All articles by Sarah Cowburn – Page 10
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News
Committee compels next government to consolidate pension oversight
The Work and Pensions Committee has this week called for a dramatic overhaul of the industry’s current regulatory frameworks.
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Features
Is your board being torn by divergent interests?
Any other business: The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent call for evidence on transaction fee disclosure is further evidence of a tightening up on charges, but in-scheme adviser conflicts also pose a threat to cost-efficiency.
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News
BPI targets cost savings with CPI move for pension payments
British Polythene Industries has become the latest scheme to tackle growing liabilities by switching the pensions-in-payment calculation to the consumer price index from the retail price index.
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News
Kingfisher puts trivial commutation on ice to focus on member data
Kingfisher Pension Scheme has said it is holding fire on a trivial commutation derisking drive to focus instead on data cleansing, while research shows 83 per cent of members would consider such a transfer.
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News
FCA bolsters transfer protections in home-straight to April
The Financial Conduct Authority has tightened rules around advice on transfers out of defined benefit in its third announcement this week, as the April reform deadline approaches.
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News
Pressure for transparency builds as City watchdog loads on demands
The Financial Conduct Authority delivered a defined contribution charges double-whammy this week with the release of its final rules for the default fund charge cap plus a call for evidence on the disclosure of transaction charges.
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News
How the MNRPF ruling affects your scheme-employer balance
Legal experts have said a High Court ruling charts new territory for employer covenant rules and clarifies the position of members with a final salary link, as regulators balance the needs of employers and schemes.
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News
Do regulator and PPF need their heads knocked together over 'last man standing'?
Problems could lie ahead for schemes seeking to qualify as last man standing when completing annual scheme return forms.
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News
Premier Coffee's AE staging met by radio silence
After a year preparing for auto-enrolment, Costa franchise Premier Coffee did not receive a single follow-up enquiry from its 120 eligible staff, and only a handful of opt-outs, demonstrating the engagement challenge facing UK employers.
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News
How Devon is approaching its alt equity smart beta strategy
Devon Pension Fund has set out its approach to its mixed alternative equity index, using the smart beta strategy as a middle way between active management and the fund’s large passive allocation.
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News
Pension tools not up to scratch for post-April flexibilities, say experts
Communication experts have called for schemes to avoid jargon and break down complexity in online illustration tools, as research reveals wide variation across offerings and patchy understanding of reforms.
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News
Regulator reassures on DB-DC transfers but capacity crunch predicted
The industry has welcomed the pensions watchdog’s clarification on trustees’ duties around the new flexibilities, but some are concerned scheme administrators will face capacity issues around rising transfer value requests.
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News
DWP opts for network of registers to facilitate PFM transfers
The government has revealed further detail on its long-awaited federated model for pension consolidation, as it moves to take the infrastructure development process to the next stage.
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Features
Reports predict bulk derisking boom as deficits rise
Around two-thirds of defined benefit schemes worth more than £1bn are exploring derisking strategies, according to research, with climbing deficits and product innovation seen as key drivers.
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Features
Lancashire expands credit and sticks with EM despite volatility
Lancashire Pension Fund has moved deeper into non-investment grade credit and emerging market debt, aiming to ride out volatility, as it seeks return in a low-yield environment.
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News
Regulatory overhaul creates 'perfect storm' for DC schemes
Defined contribution schemes were hit with a slew of regulation last week across contract-based and trust-based provision, as the government and the City watchdog attempted to unify standards in these two areas.
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Features
How UK mastertrusts are designing DC benchmarks
The growing mastertrust sector has created a range of investment benchmarks, but pressure to demonstrate value has led consultants to call for more focus on performance yardsticks that reflect scheme memberships.
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Opinion
Are you letting silos dominate your investment portfolio?
Any other business: Traders in the City’s investment banks sit for hours executing fixed income or equity trades but will rarely cross the floor to speak to the desk of another asset class.
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News
AE concerns grow as non-compliance jumps
Consultants have called for increased efforts to break down the complexities of auto-enrolment for smaller employers as data from the Regulator revealed a sharp increase in non-compliance actions in the final three months of last year.
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News
DC experts cautious on FCA's 'second line of defence'
Defined contribution experts have cautiously welcomed the Financial Conduct Authority’s intervention on a second line of defence for retiring scheme members, but saw upheaval ahead for trust-based schemes.