All Solvency II articles

  • Knighterrant/iStock
    Features

    Will we see another ‘black swan’ year for pensions in 2023?

    2022-12-22T00:00:00Z

    Will we see another 'black swan' year for pensions in 2023? A tidal wave of new legislation and regulatory guidance is in store for scheme sponsors, trustees and pension professionalsEnterkeywords.sh_embed {position: relative;height: auto;width:100%;z-index: 0;overflow: hidden;background-color: #222;color: white;font-family: 'Lato', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;}.sh_embed * {-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;-moz-box-sizing: border-box;box-sizing: border-box;}.sh_embed .sh-embed-bg {position: ...

  • News on the go
    News

    LDI crisis to hit L&G’s DB revenue and profit by £10mn

    2022-11-18T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Legal & General has disclosed that its defined benefit business-linked revenues and profits will be hit by around £10mn in its full-year 2022 results, following an autumn liquidity crisis among pension schemes that saw its higher-fee products sold to meet collateral calls.

  • Jens P Raak/Pixabay
    News

    Solvency II reforms ‘could unlock £100bn in productive finance’

    2022-11-17T00:00:00Z

    The Treasury has published its final Solvency II reform proposals, which are expected by the industry to unlock more than £100bn in long-term productive assets such as social infrastructure and green energy.

  • Evgeny Ivanov/Dreamstime
    News

    Transfer volumes could hit £600bn as insurers post strong results

    2022-08-15T00:00:00Z

    A host of insurers have revealed their first-half 2022 results that show a booming trade in risk transfers, which, by some projections, could hit £600bn over the next decade — though there are fears about a capacity crunch in the sector.

  • News on the go
    News

    Pension savers prioritise returns over ‘investment big bang’

    2022-07-25T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Less than a fifth of pension savers think that investing their pensions in companies or assets that would benefit their local area should be prioritised, new research has revealed.

  • News

    ABI: Solvency II reforms would ‘disincentivise’ infra investment

    2022-07-22T00:00:00Z

    The government’s proposed reforms to the Solvency II regime would not help to facilitate insurers’ investment into UK infrastructure, the Association of British Insurers has claimed in a consultation response.

  • News on the go
    News

    ‘Flurry of activity’ expected in the bulk annuity market

    2022-05-30T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The buy-in and buyout market is expected to have a “flurry of activity” over the next 12 months as defined benefit schemes look to accelerate their derisking plans, according to LCP.

  • News on the go
    News

    Govt plans looser insurer infrastructure investment regime

    2022-04-28T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The government has published a new consultation on Solvency II, with the aim of helping insurers invest in UK infrastructure and green projects.

  • Podcasts
    News

    Podcast: ‘Pot follows member’ legislation needed to solve small pots problem

    2022-04-21T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: Industry consensus is needed to support a ‘pot follows member’ solution to the small pots problem, with previous attempts to solve it having failed, says Henry Tapper, executive chair of AgeWage. He is joined by Tom McPhail, director of public affairs at the Lang Cat, to discuss small pots, commercial consolidators, and more McCloud woe for the Local Government Pension Scheme.

  • News on the go
    News

    Slash EU red tape and use pension money to level up, Aviva boss says

    2022-01-17T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The government should use Brexit to loosen insurance regulation in order to “put our country’s pension funds to national use”, Aviva chief executive Amanda Blanc has said.

  • Podcasts
    Podcasts

    Podcast: DC focus must ‘fundamentally shift’ from costs to value in 2022

    2022-01-13T00:00:00Z

    Podcast: The focus on defined contribution scheme offerings must “fundamentally shift” from costs to value for money in 2022 if better outcomes are to be achieved. Darren Philp, director of policy and communication at Smart Pension, and Mike Ambery, partner at Hymans Robertson, discuss the DC outlook, expanding auto-enrolment, and reforming Solvency II.

  • News on the go
    News

    Solvency II reform could unlock ‘tens of billions’ in investments

    2022-01-04T00:00:00Z

    On the go: The reform of the EU’s Solvency II requirements would unlock a “Brexit bonus” amounting to “tens of billions” of pounds in long-term infrastructure investment, according to a new report from the Pension Insurance Corporation.

  • Reuters
    News

    Government considers overturning PPF’s Bauer ruling

    2021-11-17T00:00:00Z

    The government is looking to remove the effects of the Bauer ruling, impacting the Pension Protection Fund, from UK law and will introduce primary legislation in the near future, according to a letter sent to various industry stakeholders.

  • News

    Govt should boost CDC pensions to rebalance consumer risk

    2021-04-22T00:00:00Z

    The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries has proposed a number of measures to tackle the so-called ‘great risk transfer’, among which is a call on the government to emphasise the benefits of collective defined contribution schemes as an alternative to traditional DC pension arrangements.

  • News

    Post-Brexit Solvency II reform an opportunity to free up capital

    2021-02-23T00:00:00Z

    On the go: Brexit affords the UK an opportunity to revisit and reform Solvency II legislation, freeing up capital that can then be used to further the post-Covid economic recovery.

  • Adam Saron
    Opinion

    Only 1% reach insurance, what about everyone else?

    2019-04-02T00:00:00Z

    Clara Pensions chief executive officer Adam Saron hits out at “disingenuous” arguments being made in opposition to commercial consolidation, and makes the case for a superfund regulatory environment that avoids the strictures of Solvency II.

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    Backbook bonanza

    2016-04-15T00:00:00Z

    Editorial: Two giants are congratulating each other on a massive deal. Pension liabilities worth £6bn are to change hands between Dutch insurer Aegon's UK subsidiary and Rothesay Life, the bulk annuity specialist set up 10 years ago.

  • Getty Images
    News

    Eiopa opts for standardised risk framework

    2016-04-14T00:00:00Z

    The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority has advocated the creation of a standardised framework for risk assessment and transparency in EU pension funds, quashing long-running fears of a shift to more stringent solvency funding requirements.

  • Elodie Laugel
    Opinion

    Pension funds and insurers share appetite for infrastructure

    2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

    For pension funds that have not yet reached self-sufficiency and for insurance companies that leverage, squeeze and manage their balance sheet, capturing a premium above government bonds within a closely monitored asset-liability-monitoring framework is a necessity. 

  • Illustration by Ben Jennings
    Opinion

    A cold front from Europe

    2016-01-29T00:00:00Z

    Editorial: Trustees had better wrap up warm: a chilly wind is blowing from Europe. A short sunny spell in Brussels last week was quickly followed by a cold front from Frankfurt, where the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority is based.