All Opinion articles – Page 49
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Opinion
Does ‘gilts plus’ lead to inappropriate investment strategies?
Should valuation assumptions be a function of the investment strategy? What does the regulator say about the gilts-plus approach? Paul McGlone from Aon Hewitt, David Weeks from the Association of Member Nominated Trustees, Jonathan Reynolds from Capital Cranfield, Leslie Scrine from the M&G Group Pension Scheme, Andrew Cheeseman from Pan Trustees and Andrew Young from the Pensions Regulator discuss scheme valuation methods.
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OpinionData crunch: The DB market is growing fast
I often catch people talking about the ‘shrinkage’ of defined benefit. There are lots of things about this market that are shrinking: memberships are shrinking; the number of open DB schemes is shrinking.
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OpinionThe right way to carbon monitor your scheme
The range of information pension schemes are required to publish is broadening rapidly. Basic financial statements and headline coverage ratios will no longer do.
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OpinionAre we wrong to view Lisas as a pensions issue?
Alongside the March 2016 Budget, the government responded to its July 2015 green paper consultation on reforming pensions tax relief. It represented a Groundhog Day moment.
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OpinionDB Pensions: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
If someone on average earnings had started saving 5 per cent of his pay in 2000 and invested it in UK equities, he could have accumulated a whopping £65,000 by now.
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OpinionWhy you should look again at LDI
From the blog: Anecdotal evidence says many UK pension schemes have earnestly considered liability-driven investment yet not actually invested. But why? Let’s look at some of the reasons that may be causing those schemes to sit on the sidelines.
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OpinionThe risks of poor data governance
From the blog: Just when personal pension scheme administrators thought they understood and could confidently respond to the Financial Conduct Authority’s reporting requirements on members’ use of pension freedoms, the goalposts have been moved again.
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OpinionWhat a hard Brexit would mean for pensions
There is a lot of chatter about Brexit, but very little detail about what it will look like in practice.
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OpinionConsidering the future of the defined benefit sector
As Pensions Expert readers will know, in February the Pensions Regulator reached a deal to secure the future of the BHS pension scheme and protect members’ retirement income.
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OpinionRaising debt to fund pensions - what to bear in mind
From the blog: FTSE engineering company GKN might consider issuing bonds of up to £250m in order to help finance its UK pension deficit, it has recently been reported in the Times.
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OpinionWill the slashing of fees exacerbate the advice gap?
Technology is a wonderful thing, but it is not something that has been applied with any great skill or diligence in the pensions arena.
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Opinion
Industry reaps rewards of apprenticeship programmes, but challenges remain
Any other business: Apprenticeships are on the rise in the pensions industry, and while they appeal to an increasing number of people as a debt-free alternative to university, the apprenticeship levy and the prospect of jumping straight into a full-time job are still hurdles to be overcome.
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Opinion
What have we learnt from auto-enrolment so far?
Roughly 6.8m individuals have been auto-enrolled into a workplace pension so far. This has led to 15 per cent annual growth in the UK’s defined contribution market, which could move it to £900bn in less than 10 years, from currently from £300bn.
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OpinionHow much delegation is right for your scheme?
A growing regulatory burden means trustees are delegating not only more work, but also different types of work. Investment in particular is an area where delegation is increasing fast. What are the pros and cons, and how can trustees avoid the pitfalls?
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OpinionPLSA: What we want to see in the AE review
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has supported auto-enrolment since its inception, with our members taking a leading role in providing workplace pensions to the bulk of the 7m people drawn into pension saving.
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OpinionDawn of the dashboards?
Editorial: The pensions dashboard will, it is hoped, change the way people look at their pension in more than the literal sense.
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OpinionThe dashboard is coming
From the blog: In the final month of work on the pensions dashboard prototype, where all parties involved in the project align their areas of input, we begin the tests and demonstrations with various stakeholders, including government ministers.
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OpinionHow schemes can use credit in uncertain times
How should pension fund investors use credit? Where can the best opportunities be found, how liquid is the asset class, and how important is it to have the right manager? Five specialists discuss the pros and cons of credit assets in a rapidly changing world.
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OpinionA straitjacket for overseas transfers
From the blog: Gone are the days of UK scheme members moving to sunnier climes and transferring pension benefits to wherever in the world best suited.
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OpinionA PPF levy for schemes without a substantive sponsor
Last month, the Pension Protection Fund launched a consultation on a proposed new levy rule for schemes without a substantive sponsor, as part of its 2017-18 levy determination.