All articles by Sarah Cowburn – Page 5
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News
First Aberdeen drivers see pensionable pay drop
FirstGroup changed the basis for its calculation of pensionable pay last year to comply with auto-enrolment legislation, but the nationwide shift has disproportionately impacted the benefits of First Aberdeen bus drivers.
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News
How schemes can protect their members online
Trustees must be extra vigilant in their assessment of online platforms and review data-handling processes to protect members from the growing threat of cyber crime, experts have said.
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Opinion
LGPS 2016: Three key strands shaping the scheme's future
The Local Government Pension Scheme has a big year ahead but how have recent developments changed the forward trajectory for local authority funds?
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NewsFT chooses new provider as DC governance debate rumbles on
Employers eyeing a transition into a contract-based defined contribution arrangement must consider the impact of a shift away from trust-based governance on members and administration, experts have said.
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Features
How UK plc is responding to the challenges of an ageing workforce
Data Analysis: UK employers are waking up to the reality of increasing longevity but government, the pensions industry and individuals need to redouble their efforts in order to combat the financial risks it poses.
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News
LPFA confronts employer risk through covenant monitoring
Keeping a constant eye on the financial strength of employers has brought the London Pensions Fund Authority £310m worth of guarantees, assurances and cash since its 2013 triennial valuation.
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Features
Long-term view clouded by uncertainty for LGPS
Long-term risk-reduction planning remains the priority for the Local Government Pension Scheme, but growing uncertainty about the future is making it difficult for member funds to carve out strategic objectives.
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News
MiFID II: LGPS retail label could stymie alternative investments
Local government pension funds could find themselves reclassified as retail investors from 2017 under an upcoming European directive, raising questions over schemes’ access to certain investment strategies.
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News
Autumn Statement could blow icy winds for LGPS
An anticipated hit to local authority funding in the government's Autumn Statement next month is threatening to ratchet up pressure on the Local Government Pension Scheme.
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News
Trustees are struggling in funding negotiations
The Pensions Regulator will undertake an in-depth review of its 2014 defined benefit funding code next year, as trustees struggle to exert power against employers armed with the watchdog’s new strategic objective.
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News
Ageing workforce requires greater flexibility from employers
NAPF 2015: Long-term care is the "elephant in the room", delegates heard today, with policy, education and flexibility to play critical roles in employers' ability to support extended working lives.
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News
Fear of 'pensions implosion' raised as NAPF annual gathering kicks off
NAPF 2015: Delegates at the National Association of Pension Funds 2015 Annual Conference heard a tale of two halves from outgoing chair Ruston Smith in his opening address today.
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Features
Actuaries up the ante on auto-enrolment contribution levels
News Analysis: The government should continue to phase up minimum auto-enrolment contributions beyond 2018 to hit an aggregate 16 per cent, actuaries have said, as part of a longer-term roadmap to build on the policy’s success.
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News'Pointless' legislation risks trapped surpluses if schemes fail to act
Defined benefit scheme trustees must pass a resolution ahead of April 2016 if they wish to retain their current power to repay surpluses to their employer sponsors.
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FeaturesShowstopper or sunken soufflé? The recipe for a successful trustee event
Any Other Business: The great and the good of the pensions industry will amass in Manchester this week for the National Association of Pension Funds’ annual conference, but what are the key event ingredients that trustees look for when choosing which events to attend?
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Opinion
The butterfly effect – How to take cover and control
Chinese equity shocks captured the headlines over the summer but UK pension funds should equip themselves for a deeper period of entrenched low-growth.
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Features
Diversified alts temper volatility for Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham Pension Fund channeled 8 per cent of total assets into a diversified alternatives strategy last year in a bid to quell volatility across its portfolio.
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NewsCourt rules same-sex pension benefit ceiling to remain
News Analysis: Schemes dodged a potential £3bn cost hike this week, as the legal position on the equalisation of pension benefits for same-sex partners withstood further challenge in the courts.
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News
Existing ties still a powerful influence in fid man appointments
Competition for fiduciary management has been bolstered by a rise in open tenders but existing relationships continue to be a dominant driver behind schemes’ choices and questions remain over the value of the approach.
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News
How fiduciaries can get a handle on climate change
News analysis: Disclosures on fossil fuel investments by local authority schemes have demonstrated the tension between managing the material risks of climate change and upholding fiduciary duty to members.