All Mercer articles – Page 10
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OpinionOpportunities, risks and manager selection in fixed income
Fixed Income Live: Five industry experts discuss fixed income investment – the direction of interest rates, where the opportunities lie and how schemes can make sure they get the right manager to profit from them.
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Opinion
How schemes can pick the right manager
How can schemes know which manager will perform? In the last part of the Fixed Income Live series, Dalriada’s Simon Cohen, Hymans Robertson’s John Walbaum, Mercer’s Joe Abrams, PGIM’s Edward Farley and Willis Towers Watson’s Chris Redmond discuss whether schemes should let their consultant worry about finding the right specialists and what trustees should be spending their time on.
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Features
Weir Group cuts deficit contributions with 15-year funding vehicle
Weir Group established a Scottish Limited Partnership with the trustee of its main defined benefit scheme last year, allowing the group to reduce its deficit recovery payments while adding to the security of members’ benefits.
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Opinion
Are there still areas of fixed income that provide value?
Are there still areas of fixed income that provide value? In the second part of our Fixed Income Live series, Dalriada’s Simon Cohen, Hymans Robertson’s John Walbaum, Mercer’s Joe Abrams, PGIM’s Edward Farley and Willis Towers Watson’s Chris Redmond reveal where they see the best investment opportunities.
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OpinionWould Brexit mean less red tape for UK schemes?
Analysis: The volume of European regulatory changes has radically increased the governance burden on UK pension schemes in recent years; voting to leave the European Union must be tempting for trustees keen to cut the red tape.
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Opinion
Here to stay? Low interest rates and fixed income investing
Are low interest rates here to stay, and how can pension funds invest in bonds in this environment? In this first part of the Fixed Income Live series, Dalriada's Simon Cohen, Hymans Robertson's John Walbaum, Mercer's Joe Abrams, PGIM's Edward Farley and Willis Towers Watson's Chris Redmond discuss where rates are going and what this means for schemes.
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News
LGPS to meet cost of GMP inflation proofing
A quirk in regulation could leave the Local Government Pension Scheme and several other public sector arrangements responsible for meeting the costs of inflation-proofing the benefits of members retiring between April 2016 and December 2018.
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Opinion
Innovation within the charge cap
DC Investment Quarterly: Ever since defined contribution funds have had to demonstrate value for money to members, they have sought to drive up performance of the investment strategy while controlling volatility.
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News
Consultancy looks to group small schemes for bulk annuity scale
Consultancy KPMG is looking to group small schemes together before bringing them to the bulk insurance market, allowing them to better access the buy-in and buyout markets, but rivals have said governance could prove a challenge.
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Features
How pension schemes reacted to volatility amid a turbulent 2015
Analysis: Volatile markets and economic uncertainty drove pension schemes into multi-asset strategies and alternative assets in 2015, data show, as they looked to mitigate losses from equity markets.
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News
Transfers to be streamlined as more ask for quotes
The Pensions Regulator will introduce new guidance to ensure transfers between defined contribution schemes are completed promptly, the government said last week. This comes as defined benefit transfer values recovered in January after hitting a low in December.
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News
Member-borne commission ban could move costs elsewhere
The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a consultation on draft regulations for banning member-borne commission in auto-enrolment schemes, but experts said costs would still need to be shouldered elsewhere.
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OpinionSpeed dating for LGPS funds: How to choose your pooling partner
The 89 Local Government Pension Scheme funds in England and Wales are embarking on a pathway to pooling under current government plans, which require the creation of five to six pools of around £25bn.
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OpinionFall in accounting deficits no reason to cheer
From the blog: IAS accounting deficits belonging to defined benefit pension schemes have improved, but schemes should not get their hopes up about funding positions.
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NewsTesting market conditions greet 2016
Market volatility is here to stay, experts have said, urging defined benefit trustees to assess their risk management frameworks and eliminate unintended exposures as the year kicks off.
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NewsScapa saves £600k through flexible retirement exercise
Adhesive tape manufacturer Scapa Group has saved around £600,000 by offering flexible retirement options to some deferred members of its defined benefit scheme, clearing more than £10m of liabilities.
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News
DB funding pressure rises but scheme closures plateau
Data Analysis: The aggregate funding level of UK defined benefit schemes has deteriorated again despite asset allocation trends moving towards lower-risk investments, but the number of schemes open to new members has stayed level.
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NewsAutumn Statement gives pensions industry a breather
The pensions industry has learned to brace itself for surprise over the last couple of years, so was relieved to escape relatively unscathed in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement.
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News
Tough timescales for asset pooling put LGPS on the spot
The government’s much-anticipated criteria for the reform of Local Government Pension Scheme investment contains few surprises, but industry experts have raised concerns over the tight timescales for funds to prepare and implement complex proposals.
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NewsSainsbury's and ITV get creative to tackle deficit challenge
Broadcaster ITV and retailer Sainsbury’s are just two household-name employers to announce “chunky” new deficit funding to weather the harsh conditions buffeting defined benefit pension schemes.