All articles by Maxine Kelly – Page 3

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: TEE, no sugar

    2015-07-10T00:00:00Z

    “Promise made, promise delivered,” was George Osborne’s puffed appraisal of his inheritance tax move, which will add a £175,000 allowance for bequeathed family homes on top of the existing £325,000 threshold. 

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: Pass the cashish, it's time to get creative

    2015-07-03T00:00:00Z

    No festival is complete without music. As I loitered at the fringes of a marquee, in Wednesday’s sweltering heat, sounds from nearby speakers streamed an eclectic mix of hillbilly country and Mexican mariachi as I watched the panel discussion on foreign exchange.

  • Opinion

    Governance drives the game

    2015-07-01T00:00:00Z

    DC Investment Quarterly: Mid-flux – that's the position of defined contribution schemes trying to readjust to the new reform and regulatory environment they find themselves in.

  • Opinion

    Five key graphs on Nest's retirement income blueprint

    2015-06-29T00:00:00Z

    From the blog: The flexibilities did away with traditional thinking on what makes an appropriate default fund, and with it kick-started the debate on the best route for accessing income from defined contribution pots.

  • News

    TUC calls for same-sex parity on survivor pensions

    2015-06-26T00:00:00Z

    One in four defined benefit schemes do not treat same-sex and opposite-sex couples equally on survivor benefits and the TUC is pressing government to close the gap, which could cost around £3.3bn.

  • Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: Second-chance annuities

    2015-06-25T00:00:00Z

    It was never going to be straightforward. When the idea of secondhand annuities was first mooted, commentators were at once delighted by the idea of being able to reverse the irreversible, but perplexed as to how it could generate a good deal for those involved.

  • London Underground (Getty)
    News

    TfL tunnels further into alternative credit

    2015-06-23T00:00:00Z

    Transport for London pension scheme has moved further into alternative credit investments including mezzanine debt, as it seeks to diversify its fixed income portfolio.

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: Speed bumps

    2015-06-18T00:00:00Z

    When the government announced last week it was launching a consultation into the processes underlying the pension freedoms, it came as little surprise to those who foresaw the rollout of these reforms having a bumpy ride.

  • ONS digital
    Opinion

    Minded to make the money last?

    2015-06-16T00:00:00Z

    From the blog: So, only around one in eight over-40s plans to cash in more than half of their pension pot. 

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: Out of reach

    2015-06-11T00:00:00Z

    Last week saw Pensions Expert host its 10th annual Leadership of DC Pensions summit in the City.

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: Cache is king

    2015-06-05T00:00:00Z

    The structure of pension funds is such that there has always been an obligation for them to buy bonds, the traditional income-producing asset class that enables schemes to match pensioner liabilities.

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: Revived pressures

    2015-05-29T00:00:00Z

    The idea that the in-out referendum could be brought forward to next year has really focused the minds of many across the UK, and the pensions industry is starting to consider what the result could mean.

  • News

    Wandsworth eyes private rents as London CIV preps for launch

    2015-05-29T00:00:00Z

    Wandsworth Borough Council is considering an allocation to the private rented sector to capitalise on a “unique opportunity”, but is wary that hidden costs or changes to regulation could render the investment unviable.

  • Opinion

    How can smart beta best be used in the new DC default space?

    2015-05-26T00:00:00Z

    KPMG's Simeon Willis, Towers Watson's Stephen Miles, State Street Global Advisors' Richard J Hannam, Cambridge Associates' Alex Koriath and Indexx Markets' Ronan Kearney, debate the popularity of smart beta among UK institutional investors in the third of a four-part roundtable.

  • Opinion

    What is a suitable time period for assessing a strategy’s success?

    2015-05-26T00:00:00Z

    KPMG's Simeon Willis, Towers Watson's Stephen Miles, State Street Global Advisors' Richard J Hannam, Cambridge Associates' Alex Koriath and Indexx Markets' Ronan Kearney, debate the popularity of smart beta among UK institutional investors in the last of a four-part roundtable.

  • Opinion

    How are approaches to combining smart beta strategies changing?

    2015-05-26T00:00:00Z

    KPMG's Simeon Willis, Towers Watson's Stephen Miles, State Street Global Advisors' Richard J Hannam, Cambridge Associates' Alex Koriath and Indexx Markets' Ronan Kearney, debate the popularity of smart beta among UK institutional investors in the second of a four-part roundtable.

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Editorial: Revealing more than just winners

    2015-05-22T00:00:00Z

    Last week's Pension & Investment Provider Awards ceremony in London was a glitzy affair attended by key pensions industry folk from all corners of the sector.

  • Opinion

    Editorial: Navigating risk and reward

    2015-05-18T00:00:00Z

    The term ‘low-yield environment’, which once struck fear into the hearts of scheme trustees tackling deficits, has all but got its feet under the table. We are almost, but not quite, at home with the reality, like the in-laws who came for two weeks but ended up staying for six months.

  • editorial
    Opinion

    Editorial: Stability a long way off

    2015-05-08T00:00:00Z

    The election was unlike any other in recent memory for a host of reasons: its too-close-to-call nature, the shock not-quite-as-close exit poll on Thursday night, Jeremy Paxman ditching his fearsome Newsnight demeanour to dabble in wit on comedy panel shows.

  • Getty Images
    Opinion

    General election 2015 – in pictures

    2015-05-08T00:00:00Z

    General election 2015: Even the Conservatives couldn't quite hide their surprise at the outcome. Here are some key moments for party leaders following a night they will never forget...