All Mercer articles – Page 9
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OpinionLow 50/50 take-up means assumptions must be revised
Recent demographic analysis highlights the fact that the new Local Government Pension Scheme 50/50 option – where members pay half of contributions in return for half of the benefits – has not yet captured imaginations.
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News
Share prices hit by DB deficits could spur fresh derisking drive
Defined benefit pension deficits are dragging down the market capitalisations of FTSE 100 companies, according to a recent study, as investors recognise the difference between disclosed deficits and the cost of securing benefits upon insolvency.
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OpinionAre we engaged enough?
Active ownership; shareholder engagement; shareholder activism; stewardship – the language varies, depending on which market you are in, but the fundamental logic is the same.
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News
Rising gilt yields: Inflationary worry or time to buy?
Recent weeks have seen 10-year gilt yields reach 1.16 per cent, their highest level in four months, in a sign inflation is creeping up in the UK economy.
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FeaturesStrathclyde earmarks £750m for MAC and private debt
The Strathclyde Pension Fund has made large allocations to both private debt and multi-asset credit as it looks to take advantage of the growth in non-bank intermediaries.
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News
Nest drawdown proposals: Competitors fear disruption
The dust has settled on government's call for evidence on the expansion of Nest into the drawdown market, but it seems the war of words between industry professionals is far from over.
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OpinionIRM: Nouvelle cuisine or sing a song of sixpence?
Integrated risk management is a tool that was designed to help trustees identify and manage the factors that influence the prospects of a pension scheme meeting its objectives.
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FeaturesPirelli announces £600m longevity swaps as deal flow set to accelerate
Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli’s two main UK pension schemes have agreed longevity swaps covering £600m of pensioner liabilities, as researchers have suggested market volatility and insurer competition mean schemes could see attractive prices emerge on risk settlement products.
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OpinionHow should schemes use mortality studies
Rising life expectancy as a result of medical advances and improving lifestyles is good news, but also one of the major factors contributing to the increasing cost of providing pensions.
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OpinionThe final frontier: Promises of EMD performance
EMD survey: Performance is what drives investors towards – and at times away from – emerging market debt. For pension funds, the hard numbers count, so how has the asset class fared recently?
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Opinion
A glass half full: How investor sentiment towards EMD is changing
EMD survey: A higher birth rate and a growing middle class eager to spend money on goods and services are often touted benefits of investment in emerging markets, but something else is driving flows as well.
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News
Select committee seeks views on expanding regulator powers
The Work and Pensions Committee is to consider amending the powers of the Pensions Regulator and the make-up of the Pension Protection Fund as part of its ongoing inquiry into the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator following the collapse of BHS.
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Features
LPP pools £1.2bn of property amid investor fears over asset class
The Local Pensions Partnership has created a £1.2bn property pool between the London Pensions Fund Authority and Lancashire County Pension Fund as experts have urged schemes not to panic over the recent gating of UK retail property funds.
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OpinionTransaction costs – is there a problem, and how can it be solved?
A combination of increased regulation, a chastened banking sector, and large-scale bond market purchases by central banks (thereby reducing the available supply of readily tradeable securities) has led to a material reduction in market liquidity since the financial crisis in 2008.
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News
What will the Leave vote mean for Project Pool?
As the July 15 deadline for local government pension schemes to submit their asset pooling proposals approaches, experts have warned local schemes to expect delays to 'Project Pool' following the Brexit vote, but cautioned other obstacles might also arise.
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News
Active debt management key to exploiting bond opportunities
Schemes hunting for cash flow in a record-low gilt yield environment are turning to corporate bonds, emerging markets and active management of their debt portfolios, a study has revealed.
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News
MPs press government to incentivise ESG investment
Pension funds should do more to incorporate environmental, social and governance considerations into their investment decisions, a report by the House of Commons’ International Development Committee last week suggested.
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OpinionWhat role can property play in a pension fund portfolio?
UK pension funds face a number of challenges: mature funds need to find sources of income in a low-yield environment, and younger funds in their growth phase are looking for high-growth assets at a time when the economy is growing only sluggishly.
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OpinionThe future is not what it used to be
From the blog: Last month* some 130 world leaders travelled to New York to formally sign the Paris Agreement, sending a powerful signal to the investment community that now is the time to shift assets towards the low-carbon economy.
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OpinionDiscount rates and denial: Will local authorities soon see pension costs rise?
The last couple of Budgets have focused on freedom and choice, but March brought a little surprise for the public sector, and it is one it would probably have preferred to do without.