All legal articles – Page 7
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NewsPodcast: Mandating net zero could ‘cut straight through’ fiduciary duties
Podcast: The government mandating default funds be aligned with ‘net zero’ would be a way around concerns about fiduciary responsibility, but there are questions about what this would mean in practice. Stuart O’Brien, partner at Sackers, and Gareth Stears, pensions technical consultant at Aries Insight, discuss environmental, social and governance issues, social housing, and the Pensions Regulator’s controversial criminal powers.
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NewsUSS sponsor claims members will be ‘priced out’ without reform
On the go: Universities UK, the group representing 340 Universities Superannuation Scheme employers, has warned that USS members will be priced out of the scheme if the union’s threats of strike action derail reform proposals.
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NewsCMA to investigate Willis Towers Watson deal
On the go: The Competition and Markets Authority has announced an investigation into a planned merger between American insurance brokerage Arthur J Gallagher & Co and Willis Re, Willis Towers Watson’s treaty reinsurance business.
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NewsGovt presses ahead on public sector schemes cost-control reform
The government has announced its intention to push ahead with reform of the cost-control mechanism used in public sector pensions, despite criticism from some in the industry.
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NewsPodcast: No way to avoid the indexation ‘rules lottery’ as inflation bites
Podcast: High inflation will spur more schemes to look to switch from the retail price index to the consumer price index, but there is still no way around the “rules lottery”. Eversheds Sutherland partner Stuart Earle and Aon partner Lynda Whitney discuss inflation, the botched attempt to raise the normal minimum pension age, and a new value for money framework.
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NewsTaskforce lays out measures to boost schemes’ voting powers
The Taskforce on Pension Scheme Voting Implementation has called on the Department for Work and Pensions and the Financial Conduct Authority to create templates and requirements aimed at boosting asset owners’ ability to vote, especially in pooled funds.
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NewsInsurers called to protect trustees against GMP claims
The lack of statutory protection afforded to trustees means the insurance industry will have to shield these professionals against claims related to guaranteed minimum pension equalisation in cases where benefits are secured with annuity providers, legal experts have warned, while uncertainty about trustees’ obligations remains.
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NewsCalls for climate reporting harmony as FCA and DWP rules diverge
The Financial Conduct Authority’s climate-related disclosure rules for asset managers, life insurers and its regulated pension providers should be brought into line with Department for Work and Pensions regulations to give greater clarity and consistency, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has said.
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NewsKent Pension Fund breaches LGPS regulations
On the go: Connection trouble with a third-party pensions administrator’s systems has caused staff productivity at the Kent Pension Fund to suffer, while poor record management by Kent Police led to a breach of Local Government Pension Scheme regulations.
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NewsTPR’s notifiable events regime more impactful than criminal powers
The new regime setting out what type of events trustees and employers are required to notify the Pensions Regulator about will have a greater potential to impact corporate activity than the regulator’s controversial new criminal powers, experts have warned.
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NewsPublic sector schemes wary of TPR’s new code of practice
Public sector schemes should press on with implementing the Pensions Regulator’s new code of practice, Aon has said. However, schemes are concerned about the new rules and have asked for more clarity from the watchdog.
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PodcastsPodcast: Industry ‘irritation’ with TPR’s code of practice could have been avoided
Podcast: The negative reaction of the industry to the Pensions Regulator’s new code of practice shows what can happen if consultations are handled poorly, says Tim Middleton, director of policy and external affairs at the Pensions Management Institute. He is joined by Steven Taylor, partner at LCP, to discuss consultations, collective defined contribution schemes, and flexibility within the defined benefit universe.
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NewsIndustry fears another missed dashboards deadline
On the go: The pensions industry doubts whether the pensions dashboards will be delivered on time, as more than three-quarters of respondents to a Pensions Management Institute survey said they thought the project would still not be operational by 2023.
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NewsDraft CDC regulations hampered by poor definitions, industry warns
The government’s consultation into draft regulations governing collective defined contribution schemes requires more work on definitions if these pension funds are to be properly implemented, with the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association warning it could create a “back door” for unscrupulous employers.
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NewsTPR’s ESG guidance raises industry concerns on privacy and penalties
The Pensions Regulator’s draft guidance on climate change reporting and governance is not sufficiently clear on what constitutes compliance, and the watchdog needs to provide clarity on its approach to discretionary penalties, the Society of Pension Professionals has warned.
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NewsIndustry bodies to 'develop the case' for DC illiquid investments
Industry bodies including the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, the Association of British Insurers and the Investment Association will “develop the case” for defined contribution schemes to invest in less-liquid assets, as part of a push to secure “long-term value” for its members.
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NewsEY fined £3.5m for Stagecoach pension audit failings
EY has been fined £3.5m and given a “severe reprimand” by the Financial Reporting Council, in part for failing to meet requirements when auditing Stagecoach’s defined benefit scheme obligations.
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NewsOmbudsman facing 'significant queue of work' from Covid-19
On the go: The Pensions Ombudsman is expecting demand to increase by 10 per cent in light of Covid-19, but is already facing a “significant queue of work” caused by the pandemic, according to its 2021-24 corporate plan.
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NewsTPR to amend single code as industry slates new requirements
The Pensions Regulator’s combined code of practice has been dealt a blow after widespread industry criticism forced it to scrap new rules on unregulated investments, while the fate of its proposed “own risk assessment” remains uncertain.
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NewsTPR to prosecute former owner of Norton Motorcycles
The Pensions Regulator has announced its intent to prosecute the former owner of Norton Motorcycles for illegally investing money into the business from three pensions schemes of which he was the sole trustee.