All Opinion articles – Page 34
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OpinionNew regulator powers will only accelerate DB disappearance
From the blog: The government has floated well-intentioned reforms intended to strengthen the arm of regulators against dodgy bosses, but the proposed changes risk undermining trustees and making further scheme closures more likely.
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OpinionCrowd control: Avoiding the next quant crisis
Old Mutual Global Investors’ Leif Cussen asks whether a quant crisis could reoccur in today’s smart beta products and what can be done to protect against it.
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OpinionHow to tailor comms to changing work patterns
Tailored communications and a campaign approach can make all the difference when trying to engage scheme members, says AHC’s Karen Partridge.
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OpinionIndustry right to reject death by Isa
From the blog: MPs may have migrated to warmer climes to relax during the parliamentary recess, but the civil servants at HM Treasury have evidently been working away behind the scenes.
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OpinionSuperfunds play vital role in the future of DB
For the 11m savers relying on defined benefit pensions for their retirement there has been some much needed good news in recent months.
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OpinionCombating pension scams – It’s good to talk
From the blog: In perhaps an ironic twist last month, Northumbria Police was found guilty of not doing enough to protect one of its officers from the risk of becoming the victim of a pension scam.
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OpinionPPF: Our new approach to company voluntary arrangements
Malcolm Weir, director of restructuring and insolvency at the Pension Protection Fund, explains how the lifeboat’s new CVA guidance will assist employers and their advisers when putting together a proposal.
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OpinionMechanical bulls: the dangers of index capitalism
If the 1980s saw the world move into money manager capitalism, today’s markets are evidence of a new era of index capitalism, whose economic consequences could be severe, write Cardano’s Stefan Lundbergh and the University of Groningen’s Dirk Bezemer and Joeri Schasfoort.
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OpinionSelect committee’s new inquiry misses the point
From the blog: It is bizarre that the Work and Pensions Committee is questioning whether people understand the cost and value for money of their pension products when the Financial Conduct Authority has only just published research that answers their question.
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OpinionDC investment design: How to ensure good member outcomes
Columbia Threadneedle’s Andrew Brown explains how trustees can help to ensure good outcomes for DC members by regularly reviewing the suitability of the default, ensuring adequate investment governance and establishing measurable performance objectives.
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OpinionWhat the regulator’s corporate plan means for pensions administration
Trafalgar House’s Michael de Souza explains what the Pensions Regulator’s corporate plan for 2018-2021 means for pensions administration.
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OpinionDWP consultation will force trustees to take notice of ESG
Pension trustees walk something of a tightrope these days, having to balance maximum short-term returns with being mindful of long-term factors that might affect future performance.
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OpinionCompanies cannot justify DB for older workers only
No one wants to give up a lucrative defined benefit pension, but allowing continued accrual for older workers while younger workers get inadequate defined contribution stifles businesses and creates intergenerational inequality, writes Quantum Advisory’s Phil Farrell.
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OpinionChoose wisely – not all DGFs justify their fees
An enormous variety of strategies, risk levels and returns are encompassed under the diversified growth fund moniker. Realistic expectations and careful due diligence are essential if schemes are to pick the right one, writes JLT Employee Benefits’ Jignesh Sheth.
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OpinionIndustry must keep member confidence strong through slowdown
There are signs that the global economy is headed for a slowdown, argues Matt Tucker of Quantum Advisory, so schemes should prepare for the worst and ensure they keep members reassured of the value of their pension.
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OpinionTrustees must take valuation deadlines seriously
Agreeing a triennial valuation is a key priority for the trustee of a defined benefit scheme and its sponsoring employer. It allows the Pensions Regulator to check the health of a scheme and its ability to provide members with their expected retirement benefits.
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OpinionA checklist for top bulk annuity pricing
From the blog: 2018 is predicted to see an unprecedented volume of pension schemes seeking to derisk using buy-ins or buyouts. Given the finite resources of providers, pension schemes should expect a level of selection in what insurers will focus on – not all providers will necessarily quote on every transaction that comes to market.
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OpinionPASA outlines five pillars of DC administration governance
Defined contribution administration governance is an often overlooked area, but anyone involved in DC should understand the five key elements of administration and how they impact their role, writes PASA’s Gary Evans.
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OpinionWhy equity protection should never be too expensive for schemes
From the blog: Equity protection is back in vogue, with falls in markets at the start of the year putting downside protection strategies front of mind.
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OpinionHow to cope with increasing regulatory burdens
From the blog: Good governance is the bedrock of a properly functioning trustee board. However, it is evident that trustees are struggling under a governance burden, which stems from the need to comply with increasing legal requirements and ever more Pensions Regulator publications.