All articles by Sandra Wolf – Page 8
-
OpinionBrexit – a view from the Alps
Editorial: So it’s official, the referendum will be held in June. The battle for yea or nay – and for political careers – has begun.
-
OpinionA slippery slope
Editorial: European bank shares slid earlier this week as investors became increasingly worried about banks’ ability to pay coupons on so-called coco bonds, or contingent convertible bonds – bonds that turn into equity if a certain trigger event is taking place.
-
OpinionJust say it
Editorial: Last Monday a debate took place in the House of Commons after campaign group Women Against State Pension Inequality had handed over a petition asking for transitional arrangements.
-
OpinionA cold front from Europe
Editorial: Trustees had better wrap up warm: a chilly wind is blowing from Europe. A short sunny spell in Brussels last week was quickly followed by a cold front from Frankfurt, where the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority is based.
-
Opinion
Funding and reinsurance emerge as biggest challenges on the road to buyout
Feature: The introduction of Solvency II last month has made buying out in full even trickier than before, but there are things trustees can do to make it more likely to happen.
-
News
Cross-border plans could be greater lure for employers under IORP
Analysis: The burden on cross-border pension schemes to be fully funded at all times could be lifted as the Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision II directive moves nearer its final version.
-
Opinion
The cost of a buy-in: A trio of factors dominate pricing
Feature: Many more schemes are expected to explore derisking avenues such as buy-ins and buyouts in 2016, but whether to press ahead will come down to affordability, which hinges on at least three key factors.
-
News
Intergenerational fairness debate heats up as inquiry is launched
Analysis: An inquiry into intergenerational fairness, aiming to bring more clarity to the often heated debate about who gets what from the state and employers, has been welcomed by experts.
-
News
And they all saved happily ever after… Uni preps students on AE
Lincoln University is entering uncharted territory as it launches a series of workshops for its students on all things money, advocating the need for planning and saving.
-
Opinion
A year of many firsts lies ahead
Editorial: Happy new year! It started with a bang – a stock market slump, circuit breakers suspending trading in China, China suspending the circuit breakers, and the FTSE falling sharply on Monday and Thursday last week.
-
OpinionFall in accounting deficits no reason to cheer
From the blog: IAS accounting deficits belonging to defined benefit pension schemes have improved, but schemes should not get their hopes up about funding positions.
-
Opinion
Have a mega Christmas
From the blog: Just as everyone is slowing down for the holidays, looking at what’s coming up next year or finally doing the admin tasks they had put off for the past ten months...
-
NewsA lot to get to grips with: the legal and regulatory outlook for 2016
Legal and regulatory change was abundant last year and 2016 looks like it will continue in the same vein, as both the UK and Europe are churning out legislation and rules affecting occupational pension schemes.
-
NewsLow for longer (but longing for higher) rates
Analysis: The US Federal Reserve’s decision on Wednesday to push rates up may mark the end of an era, but investment experts say UK pension funds should expect little more than a small amount of volatility as a result.
-
News
GMP reconciliation: Digging up the bodies
With the arrival of the new state pension and the end of contracting out, schemes have until 2018 to clean up their act on guaranteed minimum pensions data, but they need to get in the queue by April.
-
News
Net bond sales to institutions remain in the red
Data Analysis: Net retail sales of bonds have come back into the black, according to latest data from the Investment Association, but the asset class is still facing resistance from institutional investors such as pension funds.
-
Features
Royal Mail closure plan flags pulldown effect of low rates
The perennial question of whether it is possible to keep defined benefit schemes open to accrual has resurfaced after Royal Mail Group said it could not afford to keep its DB scheme open beyond 2018.
-
NewsRBS banks on preferred provider for drawdown
Royal Bank of Scotland’s defined contribution scheme is exploring the addition of a drawdown option via an external provider to enable a seamless transition into retirement for its members.
-
NewsAutumn Statement gives pensions industry a breather
The pensions industry has learned to brace itself for surprise over the last couple of years, so was relieved to escape relatively unscathed in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement.
-
News
Shared pain, shared gain: Will risk-sharing get its day in the sun?
News Analysis: Collective defined contribution schemes have been put on ice by the pensions minister though the idea could come back on the agenda in the future. But are UK employers ready for risk-sharing?