All Mercer articles
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FeaturesHow deferred DB pensions will look on pension dashboards
Independent pensions dashboards consultant Richard Smith passes the halfway point in his series of monthly case study articles about how his different schemes are preparing for pensions dashboards.
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NewsMansion House surpluses: pie in the sky or route to self sufficiency?
Barnett Waddingham’s assertion that the so-called Mansion House ‘reforms’ would have delivered as much as £50 billion in surpluses to FTSE 350 companies, had the strategy already been in place, received a mixed reception when wereported on it on 21 August.
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NewsP&O announces £440m scheme buy-in
The trustee of the P&O Pension Scheme has today announced that it has agreed a £440 million buy-in with Rothesay, securing the remaining benefits of 5,300 scheme members.
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NewsL&G completes £1.8bn buy-in of United Utilities schemes
Legal & General has completed buy-in with the trustees of two pension schemes sponsored by United Utilities, in a deal that covers around two thirds of their liabilities.
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NewsDerisking well funded DB schemes may be an opportunity missed
Employers should adopt a more ambitious approach to managing well-funded defined benefit (DB) schemes and see them as an opportunity, according to pensions experts.
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NewsDC members want better access to ESG investment strategies
Demand for environmental, social and governance criteria to be considered in pension scheme investment strategies continues to grow and find a broader base of support.
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NewsConsultants advise diversification as recession fears mount
As recession fears rise, investment consultants are advising institutional clients to ensure their portfolios are well diversified to reduce downside risks. They also advocate a degree of dynamic asset allocation in a bid to capitalise on changing market conditions.
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NewsNew DB funding code could cost employers up to £34bn
The Pensions Regulator estimates that the defined benefit funding code could have a cost for employers of up to £34bn, which has prompted consultancy LCP to call on the government to give more time to sponsors to adjust to the new regime.
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NewsConsultants advise asset owners to protect against tail risk
Amid high inflation, market volatility and mounting fears of recession, investment consultants are advising asset owners to consider implementing some form of tail-risk protection, while urging them to first focus on building well-diversified investment portfolios that could protect against downside risks.
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NewsTomkins Schemes complete £132mn full buy-ins
On the go: Two pension schemes sponsored by Gates Group, the Tomkins Schemes, have completed full buy-ins worth a combined £132mn with Pension Insurance Corporation.
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NewsDC in 2023: Dashboards, cost of living and consolidation
DC in 2023: Dashboards, cost of living and consolidation2023 should finally be the year of the dashboards, while the cost of living crisis will continue to dominate the headlines Enterkeywords.sh_embed {position: relative;height: auto;width:100%;z-index: 0;overflow: hidden;background-color: #222;color: white;font-family: 'Lato', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;}.sh_embed * {-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;-moz-box-sizing: border-box;box-sizing: border-box;}.sh_embed .sh-embed-bg {position: ...
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NewsElectronic technologies scheme secures £400mn buy-in
On the go: The TT Group (1993) Pension Scheme has completed a £400mn buy-in with Legal & General, securing the benefits of around 5,000 retirees and deferred members.
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NewsThree-quarters of asset managers yet to set climate transition targets
On the go: Seventy-three per cent of asset managers surveyed by consultancy Mercer have yet to set climate transition targets — such as goals on achieving net zero — across their strategies.
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NewsDC providers fail to commit to ending fossil fuel expansion
None of the UK’s 20 largest defined contribution pension providers have explicit policies aiming to end fossil fuel expansion, a campaign for improving the environmental credentials of pensions has claimed.
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NewsLDI fund managers look to lower leverage in wake of market turmoil
Managers of liability-driven investments are likely to reduce the level of leverage used in their funds in the aftermath of the Bank of England’s intervention, investment consultants say.
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NewsFirst half of 2022 sees record number of bulk annuity deals
On the go: The first half of this year witnessed 78 bulk annuity deals, a record for the period, which registered 19 more transactions than the first six months of 2021.
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NewsLDI: L&G admits markets turmoil ‘caused challenges’ for clients
Market moves: Legal & General notes the problems posed for clients by the speed of recent rate increases, asset managers limit withdrawals from property funds, and soaring gilt yields supercharge defined benefit scheme funding levels.
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NewsLDI: Mercer dismisses DB scheme solvency concerns
Market moves: Consultancy Mercer has hit out at media reports that suggested the solvency of defined benefit pension schemes came under threat this week, while LGPS Central points out investment opportunities, and Hymans Robertson issues guidance on liability-driven investments and collateral needs.
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NewsSchemes urged to revisit buyout plans in rising rate environment
Rising interest rates and the subsequent fall in liability valuations and deficits have now made buyouts more affordable for a larger number of pension funds, with consultants urging schemes to restructure their investment strategy to make it more palatable to an insurance company.
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NewsRising rates pose challenges for closed DB schemes’ LDI portfolios
While interest rate and inflation hedges have helped many defined benefit schemes stabilise their funding positions, the current macroeconomic environment is creating challenges for some closed plans, which might not have the necessary collateral in place to meet high payments.