carbon businesses as the equity component of its default offering, a switch that will see £1.85bn of defined contribution savers' money invested in line with green principles.

  • News

    Select committee urges government to scrap triple lock

    2016-11-07T00:00:00Z

    The Work and Pensions Committee has called for the state pension triple lock to be scrapped, in an attempt to ameliorate an economy "skewed in favour of baby boomers and against millennials".

  • Paul Budgen
    Opinion

    Done right, re-enrolment can be an auto-enrolment MOT

    2016-11-07T00:00:00Z

    As we prepare for millions of smaller employers to start offering a workplace pension, we obviously can’t forget the thousands of employers, large and small, who have already done so.

  • News

    James Hutton Institute mulls DB closure

    2016-11-02T00:00:00Z

    The James Hutton Institute is gearing up to begin negotiations with unions, as it proposes closing its career average scheme in favour of a defined contribution arrangement.

  • Uber (Getty Images)
    News

    Will tribunal judgment force Uber to auto-enrol its drivers?

    2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

    Two Uber drivers have been deemed workers who are employed by the taxi app, in a tribunal judgment released last week that could set a precedent for the auto-enrolment of gig economy workers.

  • Karen Watkin
    Opinion

    Activating better DC outcomes

    2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

    Have global financial markets escaped the meltdown expected following a Brexit vote? Currency markets and some bonds priced in concerns about the post-Brexit landscape, but many of the shock waves triggered immediately after the vote have receded.

  • Unite protest (Getty)
    Opinion

    Closure cases: How trade unions are changing tack

    2016-10-24T00:00:00Z

    It is not uncommon to hear of trade unions stepping in to protect defined benefit provision for members, as final salary schemes continue to close. But with a greater focus on defined contribution adequacy, union approaches to closure cases are evolving.