All articles by Sarah Cowburn – Page 7
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Opinion
What the latest PPF 7800 data means for your scheme
From the blog: The great and the good of the pensions industry might be kicking back on the beach this month but the ongoing challenge of managing scheme liabilities awaits September’s return to reality.
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News
Lothian targets income in global equities
Lothian Pension Fund upped its allocation to lower-risk global equities last year aiming to target a regular income from growing dividends, as schemes battle to find attractive yields at a fair price.
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NewsStamp dealer takes adviser to task over admin issues
Stamp trader Stanley Gibbons sought redress from a former adviser after issues were raised concerning the company’s scheme rules, a move that has cost the scheme £1.7m in legal fees.
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FeaturesCovenant lessons from the Greek crisis
Any Other Business: Alexis Tsipras was forced to yield to an aggressive economic supervision programme by eurozone leaders on Monday and agreed to hand over €50bn (£36bn) of Greek assets for privatisation, bank recapitalisation and debt repayment.
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News
EU banking directive brings risks to schemes' derivative contracts
Schemes with liability-driven investment strategies should review counterparty creditworthiness, say lawyers, as a new EU directive has granted national authorities the power to suspend schemes’ contractual rights with struggling banks.
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Opinion
Pension scams: Time to fight back
Doping in elite sport remains one step ahead of the World Anti-Doping Agency and its affiliate testing programmes.
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News
Proactive SMEs could still face auto-enrolment compliance headwinds
Marketing and communication consultancy JPES Partners is ahead of the wider SME curve in providing a pension scheme to its employees but work remains to ensure auto-enrolment compliance ahead of the company’s staging date.
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News
Charity on board with AE early-mover advantages
A micro employer has set up a non-contributory auto-enrolment plan three years ahead of its staging date, as the Pensions Regulator steps up support for smaller businesses seeking a provider.
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News
Accountants issue scheme guide to revised recommended practice rules
The Pensions Research Accountants Group has issued a practical guide to help scheme practitioners fulfil new reporting requirements following last year’s revisions to the statement of recommended practice.
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Features
Are you managing members' income expectations?
Any Other Business: Pensions got gritty last week. Greek pensioners took to the streets of Athens in protest against the nation's broken pension promises as Tsipras proposed further cuts to retirement income in a last-gasp ultimatum.
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NewsSmaller schemes take advantage of pooled funds in bumper year for LDI
Hedged liabilities grew to a record £657bn last year as medium-sized schemes flowed into pooled mandates, but experts have flagged a concentration risk from liability-driven investment's three dominant providers.
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News
Regulator talks tough as DC scheme governance falls short
Small and medium-sized defined contribution schemes are falling behind on governance compliance, Pensions Regulator research shows, with the watchdog vowing to use its powers where necessary.
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News
Home bias to UK equities has cost schemes, say experts
FTSE 350 schemes paid the price for a strong domestic equity bias during 2014, but it was a lack of protection in matching assets that damaged funding levels the most during the year.
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News
Norcros plugs deficit with suite of liability exercises
Kitchen and bathroom accessories group Norcros has plugged its scheme deficit by £1.7m through a series of liability management exercises, as pension funds see a further deterioration in funding levels.
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News
Charles Stanley seeks DB risk control via working group
Stockbroker and wealth manager Charles Stanley has created a working party to tackle risk within its pension scheme after reporting a £6.2m deficit increase.
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News
Employers await further guidance on scheme VAT rules
Employers will be hoping to benefit from VAT rebates on scheme services following HM Revenue and Customs’ latest guidance note, but pension lawyers have said further detail is needed on how to recover the tax.
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News
FTSE 100 deficits feel pain of corporate yield slump
Schemes must reassess the case for increasing hedging activity, experts have said, as a £5bn increase in FTSE 100 deficits underlines the need for enhanced protections.
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Features
How to drive scheme productivity
Any Other Business: Chancellor George Osborne painted an unimpressive picture of the nation’s productivity in the annual Mansion House address.
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News
NAPF turns focus to value of workforce in company reporting
The National Association of Pension Funds has called for improved reporting on human capital in order to enhance investors' insight into companies' long-term growth, strategy and performance.
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News
More clarity needed on schemes' post-reform offerings
Leadership of DC summit: Panellists demanded a quick response from trustees and providers on defined contribution scheme design, following the introduction of the pension freedoms.