All Opinion articles – Page 20
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OpinionLooking long term for post-pandemic opportunities
Nest’s new head of long-term investment strategy, Liz Fernando, explores some underappreciated asset classes that could prove fruitful for pension fund investors in the years ahead.
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OpinionSmall schemes lagging larger peers on cost transparency
Data crunch: Chris Sier runs the rule over the government’s response to the ‘Review of the default fund charge cap and standardised cost disclosure’ and asks whether voluntary submission of cost and performance data by asset managers is the way forward.
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OpinionTrustees must take action to prevent admin operational issues
Cosan Consulting director Philip Dickinson warns trustees about the importance of having an administration contingency plan in place as this task, either performed in-house or outsourced, could suffer with the current pandemic and financial crisis.
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OpinionHow the pandemic drove financial innovation
Impact Investing Institute chief executive Sarah Gordon details recent innovations in the social market driven by the pandemic, and explains how the social sector is increasingly using capital markets to achieve its objectives.
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OpinionThe hidden cost of coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic is causing worldwide economic disruption, but the financial impact of the crisis on public sector pensions appears to have gone unnoticed, argues ACMCA’s Allan Martin.
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OpinionCovid recovery, net-zero and policy: Outlook for UK infrastructure in 2021
Aviva Investors’ Darryl Murphy dissects the key trends keeping infrastructure managers occupied as we move into the new year.
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OpinionValue for money: Is 60:40 really good enough for Generation DC?
Pensions regulators rightly stress the primacy of value for money and good governance in defined contribution pensions. But while the primacy of low cost endures, cheap investment solutions’ recent performance masks a real risk to outcomes, says AllianceBernstein’s David Hutchins.
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OpinionThe growing appetite for ESG exclusions
Alistair Byrne, head of retirement strategy at State Street Global Advisors, explains why asset managers should look into environmental, social and governance exclusions, alongside an active asset stewardship policy.
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OpinionOnline trustee meetings: You’re on mute!
Ross Trustees’ Grant Suckling and Susan Andrews explain how trustee meetings will look in the future, as videoconferencing has come to stay and will have an important role to play in future governance models.
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OpinionStrength in numbers: How to keep scheme members engaged with ESG
Aviva’s Laura Stewart-Smith explains how providers and pension schemes can keep members aware and engaged with environmental, social and governance investing.
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OpinionPension professionals yet to reach consensus on ESG monitoring best practice
The overall interest from pension schemes in tackling environmental, social and governance risks is up significantly from where it was just a year ago, writes Society of Pension Professionals president James Riley, but the industry is split on how to monitor and judge progress.
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OpinionShaming those who cop to breaches sweeps cyber problem under rug
The pensions industry has long been criticised for its reliance on paper communications and siloed systems, but times are changing and pensions administration has joined the 21st century.
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OpinionPressure builds on small DC schemes to consolidate
Covid-19 looks to be accelerating the trend towards consolidation in the defined contribution industry, and the UK government is keen to see the transition take place at an even faster pace, writes Sackers’ Emma Martin.
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OpinionTrustees need help to solve ESG puzzle
Trustee boards’ best efforts to make meaningful progress on environmental, social and governance considerations are hamstrung by a lack of standardisation and a lack of integrated consultant ratings, writes Tegs Harding of Independent Trustee Services.
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OpinionChanges to pre-packs step in the right direction
The Insolvency Service has stepped in to strengthen the position of defined benefit schemes in pre-pack administrations, but the new veto right is not universal, writes Anne-Marie Winton of Arc Pensions Law.
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OpinionSole trustee code of practice will improve schemes’ risk management
Shehzad Ahmad, trustee director at Ross Trustees, explains how the sole trustee code of practice launched by the Association of Professional Pension Trustees is expected to improve governance and standards for pension schemes.
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OpinionDC costs need more transparency to create member confidence
AllianceBernstein’s portfolio manager of multi-asset solutions, David Hutchins, suggests a series of changes to defined contribution costs and charges in light of the review launched by the Department for Work and Pensions in this space.
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OpinionReducing business risk from data breaches
Pension schemes are improving their security against cyber crime, but it is in human mistakes that data shows significant business risk lies, argues Anthony Rafferty of Origo.
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OpinionHow schemes can improve member communication during pandemic
No scheme membership is alike, but all good communication strategies show empathetic consideration for the preferences of each individual member, writes Buck’s Brad Compton.
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OpinionSmaller schemes could benefit from ‘fast-track lite’ option
Isio partner Mike Smedley warns that smaller schemes will have trouble in complying with the Pensions Regulator’s fast-track funding approach, and while they will not be able to afford the bespoke route either, he proposes a third solution for these pension funds.