All articles by Ian Smith – Page 6
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News
Almshouse scheme doubles members in AE comms drive
Whiteley Pension Scheme has doubled its scheme membership in a ‘buy now while high contributions last’ approach to pre-staging communication that has become popular among schemes wanting to boost employee saving.
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Features
Digesting the latest government figures on DC quality and charges
The Department for Work and Pensions' latest survey of 1,321 DC plans and providers gave a comprehensive picture of the charges at UK pension funds.
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OpinionThe risks and returns in your EMD portfolio
Short-term losses, medium-term gains. The graph at the bottom shows the returns of 20 EMD funds held by UK pension schemes, and the recent story of the asset class is clear to see.
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OpinionEditorial: Your puzzle awaits
You wait a lifetime for proposals to reform the retirement income market, and then suddenly three come along at once.
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OpinionThe DC Debate – ensuring value for new savers in 2014
This quarter’s DC debate focuses on how to strike the best risk and return balance for defined contribution savers in a fragile but recovering global economy.
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OpinionEditorial: Never mind the Brics...
The stop-start emergence of developing economies and the investment industry that seeks to profit from their growth provides another measure of just how far from the pack a pension fund investor is prepared to stray.
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News
Schemes back diversity to ride out EMD volatility
Scheme investors are trusting diversification and long-term value in emerging markets to weather current volatility, as Pensions Expert’s emerging market debt survey again picks Mexico as the most attractive nation in which to invest.
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Opinion
Managers pick best value EMD countries for 2014
For those who desired an object lesson in asset correlation and the worth of diversification under pressure, emerging markets have delivered.
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News
How to build the pension income builder
News analysis: Industry experts have been exploring how the government’s preferred risk-sharing scheme design could work in practice, whether through a not-for-profit, mutual or insurance provider set-up.
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OpinionEditorial: Floating a balloon
With the momentum, if not the life, sucked out of the government's scheme quality proposals – the charges cap taking the lion's share of attention – it has understandably sought to turn attention to its defined ambition plans.
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News
Tricky pickings for funds seeking bond returns
Data analysis: UK pension funds drove more cash into domestic and overseas corporate bonds last year in order to benefit from repairing economies and to diversify sources of yield.
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OpinionEditorial: Wisdom (outside) of the crowd
Consensus can sometimes feel like the wind that blows this industry along, carrying the latest products from scheme to scheme as managers try to meet common challenges.
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Features
M&S sizes up auto-escalation to improve outcomes
Marks and Spencer is considering what auto-escalation could do to improve member outcomes as it looks to raise the quality of its provision following auto-enrolment.
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OpinionEditorial: Time to cash out?
The strengthening equity market, mixed with higher gilt yields, is giving pension scheme investors a tough decision on whether and when to derisk.
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Opinion
Riding out the taper: how the Fed’s policies affect your scheme
Yields are rising as central banks look to extricate themselves from the markets, but 2014 may not be that simple.
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NewsSchemes urged to lock in gains as market improves
Special report: Pension schemes could see a further 40 basis point jump in gilt yields by the end of 2014, improving their funding levels and derisking value.
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News
Where scheme investors went for growth in 2013
Year in review: Schemes took a number of different steps to work their growth assets harder during the past 12 months, with property being a particular area of interest for investors.
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Opinion
Top five stories from Pensions Week past
As Pensions Week draws to a close – prior to its January relaunch as Pensions Expert – we take a look at some of the best stories and initiatives published over the past few years.
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NewsImproved funding levels set off derisking triggers
Four in 10 schemes hit derisking triggers in the year to September as funding levels recovered and institutional investors looked to take risk off the table.