All Opinion articles – Page 47
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Opinion
DC Debate Q2 (part 2): The limits of DC
In the second DC Debate of 2017, seven defined contribution specialists discuss why schemes will look for more delegation, whether member engagement can be counterproductive, and if auto-enrolment should be extended.
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OpinionParty politics meets pensions
We have now seen the manifestos of the three main parties – the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, in case anyone is unsure who the big three are these days.
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OpinionHow can we improve longevity tools?
There are numerous tools available to larger pension schemes to monitor and manage risks relating to the longevity of their members.
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OpinionBring the self-employed in from the cold
The number of self-employed people in the UK has seen rapid growth in recent times: in 2015, 4.6m people fell into this category, up from 3.8m in 2008, the Office for National Statistics estimates.
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Opinion
DC Debate Q2 (part 1): Are equities best for defaults?
In the second DC Debate of 2017, seven defined contribution specialists discuss ESG in default funds, and what to say to members when markets fall.
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Opinion
Lord Stoneham: Flat rate tax relief will help 'people in the middle'
For the latest instalment of our 2017 general election interview series, Lord Stoneham, the Liberal Democrat chief whip in the House of Lords, explains his party's commitment to reviewing pensions taxation, and the need for consolidation of schemes and of pots.
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OpinionData needn't be a pain – if it has a strategy
From the blog: To say that data quality is poor in both occupational and other forms of pensions is an understatement.
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OpinionWhy ESG is more than 'nice to have'
Environmental, social and governance investing has boomed in popularity in recent years, driven by a new breed of socially aware investors, who are keen to hold companies they invest in to account.
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OpinionWhat we can learn from recent legal cases
Trustee decision-making has never been under such close scrutiny, and will be even more so once the court publishes the judgment in the long-running case between British Airways and its pension scheme trustees.
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Opinion
NHS attacks put cyber security back on the agenda
Pensions administrators have urged schemes to review their cyber security arrangements and question their advisers' practices after the WannaCry ransomware targeted British organisations including the National Health Service.
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OpinionBlack swans: The threats to the pension system nobody is talking about
2016 was a year where unexpected events put UK defined benefit pension schemes through their paces. The political twists and turns during the year defied opinion polls and market expectations.
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OpinionRPI needn't be a rule
Editorial: The closure of the defined benefit green paper consultation falls on a Sunday, but it is yet to be revealed if the outcome will be a wedding or a funeral.
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OpinionNaming those who won’t comply with the law
Automatic enrolment is not an option – it is the law. More than 500,000 employers have completed their declaration of compliance, with more than 7m staff now saving because of auto-enrolment in workplace pension schemes. Workplace saving is now the norm.
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OpinionPLSA: Regulator should provide protections on index switching
The Pension and Lifetime Savings Association’s defined benefit policy team recently took to the road to hear what members thought of the proposals outlined in the government’s green paper on ‘Security and sustainability in defined benefit schemes’ and our recent report on superfunds.
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Opinion
What the DB green paper might (not) change
Millions of savers across the UK rely on defined benefits to fund all or part of their retirement, but threats to member security, illustrated by a number of high profile cases over recent years, are rocking the boat.
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Opinion
What drives the appetite for smart beta among UK pension schemes?
What is drawing pension schemes to smart beta? Eric Shirbini from ERI Scientific Beta, Julien Barral from bfinance, Alan Pickering from Bestrustees, James Price from Willis Towers Watson and Paul Black from Capital Cranfield discuss transparency and trustee training.
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Opinion
Blackford: Pension commission could restore consumer trust
In the second instalment of our 2017 election pensions spokespeople series, we hear from Ian Blackford, who is standing for re-election as the Scottish National Party representative for Skye, Ross and Lochaber.
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OpinionCan a three-year valuation cycle be justified?
Back in the day, actuarial valuation results contained an element of surprise. The actuary would be sent the data, it would be processed, the numbers would be crunched and many months later, the results would appear.
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OpinionHow employers can learn the lessons of auto-enrolment
With more than 9m new pension savers predicted by 2020, it is fair to say that the aim to get more of the working population to save for their retirement has been a success.
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Opinion
Should trustees review their advisers more often?
Analysis: There are myriad tasks involved in running a pension scheme, so time is precious and efficiency is key. But when it comes to evaluating advice, how can trustees measure performance, and should they be reviewing their consultants more frequently?