More defined benefit news – Page 141
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News
Recent pension deficit reductions are unlikely to be sustainable
A survey of FTSE 100 companies’ pension schemes showed that during 2015 the overall pension deficit was reduced by £15bn, mostly by lower salary assumptions and higher discount rates, but experts say the trends responsible for the reduction have now reversed.
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NewsStaveley agrees £73.6m recovery plan
The Staveley Pension Scheme has agreed a new, £73.6m recovery plan with its sponsoring employer after its most recent actuarial valuation found a £100m deficit.
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NewsWhat will British Steel's rule changes mean for pensions?
Experts agree the changes being proposed to the British Steel Pension Scheme will impact salary-related pensions more broadly, but differ on whether the long-term effects will necessarily be negative.
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News
DB schemes' negative cash flow matters, but is not a crisis
A survey by Hymans Robertson has found that 50 per cent of FTSE 350 defined benefit schemes are or soon will be cash flow negative, and that chief financial officers are more worried about forced disinvestment than trustees.
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NewsSwitching BSPS indexation to CPI could set legal precedent
A four-week public consultation on the British Steel Pension Scheme launched by the government this week could pave the way for an indexation switch aimed at significantly reducing Tata Steel’s pension liabilities, which could reverberate across the private sector.
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Illiquidity premiums move up agenda, but questions over cash flow remain
The new market liquidity regime will make it harder for pension schemes to access credit, says a new report, which recommends they take steps – in particular, to exploit illiquidity premiums – to protect themselves.
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Field’s proposal for scheme deficits bill raises pension cut fears
Former pensions minister Steve Webb has warned that a new bill proposed by Work and Pensions Committee chair Frank Field to deal with DB deficits – including by introducing flexible benefits – is a “worrying” development that could undermine people’s confidence in the pension system.
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NewsNetwork Rail plans £19m savings following NI cost hike
Network Rail expects to save around £19m annually following a swath of amendments to two of its schemes to mitigate the increased costs of contracting-out cessation, as many schemes either absorb the cost or close.
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News
Nilgosc to allow lump sum contributions
The Northern Ireland Local Government Officers Superannuation Committee plans to ask for upfront deficit contributions for this year’s LGPS valuation from its employer members as the public sector in Northern Ireland shrinks.
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Cash flow is important but not pressing, experts say
For the first time, the Pensions Regulator explicitly included cash flow considerations in its annual funding statement, published last week. Industry insiders welcomed the move, but said the statement has raised other equally important concerns.
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News
DWP launches online tracing site as demand booms
The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a new website for the government's pension tracing service, as the number of people seeking their deferred pots has ballooned over the past decade.
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NewsIn-house management and infrastructure dominate LGPS pooling debate
As the pooling of the Local Government Pension Scheme progresses, some funds have warned of the risks of in-house management and questioned whether infrastructure investment is necessarily a good bet.
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NewsPensions unfair to younger generation, industry says
The current pension system is unfair to the younger generation, the majority of participants at a debate hosted by professional trustee company Law Debenture this week agreed.
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News
BHS collapse raises questions for the regulator
The Pensions Regulator is investigating the BHS Pension Scheme as the sponsoring employer enters insolvency, but some experts queried why the regulator did not act sooner to secure the ailing scheme.
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NewsWelsh LGPS funds lead the pack on pooling with passive manager appointment
Welsh Local Government Pension Scheme funds have announced the appointment of BlackRock to a £2.8bn passive mandate, following a joint procurement exercise.
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NewsLloyds Banking Group drives efficiency with single trustee board
Lloyds Banking Group has merged the trustee boards of three of its defined benefit pension funds to boost efficiency, decrease duplication and strengthen its relationship with the schemes.
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News
How alignment of interests can improve member outcomes
Real change in the investment industry is needed to drive alignment of interests along the value chain, delegates at the CFA Professionalism Conference heard, as panellists criticised the current state of communication between fund managers and asset owners.
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Union seeks parliamentary debate on LGPS pooling
A parliamentary petition launched by public service trade union Unison, seeking debate on the pooling of Local Government Pension Scheme assets, has attracted nearly 30,000 signatures and could spell delays to progress in the pooling project.
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NewsEiopa opts for standardised risk framework
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority has advocated the creation of a standardised framework for risk assessment and transparency in EU pension funds, quashing long-running fears of a shift to more stringent solvency funding requirements.
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News
50-50 take up remains low, but tax changes could spur interest
Take up of a 50-50 option for members of local government pension scheme funds – which allows halving overall contributions – remains low but could rise with changes to pension tax next year.