All scheme funding articles – Page 26

  • News

    SPV helps Johnson Matthey reduce deficit by £145m

    2015-11-20T00:00:00Z

    Johnson Matthey Pension Scheme has reduced its deficit by around £145m after taking a raft of measures to address its funding shortfall, including the creation of an asset-backed contribution vehicle comprised of third-party bonds.

  • Getty Images
    News

    Smiths uses escrow to help slash £250m from scheme deficit

    2015-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Technology and engineering conglomerate Smiths Group has signed over its £153m escrow account to its scheme in a deal that demonstrates the positive outcomes that can be achieved through strong trustee and employer collaboration.

  • News

    Premier Foods eats away at deficit by more than £570m

    2015-11-13T00:00:00Z

    Food manufacturing company Premier Foods decimated its IAS 19 deficit to £32.8m from £603.3m since December 2013 thanks to its hedging strategy and a change in discount rates.

  • Tony Hobman
    Opinion

    A relativity problem in the funding universe

    2015-11-12T00:00:00Z

    Talking Head: Employer covenant has finally achieved the prominence it deserves in the assessment and monitoring of defined benefit scheme risks – in regulatory terms at least, following the Pensions Regulator's funding code in 2014 and its follow-up guidance this August.

  • Getty Images
    News

    Sainsbury's and ITV get creative to tackle deficit challenge

    2015-11-12T00:00:00Z

    Broadcaster ITV and retailer Sainsbury’s are just two household-name employers to announce “chunky” new deficit funding to weather the harsh conditions buffeting defined benefit pension schemes.

  • News

    Rebus reviews funding strategy in self-sufficiency drive

    2015-11-10T00:00:00Z

    Rebus Pension Scheme is shooting for funding self-sufficiency with a review of its investment strategy aimed at boosting returns and diversification, but some commentators have raised questions over its loose definition.

  • News

    QE placing pension systems in jeopardy

    2015-11-06T00:00:00Z

    Data Analysis: Quantitative easing has exacerbated the movement of pension risk from employers to individuals, placing the future of the entire system at risk,  according to a report published last week.

  • David Rae
    Opinion

    Derisking: Timing is everything

    2015-11-02T00:00:00Z

    From the blog: It is not just stand-up comedians that know how important timing is to success. For pension professionals and investors, the ability to implement a decision in a timely fashion can be critical to success.

  • News

    LPFA confronts employer risk through covenant monitoring

    2015-10-28T00:00:00Z

    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.

  • News

    Debenhams splashes out more on recovery despite surplus

    2015-10-23T00:00:00Z

    Debenhams pension scheme trustees have secured higher employer contributions as part of the recovery plan despite having reached an IAS 19 surplus earlier this year, demonstrating the discrepancies between two scheme funding calculation methodologies.

  • News

    Trustees are struggling in funding negotiations

    2015-10-19T00:00:00Z

    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.

  • Opinion

    The battle for DB: Ideas to turn around its fortunes

    2015-10-19T00:00:00Z

    From the blog: Foggy heads met misty eyes on the morning after the gala dinner at last week’s NAPF/PLSA conference, as four high-profile industry figureheads laid out their ideas to save defined benefit in the DB Debate.

  • Opinion

    Collective response to an unprecedented problem

    2015-10-09T00:00:00Z

    Talking Head: This week’s National Association of Pension Funds conference was a great opportunity for debate, the central question being: Can we use the energy of discussion to power a collective response to an unprecedented pensions crisis?

  • Bloomberg
    Features

    AG Barr girds funding journey via asset-backed move

    2015-09-23T00:00:00Z

    Irn-Bru owner AG Barr’s pension scheme deficit deteriorated by £18.4m in the year to January, but it anticipates key manoeuvres including an asset-backed funding plan will support its long-term funding position.

  • News

    PPF: 'Steady as she goes' approach for 2016/17 levy

    2015-09-21T00:00:00Z

    The Pension Protection Fund has revised down its aggregate levy requirement for 2016/2017 but has urged schemes to continue to focus on risk reduction.

  • Features

    Morrisons delivers £150m property assets to secure scheme funding

    2015-09-18T00:00:00Z

    Supermarket chain Morrisons has transferred a further £150m worth of property into an asset-backed funding vehicle in a bid to improve security for its pension scheme.

  • News

    PPF-plus compromise deals expected to rise

    2015-09-16T00:00:00Z

    ‘Compromise’ deals designed to secure benefits above lifeboat levels could increase over the next couple of years, as deficit reduction pressures continue to squeeze schemes and their sponsors’ balance sheets.

  • Getty Images
    News

    Granada appeal threatens contingent asset arrangements

    2015-09-16T00:00:00Z

    Broadcaster Granada is appealing a High Court ruling in an attempt to recover £40m of gilts from one of its pension schemes, but lawyers say the case could jeopardise other employers’ non-cash contributions.

  • Features

    What trustees can learn from the British Airways wrangle

    2015-09-03T00:00:00Z

    News Analysis: British Airways' pending court case against the trustees of its Airways Pension Scheme over pension increases raises important questions regarding how scheme trustees should interact with their sponsoring employer. 

  • Bloomberg
    News

    Kingfisher locks in gains as funding hits triggers

    2015-08-21T00:00:00Z

    Kingfisher pension scheme has continued to progress towards its 2030 buyout target with a £150m shift from return-seeking to matching assets after tipping into surplus.