All Opinion articles – Page 44
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OpinionIs your scheme closed in the way you think?
Significantly fewer than 1m lucky individuals were active members of private sector occupational defined benefit schemes in 2015, compared with almost 5m in 2000, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
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OpinionWhy people turn to equity release for retirement income
Analysis: Statistics show equity release is becoming more popular, but is it the right answer for property owners with inadequate pension provision?
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OpinionPractical steps to improve trustee diversity
To many people the adage 'pale, male and stale' will resonate in the context of pension scheme trustee boards, but diversity, in this setting, means more than simply altering the gender balance.
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OpinionWhat to look for in an active manager
The question of active versus passive management never really gets answered. Various market participants have their own views on each approach, often depending on what time period is considered.
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OpinionHow far have we come with LGPS infrastructure investment?
At the outset of the Local Government Pension Scheme pooling initiative, George Osborne’s Treasury expressed its disappointment at the average LGPS infrastructure allocation of just 1 per cent in England and Wales.
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OpinionHow to prepare for the FCA's assessment of transfer advisers
From the blog: Pension transfer advisers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Financial Conduct Authority is taking an intrusive and robust approach to regulating the industry, in many cases closing down businesses because they are not satisfied with their advice and methods.
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OpinionThe PPF’s funding strategy: Flight path to self-sufficiency
The publication of the government’s green paper on defined benefit pensions has highlighted a number of questions about the future of DB schemes.
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OpinionAre DGFs still proving popular?
With a variety of diversified growth fund styles on offer, five experts share their views on what trustees should look for in a manager, while discussing developments in how both defined benefit and defined contribution schemes are allocating to DGFs.
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OpinionWhy every investor needs to consider climate change
Consultancies should always try to understand how future disruptive trends may impact their business and clients, both positively and negatively.
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OpinionShould s67 be repealed?
Few, if any, would argue for scrapping the member protections in section 67 of the Pensions Act 1995 – which protects accrued pension rights – altogether. There is, however, a question around whether it prevents changes that could keep schemes open or sponsoring employers solvent.
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Opinion
Students believe in funding retirement later and independently
From the blog: With grades, graduation and jobs being of immediate priority, there is little concern of retirement plans and pensions among students. Home-owning, holidays and being happy right now are also high up on the list.
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OpinionWe need action on cold-calling now
From the blog: We live in an age in which the internet finds something to promote or celebrate every day, week or month, from cupcakes to allotments. Believe it or not, there is even a world egg day.
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OpinionPensions have got a little more equal
Editorial: The Supreme Court's decision to grant Mr Walker’s husband spousal benefit entitlements as if he were a wife should be applauded. But it is sad to learn that UK law still enshrined unequal treatment of gay people.
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OpinionHow to get your scheme dashboard ready
While it is early days, some trustees, administrators and providers are already starting to consider what it might mean to be ‘dashboard ready’.
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OpinionData Crunch: Drawdown is the number one choice for new retirees
The extent of the impact pension freedoms are having on the retirement income market are becoming evident.
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Opinion
How will the DGF market develop?
Will the diversified growth fund sector grow or shrink? And do illiquid assets have a role to play in DGFs? Shuntao Li from Barnett Waddingham, Percival Stanion from Pictet Asset Management, Murray Taylor from JLT Employee Benefits, Neil McPherson from Capital Cranfield and Naomi L’Estrange from 2020 Trustees discuss how the market is likely to develop.
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OpinionTPR: Taking a proactive approach
Earlier this year our chief executive, Lesley Titcomb, promised that the Pensions Regulator would be bolder, intervening more frequently and acting faster against those putting people’s retirement benefits at risk.
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Opinion
In numbers: TPR, ombudsman, Nest
From the blog: Monday saw the Pensions Regulator, the Pensions Ombudsman and Nest all issue their annual reports, so what were the key figures they revealed?
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OpinionSleeping on the job – a hazard for trustees
From the blog: The long-running dispute involving the Coats Group defined benefit schemes finally came to a conclusion last month: the Pensions Regulator’s anti-avoidance investigation into Coats resulted in a £74m settlement for the third and final DB scheme under investigation.
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OpinionNow is not the time to get cold feet on equities
From the blog: What goes up must come down. Bull runs cannot last forever and after a prolonged period of strong equity returns – against the background of an economic recovery that has lasted eight years – investors are wondering whether the end of the business cycle is within sight.