All articles by Sarah Cowburn – Page 9
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News
Warwickshire targets yield with infra double play
Alternatives maintained its status as a sought-after asset class in Q1 2015, according to data, as schemes continued to seek reliable income streams and inflation protection.
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News
Shifting sands for tax rules bring threat of mid to high-earner exodus
Analysis: The double hit of a reduced lifetime allowance alongside proposed changes to tax relief could accelerate the move of higher earners, and some middle earners, towards alternative savings vehicles, experts predict.
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NewsTesco succumbs to DB burden, schemes urged to monitor covenants
Loss-making supermarket giant Tesco took a further step towards ending its defined benefit provision this week, as it began formal discussions to close to new members and future accrual.
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News
NAPF call for pension commission wins support, practical barriers remain
Industry experts have backed the National Association of Pension Funds’ call for a long-term plan to protect savers’ interests, but question the viability of extricating pensions from politics.
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Features
Are you an informed investor?
Any other business: Following a romp to all-time highs the FTSE 100 stuttered last week, with slips by multinationals and financials. More than ever, trustees must be engaged investors to ensure scheme decisions deliver good outcomes.
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NewsManx Telecom calls time on DB, offers suite of DC options
Communication company Manx Telecom eased the closure of its defined benefit scheme last year by providing members with a range of alternative defined contribution options, alongside a new sharesave scheme.
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News
SME auto-enrolment prep work exceeds industry expectations
A third of small employers staging in Q1 signed up six months or more ahead of their deadline, but experts have said this encouraging picture could change as micro-employers get set to auto-enrol this summer.
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News
University trust liabilities could rise by a quarter
University self-administered trusts could face a sharp rise in the value of liabilities, industry experts have warned, sparking calls for a review of the sector’s risk exposure and possible consolidation.
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NewsLabour pushes for long-termism among pension fund investors
The Labour Party manifesto pledged to force pension fund investors to disclose how they vote on remuneration, as part of a wider move to “improve the link between executive pay and performance”.
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Opinion
Educating your members on the risk of freedom
Analysis: In the 1998 film Armageddon, while battling G-force in a shuttle around the moon, hero AJ Frost asks: “Is this supposed to be like this?”
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News
Cashed-out pots could hit future means-tested benefit claims, lawyers warn
Lawyers have called on providers to ensure members are fully aware of how accessing their pension pots could affect future benefit claims, as schemes grapple with their ‘second line of defence’ obligations.
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News
Just months left to tackle contracting-out costs, consultants say
Consultants have urged defined benefit scheme trustees and sponsors to take action as the one-year countdown to the end of contracting-out approaches.
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News
John Laing tackles deficit with £100m alternative financing plan
Infrastructure heavyweight John Laing contributed £100m in cash and equity interests to its pension scheme, as part of a deficit recovery schedule that was revised before floating the company in February.
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News
NAPF seeks certainty over non-default fund switching rules
The National Association of Pension Funds has written to the government to demand clarification on the movement of non-default members between funds, to ease trustee uncertainty around charge cap regulations.
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Features
How would your scheme fare against longer-term deflation?
Analysis: Whether a short-term blip or a longer-term trend, the latest fall in the consumer price index will make schemes sit up and ask themselves whether they could withstand the impact of a move into deflation.
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Features
Are your data handling processes compliant?
Any other business: Hillary Clinton found herself in hot water recently over use of a private email account during her tenure as US secretary of state. The breach of White House data protocols ignited criticism.
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News
Code raises scheme defences against pension scammers
A code of practice to help schemes battle pension scams has been welcomed by the industry, but experts remain divided over the legal burden faced by trustees processing transfer requests.
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News
Lifetime allowance cut a blow for DC savers
Budget 2015: The reduction of the lifetime allowance to £1m will hit defined contribution savers hardest say experts, who anticipate a rise in members exiting pension saving.
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NewsTata Steel DB closure flags need for 'holistic' approach to risks
Tata Steel's plan to close its defined benefit scheme to future accrual faces industrial action, leading some experts to call on trustees to give greater consideration to the sponsor covenant.
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News
Dynamic allocation is the smart approach to sub-cap DC, say experts
NAPF Investment Conference 2015: Experts debating the challenges posed by the charge cap have backed the use of dynamic asset allocation and volatility triggers in low-cost defined contribution strategies.