All Eversheds Sutherland articles – Page 5
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News
MiFID II: LGPS retail label could stymie alternative investments
Local government pension funds could find themselves reclassified as retail investors from 2017 under an upcoming European directive, raising questions over schemes’ access to certain investment strategies.
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Opinion10 points every IGC should consider when judging VFM
From the blog: Independent governance committees have been tasked with assessing the value for money of their provider’s workplace personal pension plans.
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NewsIndustry left reeling by latest pension tax proposals
Summer Budget: Chancellor George Osborne today unveiled a green paper proposing a significant overhaul of the current pensions tax relief system, going beyond what the industry had expected and acting as a harbinger of further radical reform.
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News
Is 55 too young to cash in a DC pension?
The age at which members can access their pension pots should be increased, according to a white paper, but some experts say those in ill health should not be held back from drawing their cash.
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OpinionEducate, guide, default – how schemes should deal with DC flex
The new pension flexibility has now been available for one month. Early indications suggest a great deal of interest among pension savers, but it is too early to identify trends in terms of what people will do with their pension savings.
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News
Cashed-out pots could hit future means-tested benefit claims, lawyers warn
Lawyers have called on providers to ensure members are fully aware of how accessing their pension pots could affect future benefit claims, as schemes grapple with their ‘second line of defence’ obligations.
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News
Regulator reassures on DB-DC transfers but capacity crunch predicted
The industry has welcomed the pensions watchdog’s clarification on trustees’ duties around the new flexibilities, but some are concerned scheme administrators will face capacity issues around rising transfer value requests.
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News
Schemes win extended reprieve from European OTC clearing rules
The European Commission has recommended schemes be given a two-year reprieve from over-the-counter derivative clearing requirements. But industry experts still expect pension funds to end up paying higher transaction costs.
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Opinion
Could Pip's renewables move help schemes see beyond the bluster?
“The need for infrastructure investment worldwide is massive, the attractions of the asset class are clear, and the appetite of investors for infrastructure assets is growing,” said Michael Wilkins from ratings agency Standard & Poor’s, in an FT article on the subject last month.
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News
Schemes plan partial DB-DC transfers to trim liabilities
Legal experts have reported an increase in pension schemes planning to reduce their liabilities by changing their rules to allow partial transfer of members' pure defined benefit assets into defined contribution arrangements.
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News
Latest IORP revision ditches 'professional' qualification requirement for trustees
The latest revision of the European Commission pensions directive has removed a contentious requirement for trustees to have a "professional" qualification – reigniting debate in the industry on the merits of a minimum standard of training.
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News
TPAS: Wave of requests to hit schemes and administrators in April
The Pensions Advisory Service has warned that scheme trustees and administrators risk being overwhelmed in April by members eager to access their savings at the earliest opportunity, having waited a year for the pension freedoms to come into play.
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News
Webb defends 'revolutionary' CDC legacy against industry critics
Pensions minister Steve Webb told an industry event this week the “pendulum is going to swing back” from individual defined contribution pension provision, but delegates challenged the viability of risk-sharing schemes.
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News
Wider default definition will land more funds in charge cap net
The wider-than-expected definition of default funds in the government’s draft regulation could mean the charge cap applies to multiple funds at a scheme, hiking governance requirements expected of managers.
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Features
Xerox to protect repayment power amid legal uncertainty
Xerox Final Salary Pension Scheme is planning a resolution allowing it to continue to make repayments to its sponsor, but legal experts are split on whether such a move is necessary or will even be effective.
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News
How the PPF's contingent asset shift could affect your scheme
The Pension Protection Fund will publish in October the conclusion of its consultation on making the certification of contingent assets more transparent, after around half a sample of type A contingent assets failed a stress test.
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News
Newly defined money purchase plans wake up to actuarial and comms obligations
Trustees and employers offering money purchase benefits may face increased member communication and valuation requirements as a result of the government’s new statutory definition.
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NewsPPF targets transparency with insolvency levy changes
Schemes will be able to more precisely focus their efforts to reduce their Pension Protection Fund levy, following the lifeboat’s proposals to make its insolvency risk system more transparent.
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News
PPF assesses out-of-cycle valuations for schemes affected by 'money purchase' definition
The Pension Protection Fund launched a consultation last week to assess the material change in risk to the lifeboat brought about by the changes to the definition of money purchase benefits, which will come into force later this year.
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News
Scheme costs to ratchet up under IORP II revision
Trustees and schemes will face substantial administrative burden after the European Commission announced revisions to its incoming pension fund directive, including a requirement to continually evaluate environmental risk, which have been deemed “too prescriptive” by experts.