All Opinion articles – Page 32
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Opinion
How can schemes assess employer covenant strength?
Darren Redmayne chuckles good-naturedly, at what must be the thousandth time a journalist has asked whether the FTSE 100’s recently revealed accounting surplus means their defined benefit pension problems have gone away.
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OpinionIs it time to trim your hedge funds?
Analysis: Since 2000, there has been an extraordinary rise in hedge fund investment. While only 2.1 per cent of large institutional investors had money in hedge funds in 2000, cost analysis service CEM Benchmarking says that this figure surpassed 50 per cent in 2016.
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OpinionStranded in a failed mastertrust
From the blog: A by-product of the introduction of auto-enrolment has been the establishment of nearly 90 mastertrusts, many set up with a commercial objective. A few of the larger schemes have started to move to profit, but with a 0.75 per cent charge cap most still rely on their sponsors to make good shortfalls in expenses.
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OpinionSelf-driving pensions are worth our consideration
My 17-year-old daughter is writing an essay on whether human rights should be extended to robots – not as ridiculous a question as it may first appear.
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OpinionWhat are trustees' responsibilities when it comes to DB transfers?
Some 100,000 defined benefit transfers took place in the 2017/18 financial year, according to estimates by the Pensions Regulator. This figure marries with the experience of pensions administrators, who have recorded significant increases in transfer activity since pension freedoms were introduced.
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OpinionESG investing has little to do with ethics
Environmental, social and governance factors, commonly known as ESG factors, have sparked debate in the pensions world for many years and given rise to much confusion.
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OpinionCarillion's post-mortem
It is not unusual for Work and Pensions Committee chair Frank Field to show off an impressive vocabulary when launching a salvo against political and personal foes. But even by his standards, the imagery used to put to bed the failed outsourcer Carillion has taken a turn for the macabre.
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Opinion
Pension funds are making good progress with ESG, says Brunel CEO
Pension funds are making good progress when it comes to responsible investment, according to the £29bn Brunel Pension Partnership’s chief executive Dawn Turner.
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OpinionRising rates: to hedge or not to hedge?
With interest rates on an upward move, pension schemes that can afford to be tactical should review their hedging strategy without delay.
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OpinionPeople trust people, not institutions
From the blog: Whether a pension fund is facing closure, or just suspending its website while investment options change, there are many reasons why a scheme might have to communicate tricky or delicate subjects.
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Opinion
GDPR - A brave new world for the pensions industry
It is easy to imagine bunkers in remote corners of England, hatches locked, filled with trustees who are desperate not to hear any more about the General Data Protection Regulation.
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OpinionRoundtable: How are fixed income strategies adapting?
Central bank policy has turned a major corner, and many fixed income markets are looking increasingly expensive - six experts share their insights on how pension scheme strategies should adapt.
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Opinion
Roundtable: How should schemes pick fixed income managers?
Fixed income markets do not present as obvious a case for passive management as equities, but how should schemes evaluate manager skill? PGIM’s Edward Farley, Barnett Waddingham’s Sophia Heathcoat, MJ Hudson Allenbridge’s Anthony Fletcher, Independent Trustee Services’ Dinesh Visavadia, Bestrustees’ Graham Wardle and independent trustee Alexandra Martinez discuss.
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OpinionRegulator must work with industry on professional trustee standards
Recent consultation exercises have shown that trusteeship has become increasingly segmented by the standards expected of those who fulfil the role.
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OpinionWhat to consider before agreeing a switch to CPI
The appropriateness of the retail price index as a measure of inflation has been increasingly challenged in recent years. However, around three quarters of the UK’s 6,000 defined benefit schemes still link their annual pension increases to RPI.
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OpinionDoes the DC charge cap hinder value for money?
At first glance, the defined contribution charge cap seems an obvious benefit to pension savers. Of course it is, I hear you cry! It is the main way in which DC schemes actually deliver value. Lower costs equal better value. Job done.
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OpinionSnaps from PIPA 2018
Here are the best snapshots from the 19th annual Pension & Investment Provider Awards at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, hosted by comedian Shappi Khorsandi.
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OpinionTechnology can make more pension savers wealthier
From the blog: Throughout my 25-year career in pensions, there have been a few notable milestones and turning points.
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OpinionWhy pension pros need to keep it simple
I have been surprised a few times recently by people making comments showing that they really do not know as much about pensions as they think.
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Opinion
Roundtable: Where does value lie in fixed income markets?
In an increasingly uncertain and somewhat expensive environment for fixed income, which products and asset classes represent the best value for pension schemes? PGIM’s Edward Farley, Barnett Waddingham’s Sophia Heathcoat, MJ Hudson Allenbridge’s Anthony Fletcher, Independent Trustee Services’ Dinesh Visavadia, Bestrustees’ Graham Wardle and independent trustee Alexandra Martinez discuss.