All Law & regulation articles – Page 133
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Opinion
Segars: Keeping up the pressure in Europe has paid off
The last thing I saw before penning this blog was a rather downbeat commentary on Britain’s influence in the European Union.
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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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News
What the regulator's £8.5m Carrington Wire deal means for your scheme
The Pensions Regulator has settled with two linked Russian companies for £8.5m over their UK pension fund obligations, prompting calls for trustees to re-examine covenant agreements.
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News
DC experts cautious on FCA's 'second line of defence'
Defined contribution experts have cautiously welcomed the Financial Conduct Authority’s intervention on a second line of defence for retiring scheme members, but saw upheaval ahead for trust-based schemes.
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Opinion
Regulator: Scammers continue to evolve, we will too
As we highlighted in last summer's cross-government campaign, scheme members are being ripped off and face losing all or most of their savings as a result of scams that promise instant cash and high returns on investments.
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Opinion
Class actions are on the rise. Should trustees pick up their cudgels?
Almost from nowhere, pension managers and investment committees are being bombarded with class actions. But how do you manage these, and what are trustees’ duties in these cases?
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News
How bankruptcy orders could drain savers' retirement pots
The April flexibilities could make the retirement savings of those in financial difficulty vulnerable to demands from creditors, with courts set to have their final say on whether a saver’s uncrystallised pot is open to a claim.
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News
How DC savers feel about their retirement options
Most over-55s would prefer a secure guaranteed income for life over all other retirement options, a survey has found, prompting calls for the government’s guidance guarantee to cater to this preference.
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News
Uncertainty on IGC detail as providers get ready for April
Pension scheme providers are gearing up ahead of the April deadline to create independent governance committees, but are eagerly awaiting further details on how the arrangements will be run.
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News
How the staged, opt-in approach to PFM affects your scheme
The government’s plan for a staged, opt-in approach to pensions consolidation has divided the industry, with some calling the proposals pragmatic while others say they weaken a policy that may not survive the general election.
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Opinion
What schemes can learn from this year’s top 5 legal stories
Legal rulings on issues including increased pension loss payouts, clarification on RPI guidance and the introduction of new accounting reporting frameworks have challenged schemes to respond and factor in these changes in the year ahead.
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NewsOmbudsman's RBS ruling builds pressure on scheme comms
Pension schemes have been encouraged to increase the pre-retirement education given to scheme members, after the pensions ombudsman found the RBS Group Pension Fund “failed in [its] duty of care" to one member.
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Features
How schemes could use secondary debt market after Kaupthing ruling
Legal experts have said a High Court ruling allowing schemes to sell section 75 debts – triggered when an employer leaves a pension scheme – could reduce running costs by speeding up the exit of sponsoring employers.
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Opinion
Why the FCA's piecemeal action could push people back towards annuities
Will the Financial Conduct Authority's investigation of the annuities market never end? Even today's market study, and accompanying review of sales practices, will preface further work – by providers this time.
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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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Features
Off on a Christmas jolly? How to keep on the safe side of industry hospitality
Whether the 'good old days' of corporate hospitality provided important relationship building, or were symbolic of an overly cosy relationship between pension funds and their providers, the consensus is that times have changed.
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News
Concerns that DC reforms will drive pensions liberation reach MPs
Industry figures have said the guidance guarantee and independent advice are important to prevent scheme members being lured into punitive liberation schemes by the prospect of increased retirement flexibilities – a problem brought before parliament this week.
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News
Plumbing scheme works to trace 7,000 addresses in data push
The Plumbing and Mechanical Services Industry Pension Scheme has taken steps to trace scheme members to improve its record-keeping, with the address of almost one in every five currently missing.
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News
What the revised Sorp requires of your scheme reporting
Pension schemes will have to boost transparency and detail under reporting requirements in the revised statement of recommended practice by the Pensions Research Accountants Group, which comes into force next year.
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News
Managers predict cash will be king for many post-April retirees
It may be a caravan rather than a Lamborghini, but scheme managers across the country are getting ready for a wave of savers cashing in their pension pots come April’s introduction of George Osborne’s retirement flexibilities.