All Features articles – Page 9
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Features
Wesbroom: Actuaries must now stand up to public scrutiny
Kevin Wesbroom has his work cut out bringing his CV up to date.
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FeaturesUMSS focuses on sustainability with new equity manager appointments
The £609m University of Manchester Superannuation Scheme has appointed two new equity managers who invest in companies picked on sustainability grounds.
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Features
Phoenix moves to simplify own scheme's benefits with PIE
Nearly two fifths of eligible pensioners in a scheme sponsored by Phoenix Group have accepted a pension increase exchange offer, which has shaved about £20m from the bulk annuity insurer's defined benefit liabilities.
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FeaturesUSS targets steady returns with KCom investment
The actions of bellwether schemes like the £64bn Universities Superannuation Scheme are always closely watched, but scrutiny on USS is particularly acute after widespread strike action last year. Last month, the UK’s largest private plan agreed a £504m cash takeover of telecoms business KCom.
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FeaturesMorgan Sindall ditches ‘pension’ in comms to boost engagement
Construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall has described the boost to pensions engagement it saw after revamping its member communications, notably replacing mentions of ‘pension’ with ‘retirement saving’.
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Features
Anglo American dials down equities even further
The UK defined benefit schemes of mining multinational Anglo American have halved their already minimal exposure to equities, as the plans near self-sufficiency and reduced risk.
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Features
Electricity North West encourages members to join engagement panel
The Electricity North West Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme is encouraging members of its defined contribution plan to join its engagement panel, as experts highlight how seeking member feedback can help with trustee decision-making.
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Features
Visa scheme cuts lifestyles and introduces white-labelling
Trustees of the defined contribution Visa Europe Pension Plan have reduced the number of lifestyle strategies on offer and introduced white-labelled funds for the first time, one of which invests in direct and listed property.
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FeaturesAkzoNobel valuation results in £550m Q1 funding call
Paint manufacturing giant AkzoNobel has contributed €639m (£548.8m) into its pension schemes in the first quarter of 2019 alone, after a triennial valuation increased the company’s funding obligations beyond its previous projections.
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FeaturesTRW Pension Plan merges with ZF schemes
Automotive manufacturer TRW has merged its defined benefit scheme with those of its German parent company. While consolidation of this kind can lead to cost savings and better governance, experts say there are limited administration benefits to scheme mergers, unless trustees are prepared to invest.
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Features
Private debt inflows continue as storm clouds gather
Data crunch: Patrick Marshall is worried about the prospects for the private debt sector. The direct lending veteran and head of private debt at Hermes Investment Management says the possibility of markets coming back down to earth could leave some of his peers, and by extension the reputation of the industry, facing serious damage.
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FeaturesTime to ask more questions on ESG
Time to ask more questions on ESGTrustees told to get tough on greenwashing managers and advisersEnterkeywords.sh_embed {position: relative;height: auto;width:100%;z-index: 0;overflow: hidden;background-color: #222;color: white;font-family: 'Lato', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;}.sh_embed * {-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;-moz-box-sizing: border-box;box-sizing: border-box;}.sh_embed .sh-embed-bg {position: absolute;width: 110%;height: 110%;top: -5%;left: -5%;z-index: -1;background-color: rgba(0,0,0,.8);}.sh_embed #embed_article {display: none;}.sh_embed .sh-embed-img {display: block;zoom: 1;opacity: ...
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Features
Active managers unable to mitigate late 2018 volatility
For active managers, the ultimate test of mettle will always be whether they can beat their benchmark. As of the end of 2018 the news looks good for stockpickers specialising in UK equities, but analysts say there are still concerns behind the numbers.
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Features
LDI growth continues across UK schemes
UK pension fund exposure to liability-driven investments continues to increase, according to data collected by Pensions Expert’s sister title MandateWire, as an increasing number of smaller schemes enter the market.
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FeaturesShell drills for liquidity and slashes return-seeking assets post valuation
Trustees of the Shell Contributory Pension Fund have overhauled the scheme’s investment strategy following its latest valuation, introducing new allocations to investment-grade and highly liquid assets, while cutting the fund’s return-seeking portfolio exposure.
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Features
John Laing divests asset-backed funding from former sponsor
The John Laing Pension Fund has sold its remaining stake in infrastructure company John Laing Environmental Assets Group, a holding initially contributed to the scheme as part of a contingent funding plan in 2015.
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Features
Investors worried high levels of debt could trigger next recession
Data crunch: Institutional investors across the world are concerned that high levels of debt could spark the next market crisis, according to recent research by Invesco.
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Features
Invensys changes DC default to target cash
Trustees of the Invensys Pension Scheme have updated their defined contribution default to target cash instead of an annuity.
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Features
Making impact investing more 'mainstream'
Analysis: Pension scheme trustees are not – and should not be – philanthropists. But as long as there is a financial return involved they can help address societal challenges.
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Features
Metal Box members headed for master trust under DB closure plans
Members of the Metal Box Pension Scheme are set to move to a defined contribution master trust under company proposals to close the defined benefit scheme to future accrual and replace the current DC section.