All Opinion articles – Page 18
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OpinionMore than a number: what it means to be a professional trustee
I am 118F, the F denoting full accreditation as a professional pension trustee by the Association of Professional Pension Trustees. But, beyond bragging rights, what is the point?
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Opinion
Drawdown is climbing the DC agenda — but there’s no easy fix
Since the introduction of the pension freedom rules in 2015, the popularity of drawdown for generating a flexible retirement income has rocketed amid a secular decline in annuity rates.
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OpinionTrustees must face hard governance truths after Covid shake-up
Our daily lives will inevitably change once the Covid-19 crisis is over.
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OpinionSegregated mandates – a club for large pension schemes only
With a few exceptions, most pension schemes do not go overboard with the number of asset management products they use.
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OpinionTemplates help, but govt help is needed on chair’s statements
High-quality scheme governance is an issue that the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association is passionate about; it is the focus of much of our policy work. The defined contribution chair’s statement, which is a core component of these governance duties, has become a source of real debate in the pensions industry of late.
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OpinionDo asset-backed funding structures need an update?
It has now been more than a decade since Marks and Spencer implemented the first asset-backed funding structure, and some of the industry’s pioneering arrangements are showing their age.
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OpinionAsset allocation analysis reveals UK’s governance weakness
Recently, I was tinkering with the asset allocation data for a large sample of defined benefit pension schemes and ‘accidentally’ came across an interesting, and possibly controversial, story relating to asset allocation.
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OpinionIndustry must not be defeatist on dashboards
Last year, I attended an event discussing the biggest challenges facing the UK pensions industry, and one topic kept coming up.
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OpinionIf you think you know your costs, you could be wrong - UPDATED
Data crunch: The third of Dr Chris Sier's insights into cost transparency gets right to the heart of the issue: just how much of a pension schemes total costs were previously unknown?
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OpinionNot all asset managers are created equal
Data crunch: In the first piece of this series, I stated that asset managers were not the problem when it comes to cost collection. That said, not all managers are equally committed to, or enthusiastic about, transparency.
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OpinionStructured finance – panacea or predicament?
Data crunch: The multi-faceted world of structured finance appeals to UK defined benefit schemes, as it provides security of income and attractive yields. However, pension funds still fear these investments due to its connection with the 2008 financial crisis.
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OpinionRegulator striking the right balance on deficit holidays
Coronavirus is turning the world upside down for pension trustees. Prior to the crisis, trustees were being pushed to take a tougher line by demanding employers plough more cash into their defined benefit plans.
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OpinionAsset managers are no longer the problem on cost transparency
Data crunch: Is the Cost Transparency Initiative a success? Market-wide adoption of a data standard might seem like it can only be a good thing, but there are plenty of detractors out there.
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OpinionWhat does the slump in oil mean for scheme portfolios?
‘Unprecedented’ has become the watchword for market moves through the Covid-19 crisis, yet even this seems an inadequate descriptor for what has happened in oil markets this week.
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OpinionHow will pandemic affect employer contributions longer-term?
Over the past few weeks, the Pensions Regulator has been publishing a range of guidance for schemes and employers, which among other easements effectively gives the green light for trustees to consider the deferral of deficit reduction contributions for a period of up to three months.
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OpinionChinese equities – are investors ignoring the free lunch from diversification?
Each day brings further news of the spreading coronavirus and its impact on communities and economies. Lockdowns now affect more than one third of humanity and we wonder what may come next.
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OpinionKeeping conferences alive during lockdown
Early in the year, spotting an opportunity to debate our changing world, the Council on Foreign Relations scheduled a conference in New York called ‘Doing Business Under Coronavirus’.
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OpinionPension protections must not be victims of coronavirus
The coronavirus outbreak has had an unprecedented impact on the pensions sector.
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OpinionBetter ESG integration is a marathon, not a sprint
Environmental, social and governance factors have risen rapidly to the top of the corporate agenda over the past 12 months. From what was a vaguely understood acronym, ESG is now fast becoming a common part of discussions as asset owners, investors and businesses consider how to effectively incorporate these factors into everyday processes.
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OpinionCovid-19 – a moment of truth for active managers?
Data Crunch: Over the past few years, pension fund investment in equities has increasingly shifted away from active towards passive strategies.