All articles by Pippa Stephens
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News
How auto-enrolment exceptions help your scheme
News analysis: Exceptions to auto-enrolment regulations due next year will bring more flexibility to schemes, but may be too late to help those already enrolled.
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NewsWind-up: avoiding union and member backlash
Winding up defined benefit schemes or changing members’ benefits has become a working reality for some management teams, as employers decide to cut costs and offload risks in a tough environment for scheme funding.
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News
Royal Mail annuity broking gets almost total member take-up
Members of the Royal Mail Defined Contribution Plan have welcomed the scheme’s decision to default at retirement into an annuity broking service to maximise their retirement income.
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NewsKodak deal could 'set precedent' for benefit change
News analysis: The technique used to save the Kodak Pension Plan’s sponsor from insolvency could set a precedent for schemes and employers wanting to change members’ benefits to reduce risk.
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News
Why the Hastings-Bass ruling could protect trustees
News analysis: Schemes and their advisers do not have to fear a Supreme Court judgment that has been predicted to make it harder for trustees to rectify mistakes, lawyers have said.
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News
Hackney: equities better than bonds over long term
Equities are more attractive in the long term than bonds, according to the London Borough of Hackney Pension Fund, which is even modelling the impact of a 100 per cent equity allocation on the scheme’s investments.
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News
Dorset uses LDI loophole to avoid 'unfit' LGPS regs
Dorset County Pension Fund has set up an “expensive” special investment vehicle to circumvent troublesome Local Government Pension Scheme regulations, as it works to manage inflation.
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News
Essex council fund maps insolvency risk
Essex Pension Fund has produced a map to help predict employer insolvency after a liquidation left it saddled with orphan liabilities.
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News
Council funds clash over merger plans
Norfolk Pension Fund has rejected Local Government Pension Scheme merger proposals, saying they could harm fund services and trustee stewardship – but the London Pensions Fund Authority and unions have backed the move.
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Opinion
CofE scheme ups overseas property to reduce UK bias
Property constitutes 7.5 per cent of the Church of England pension fund’s growth assets, but its faith in overseas markets in particular has led it to target a 10 per cent allocation.
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NewsHavering to fund 'stalled' local property projects
The London Borough of Havering Pension Fund is planning to invest in delayed local property projects including residential housing, as more council funds increase their exposure to property to match liabilities and boost community investment.
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News
United Utilities takes action to lessen state pension impact
United Utilities has set up a special risk management group to deal with the impact of changes to the state pension due in 2016, and has warned schemes not to ignore the upcoming reform.
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NewsJohn Lewis campaign curtails AE opt-outs
The John Lewis Partnership has reported an initial 5 per cent auto-enrolment opt-out rate and increased saving interest from teenage employees, after a widespread engagement campaign and membership survey.
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FeaturesBA sees steady flexible retirement take-up
British Airways has seen steady take-up of its new flexible retirement option since it was introduced in October to provide members with better flexibility in how they access their workplace savings.
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Features
Saul curbs transfers-in to avoid 'unknown liabilities'
The £1.6bn Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London has decided to suspend members from transferring in their old private sector pensions, to manage the risk and cost of regulatory changes including auto-enrolment.
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Features
Tips for managing cost of small scheme derisking
Small schemes looking to derisk should ensure a high standard of data cleansing and carry out a mortality analysis to manage the costs involved, finds Pippa Stephens.
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Features
Reed Elsevier ups contributions to engage members
Reed Elsevier Pension Plan has increased the employer contributions, up to a maximum of 11 per cent, for members of its defined contribution scheme.
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FeaturesITV: Collateral crucial for safe derisking
Pippa Stephens and David Rowley look at the lessons learned by the ITV scheme from its £1.7bn longevity swap deal.
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Features
Singapore Airlines case shows importance of clear rules
The ongoing Singapore Airlines case highlights the importance of the diligent drafting of scheme rules. Pippa Stephens looks at the ways schemes can avoid mistakes when writing and maintaining deeds.
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Features
Doctors ruling ups AE worker cost for employers
A private medical practice has been forced to extend its workplace benefits to self-employed practitioners in a legal case that will increase auto-enrolment costs for employers.