More defined benefit news – Page 159

  • News

    Scheme grabs chance to hedge inflation risk

    2013-09-04T00:00:00Z

    Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Pension Fund has increased its interest and inflation rate hedge for its defined benefit scheme, to help protect its funding position against fluctuations in rates.

  • News

    Charity bears brunt of AE contributions

    2013-08-30T00:00:00Z

    Action for Children has said it chose to place a greater burden on itself than employees when setting its auto-enrolment contribution levels, in a drive to create fairness.  

  • News

    YMCA launches derisking strategy to improve funding level

    2013-08-30T00:00:00Z

    YMCA Pension Plan has launched a derisking strategy to match “more closely” its allocation approach and liability profile, and has appointed a delegated manager to oversee nearly all of its portfolio.

  • News

    Poor data impeding derisking plans for smaller schemes

    2013-08-28T00:00:00Z

    News analysis:Industry experts have said schemes with poor-quality information should not be put off derisking, following recent research showing many funds feel stifled by inadequate data.

  • Getty Images
    News

    How BBC scheme cut £750m off its funding deficit

    2013-08-22T00:00:00Z

    The BBC Pension Scheme has chipped an estimated £750m off its funding shortfall by reducing its allocation to equities over the past 10 years and increasing employer contributions.

  • Axa (Getty)
    News

    Axa ups benefit in final deal on DB scheme closure

    2013-08-16T00:00:00Z

    Axa has confirmed it will close its UK defined benefit scheme from next month following a review, with current members receiving additional pension payments under the final agreement.

  • News

    Chiltern funds target £2.5m merger saving

    2013-08-13T00:00:00Z

    Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire councils are in preliminary talks about merging their pension funds in an attempt to save £2.5m a year, as more local authority schemes club together to reduce costs.

  • News

    Making good your scheme's common data shortfall

    2013-07-26T00:00:00Z

    News analysis: The Pensions Regulator's annual record-keeping survey, released earlier this week, demonstrated a lack of awareness among smaller schemes of their data obligations, but also contained hints about how to repair administrative faults.

  • Multi-asset mandates
    News

    Two in five schemes use multi-asset to fight volatility

    2013-07-23T00:00:00Z

    Data analysis: The use of multi-asset products has increased as schemes look to mitigate market volatility with the product, which promises equity-like returns with downside protection, investment data show.  

  • News

    Pension contributions illustrate DB/DC divide

    2013-07-19T00:00:00Z

    Data analysis: Employer contribution rates are on the rise in defined contribution schemes but are still significantly lower than defined benefit employer contributions, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

  • News

    Environment Agency to revamp SRI gameplan

    2013-07-18T00:00:00Z

    The Environment Agency Active Pension Fund has said it is seeking “new and innovative ideas” on sustainable equity investment in a bid to lead best practice in the area while driving forward its responsible investment strategy.

  • News

    Isle of Wight disinvests equities to pursue DGF approach

    2013-07-17T00:00:00Z

    Isle of Wight Pension Fund is removing 15 per cent of its allocation to UK equities and redirecting it into a diversified growth fund in an effort to maintain performance and lower volatility.

  • News

    How schemes can manage cash flows

    2013-07-17T00:00:00Z

    Schemes are being advised to reconsider investments as almost a third of defined benefit pension schemes expect to be cash flow negative this year, a survey has found.

  • Getty
    News

    Royal British Legion to expand Pie after £1m saving

    2013-07-11T00:00:00Z

    The Royal British Legion is working on a pension increase exchange offer for members coming up to retirement, after an exercise with the scheme’s pensioners last year knocked £1m off its deficit.

  • News

    Small schemes offered off-the-peg buyouts to speed up derisking

    2013-07-11T00:00:00Z

    Small schemes will be offered standarised buyouts to decrease the time and cost associated with bespoke bulk annuity purchases, a model that has gained popularity in the buy-in market.

  • News

    How accounting changes hit your balance sheet

    2013-07-11T00:00:00Z

    News analysis: New accounting principles have increased sponsors' focus on the expense of operating a defined benefit scheme and the risk it poses to future cash flows, as companies prepare interim reports under the new regime.

  • News

    Derbyshire reduces auto-enrolment comms burden

    2013-07-10T00:00:00Z

    Derbyshire County Council has taken steps to reduce its auto-enrolment communication costs, from record-cleansing to communicating through employers, as local authority schemes look to manage the cost of the reform.

  • News

    Gilt investment reaches post-crisis peak at £22bn

    2013-07-05T00:00:00Z

    Schemes have ramped up their investment in gilts and index-linked gilts over the past couple of years in an attempt to shore up their pension promises, data from the Office for National Statistics have shown.

  • Getty
    News

    Wind-up: avoiding union and member backlash

    2013-07-02T00:00:00Z

    Winding up defined benefit schemes or changing members’ benefits has become a working reality for some management teams, as employers decide to cut costs and offload risks in a tough environment for scheme funding.

  • News

    Lothian to reduce 'suboptimal' market cap exposure

    2013-06-19T00:00:00Z

    The Lothian Pension Fund is to reduce its reliance on market capitalisation-based equity indices and increase investment in global portfolios, in order to boost performance and reduce volatility for members.