All freedom and choice articles – Page 7
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OpinionActivating better DC outcomes
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.
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News
Treasury scraps plans for secondary annuity market amid consumer protection concerns
Proposed reforms to create a secondary annuity market have been abandoned due to concerns about consumer protection and value for money.
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News
Court of Appeal safeguards bankrupts’ undrawn pensions
Savers who become bankrupt but have not yet drawn their pensions will not have to hand them to creditors, after a court ruling on Friday put an end to fears that pension pots were at risk.
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News
DC schemes drown in regulatory change and jargon
Trustees of occupational defined contribution pension schemes are increasingly failing to meet governance requirements due to excessive regulatory change, a panel of industry figures has said.
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News
More calls for education as lump sum figures raise questions
Pensions education and default funds must be improved to ensure the success of auto-enrolment, experts have said, as findings raise questions about the risks members are taking.
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News
Advice requirement rules could spell end to consumer confusion
The Department for Work and Pensions last week issued a consultation on draft regulations aimed at simplifying the way safeguarded flexible benefits are valued in relation to the freedom and choice advice requirement.
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FeaturesDHL transition exercise delivers savings for members
Postal and logistics company DHL has saved £2.3m for members of its UK defined contribution pension fund by trading investments between members at no cost following an investment transition.
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Features
Retirees avoid overspending yet more become insolvent
Analysis: New figures suggest defined contribution savers reaching retirement might be overspending and increasing their risk of poverty in later years, but experts warn this could be a false alarm.
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OpinionThe cost of freedom and choice
From the blog: The introduction of the freedom and choice reforms last year has boosted taxation and aggregate demand. But some retirees might now outlive their pension pots, risking penury.
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Opinion
Active management of passive funds – a viable strategy for DC?
Since the introduction of freedom and choice, value for money has been high on the agenda for defined contribution schemes. As trustees try to keep on top of costs, could an active asset allocation approach work for schemes with underlying passive funds?
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News
Monitoring crucial as transfer requests could creep up
Defined benefit schemes could see increased levels of transfer quotation requests as low gilt yields push values higher. Experts have said trustees should monitor request numbers and manage their liquidity accordingly.
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Opinion
Pensions Ombudsman set to cast interventional net wider
From the blog: Last week the Pensions Ombudsman said the agency would begin taking a more proactive approach to interventions, especially in appeals that can have broader implications for the pensions industry – a departure from its previously more placatory tone.
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OpinionWhat’s the point of target date funds?
For most modern savers, retirement will not happen in one day. So where does this leave fund structures that manage investments to a target date? In pretty good shape, we say, depending on what you do within a target date fund structure.
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OpinionSecondary annuity market: Breaking the fetters or recipe for poor outcomes?
In the 2015 Budget, the government announced its intention to create a secondary market for consumers to sell their annuity policies.
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News
Is fintech really revolutionising UK pension schemes?
The pensions industry stands to benefit from implementing financial technology to address problems such as scheme members under-saving and not finding tailored retirement solutions, experts have said. However, not everyone agrees.
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OpinionIs this the mastertrust’s time?
For years, the trust-based approach was the weapon of choice for consultants and actuaries advising employers and trustees on the move from defined benefit to defined contribution.
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OpinionTime to shoot the messenger
From the blog: Communications can help people get to grips with their long-term savings objectives, but if we do it the wrong way our attempts to help could fail – no matter how important the message.
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Opinion
Ernst & Young overhauls DC scheme to fit the new freedoms
The Specialist: Professional services firm Ernst & Young has adapted the lifestyle and freestyle strategies of its defined contribution plan to suit the pension freedoms and increase risk in the lifestyle strategy, a move designed to provide for growth.
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News
More detail emerges on pensions dashboard
The working group charged with devising a pensions dashboard – a single destination where consumers will be able to view all their retirement savings pots – has released its view of what it should look like.
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News
Deluge of information stifles retirement choices
An excess of information on the pension freedoms risks poor outcomes for “procrastinating” defined contribution savers, experts have warned, meaning the industry must improve member communication and engagement.