All articles by Lisa Botter – Page 4
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News
Schemes up proxy matching assets to avoid low-yield bonds
Schemes are seeking proxies for traditional matching assets, investment data have shown, as low yields in fixed income make some investors reticent about implementing liability-driven investment strategies.
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News
Shell introduces reserve account to prevent contribution volatility
The Shell Contributory Pension Fund has created a contribution reserve account to prevent a trapped surplus as it exceeds full funding.
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Opinion
Pensions bill receives royal assent: our coverage of the changes
The pensions bill 2013-2014 is scheduled to receive royal assent today, to officially become an act.
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News
Is Shell's bid to avoid trapped surplus a contribution holiday 2.0?
The around £13bn Shell Contributory Pension Fund has revealed changes to the way the company will make contributions to the scheme.
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NewsSchemes drop gilts to diversify fixed income
UK pension funds were at the forefront of European institutional investors dumping government bonds for higher-yielding fixed income assets in the first three months of 2014, investment data have shown.
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Opinion
Final mastertrust assurance framework released: key points
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Pensions Regulator have today released their final mastertrust assurance framework, including reducing the number and detail of control objectives to reduce burden on providers.
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News
Provider's failed attempt to reclaim death benefit sets rectification warning
Schemes have been reminded they cannot simply revoke decisions if a mistake has been made, after the pensions ombudsman ruled against a scheme provider that tried to claw back death benefit payments.
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Opinion
Lincs defends 'pseudo-passive' equities in fracking furore
Yesterday's Independent newspaper reported Lincolnshire County Council Pension Fund is leading a group of schemes in denying a conflict of interest over its £1.5m investment in French oil company Total, which is exploring shale gas exploration in the area, rendering Lincolnshire the latest scheme to have to defend publicly an underlying investment.
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News
Schemes consider currency overlay to mitigate fluctuations as economies recover
Schemes are considering implementing currency hedges on risky assets as investment experts predict currency adjustments after a long period of relative stability in the developed world.
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News
Synthetic equities see interest as schemes look for creative ways to derisk
Defined benefit schemes are showing interest in synthetic equity strategies in order to move cash from growth portfolios to liability-matching strategies in an effort to shore up funding levels.
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Opinion
What overseas DC systems can tell us about the post-Budget landscape
The retirement flexibility brought about by the Budget has left many schemes wondering how to best implement the at-retirement options.
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News
Scheme costs to ratchet up under IORP II revision
Trustees and schemes will face substantial administrative burden after the European Commission announced revisions to its incoming pension fund directive, including a requirement to continually evaluate environmental risk, which have been deemed “too prescriptive” by experts.
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News
The Cut – How today's IORP II revision affects your scheme
The European Commission has today proposed revisions to the IORP II directive which will introduce new governance requirements, encourage investment in long-term assets and require cross-border schemes to be fully funded.
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News
Scheme derisking surge pushes gilt investment to further heights
Data analysis: Schemes ploughed £7.9bn into fixed income assets in the last quarter of 2013, data from the Office for National Statistics showed, as they accelerated derisking plans and diversified fixed income assets.
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News
The Cut – Four lessons from the latest ONS pensions data
The Office for National Statistics revealed last week auto-enrolment has so far boosted the proportion of employees that belong to a workplace pension to 50 per cent from 47 per cent.
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News
Schemes eye hedge funds in hunt for return certainty
Global institutional investor sentiment is moving towards hedge funds as pension schemes look for less volatile equity returns, with larger investors favouring bespoke blended manager mandates.
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OpinionEditorial: Undercutting the 'cartel'
How to achieve the right asset mix was the perennial question dominating last week’s NAPF conference in Edinburgh. So where should trustees focus in order to meet their current and future liabilities?
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NewsBP fund moves to guard against covenant risk
BP Pension Scheme has formalised a derisking framework with its sponsor to dampen covenant, asset value and investment risks, delegates at the National Association of Pension Funds’ investment conference 2014 heard last week.
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News
How to evaluate the growing TDF market
State Street Global Advisors is the latest manager to detail its UK target date funds with an emphasis on volatility control, while consultants scrutinise the take-up and construction of these strategies.
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News
Deciphering the govt's charges disclosure call
The government has today tabled an amendment to the pensions bill which will call for pension providers to disclose transaction costs of defined contribution schemes.