More defined benefit news – Page 19
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NewsInflation slows to 10.7% in November
On the go: The rate of inflation dropped slightly to 10.7 per cent in November, driven by a decrease in the price of fuels and secondhand cars.
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NewsTPR rejects claim of having pressured schemes into LDI
The Pensions Regulator has pushed back against a suggestion put to the watchdog by MPs that it pressured some pension schemes towards liability-driven investments, when they did not think LDI was appropriate for them.
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NewsPPF confirms levy reduction and methodology changes
Defined benefit schemes will see the levy paid to the Pension Protection Fund reduced by £420mn in two years, as the lifeboat fund confirms tweaks to its methodology and further work to make legislative changes.
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NewsCo-operative Pension Scheme completes £1.2bn full section buy-in
On the go: The £11.8bn Co-operative Pension Scheme’s £2.1bn Bank Section has completed a full £1.2bn buy-in with Rothesay.
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NewsBank of England calls for LDI regulatory action from TPR
The Bank of England has called for more regulatory action from the Pensions Regulator to ensure increased resilience in liability-driven investment funds, while supporting investment consultants becoming regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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NewsTPR ‘dials down leverage’ in DB funding code fast-track
The Pensions Regulator has lowered the amount of leverage that it deems acceptable for schemes to have to meet the requirements for a “fast-track” valuation, as part of its new defined benefit funding code.
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NewsDB schemes’ surplus falls by £7.6bn in November
On the go: The aggregate surplus of the 5,131 defined benefit schemes in the Pension Protection Fund 7800 Index fell by £7.6bn in November.
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NewsDWP details conditions for schemes to defer dashboards deadline
Pension funds will only be allowed to defer their dashboards staging deadline if they are transferring data to a new administrator or are in the process of retendering their scheme administration, new guidance has revealed.
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NewsManufacturer claims actuaries ‘almost put us out of business’
On the go: Construction products manufacturer Dixon International Group has told the Work and Pensions Committee that actuarial pressures in relation to its defined benefit scheme “almost put us out of business and several times pushed us into loss”.
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NewsFCA urges LDI stress-testing in the face of rising buffer costs
The Financial Conduct Authority has called on asset managers to stress-test the “operational consequences” of improved liquidity buffers for liability-driven investment funds, recognising the additional costs that these buffers impose on pension schemes.
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NewsRules to remove DC charge cap fees due in the new year
The government will lay regulations to remove fees from the defined contribution charge cap early next year, one of a number of pensions-related proposals included in the reforms aimed at improving the competitiveness of the UK’s financial services sector.
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NewsRobinson & Sons scheme completes £44mn full buy-in
On the go: The circa £69.1mn Robinson & Sons Limited Pension Fund has agreed a full buy-in of its £44mn of pension scheme liabilities with Legal & General.
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NewsHalf of defined benefit schemes now closed to future accrual
Fifty per cent of defined benefit schemes are now closed to future accrual, according to new figures from the Pensions Regulator.
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NewsBigger LDI collateral buffers will increase sponsor reliance, MPs told
The Work and Pensions Committee has been reminded of the trade-off between bigger collateral buffers and investment returns, with one chief executive warning that buffers of 400 basis points would force some schemes to “pare back their growth ambitions” and increase their reliance on sponsor contributions.
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NewsRailpen leads bondholder stewardship group
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including the launch of a new bondholders’ stewardship working group, the adoption of a formal ESG policy by BlackRock’s LifePath UK DC investment strategy, and a new global standard for stewardship resourcing.
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NewsMorgan Advanced Materials makes £67mn advance contribution
On the go: Manufacturing company Morgan Advanced Materials has agreed to make an accelerated contribution of £67mn to its UK defined benefit pension schemes, as part of a deal that will see the trustees increase inflation and interest rate hedging levels.
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NewsPublic sector pension judicial review hearing set for January
On the go: Five trade unions will make their case against the government in the High Court, in the last week of January 2023, over an alleged “ongoing robbery” of public sector scheme members’ money.
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NewsCoats UK scheme agrees £350mn bulk annuity deal with Aviva
On the go: The $3.1bn (£2.5bn) Coats UK Pension Scheme, which merged with the Brunel Holdings Pension Scheme and the Staveley Industries Retirement Benefits Scheme in 2018, has agreed a £350mn bulk annuity deal with insurer Aviva.
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NewsNHS staff offered ‘partial retirement’ with scheme eligibility expanded
Members of the NHS Pension Scheme will have the option of “partial retirement” under proposed government reforms aimed at stemming the flow of health workers leaving the NHS.
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News‘Lower leverage is here to stay’: industry responds to LDI inquiry
The use of leverage in liability-driven investments should be reassessed, according to respondents to a Work and Pensions Committee inquiry.