All articles by Emma Powell – Page 6
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News
Isle of Wight bolsters governance ahead of LGPS reform
Isle of Wight Pension Fund has identified areas ripe for improvement in its governance, including more frequent funding monitoring, as local government schemes brace for next year's reforms to the sector.
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Opinion
How to build your risk committee
As more defined benefit schemes follow a derisking plan towards their end point, monitoring and managing risk grows ever more important.
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NewsEmployers consider RPI/CPI switch as gap widens
Consultants have reported more employers trying to overcome the difficulties of switching from using the retail price index to the consumer price index to reduce scheme liabilities as the gap between the two measures widens.
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News
NUJ to appeal ombudsman ruling over BBC pensionable pay cap
The National Union of Journalists will appeal the pensions ombudsman’s determination that the BBC's pensionable pay cap did not breach its obligations, as more employers look to such tools to derisk schemes.
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News
European investors hunt alternatives to diversify growth assets
Data analysis: Fixed income attracted the most money from European investors last year, but alternatives won on future allocations as schemes look to derisk and diversify portfolios.
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News
Civil service schemes centralise admin to boost engagement
The civil service pension schemes are moving the administration of their active, deferred and pensioner members to a single system to reduce costs and increase member engagement.
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News
Charities await guidance to reduce liability squeeze
Not-for-profit employers that belong to multi-employer schemes are waiting for further guidance on dealing with debt risk that could trigger insolvency.
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News
Annuity brokering grows as managers seek value for savers
News analysis: Nearly half of schemes have or are planning to put in place annuity brokering services for their members, but experts warn this may not be enough to achieve value at retirement.
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Features
Plumbing scheme offers lower contribution rate to tempt employers
The Plumbing and Mechanical Services Industry Pension Scheme will offer a lower contribution scale to new employers joining the career average scheme, to help it compete with defined contribution arrangements.
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News
Compliance concerns prompt employers to rethink AE providers
News analysis: Some large employers are considering switching their auto-enrolment provider as their administration needs are not being met, fanning a growing secondary market.
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News
Only seven in 10 DC members use the default
Data analysis: Fewer defined contribution members than expected are invested in default funds, new figures have shown, but experts anticipate this to increase as auto-enrolment continues to roll out.
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News
United Utilities ups interest rate hedge after hitting trigger
United Utilities has increased interest rate hedging in its defined benefit schemes in order to reduce risk, working towards its target of full protection against interest and inflation rate fluctuations.
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News
Schemes called upon to boost comms as tax deadline approaches
Schemes should communicate changes to the annual and lifetime allowance to both active and deferred members to ensure savers do not lose their fixed protection, industry experts have said.
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News
Employers open to risk of reporting errors on contingent assets
News analysis: Employers have been told to approach the use of certain contingent asset funding deals with caution, after the Financial Reporting Council said solvency improvements could be cause for investigation.
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News
Scheme ETF usage picks up but obstacles remain
News analysis: More schemes are using exchange traded funds as part of a tactical investment strategy, industry members have observed, but there are still barriers in cost and governance.
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News
Report calls for greater transparency on costs
All costs extracted by default funds and schemes should be publicly disclosed via a central registry to promote transparency, the Pensions Institute at Cass Business School has urged.
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News
Inflation drop should not deter hedging, experts warn
News analysis: Schemes have been warned they need to protect themselves against fluctuations in inflation despite rates falling to the Bank of England’s target level.
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OpinionHow to ensure your members get the best value at retirement
The annuities industry has come under increasing fire from all corners of the industry – but there are concrete steps that pension professionals can take to help members get value at retirement.
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Features
Essex merges functions after admissions rise
Essex Pension Fund has combined its employer, investment and administration teams into a single structure to deal with an increased number of employers joining the scheme.
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News
Schemes told to offer annuity brokerage
News analysis: The shadow pensions minister has urged schemes to take a role in providing annuity brokering advice to ensure greater member purchasing power, but industry figures have raised concerns over how this could be implemented.