All articles by Sophia Imeson – Page 10

  • News

    Companies must do more to disclose employment practices, report says

    2017-11-14T00:00:00Z

    Only 10 per cent of FTSE 100 firms are providing meaningful commentary on the stability of their workforce, according to research highlighting pension schemes’ need for information about the employment models of the companies they invest in. 

  • Opinion

    When bigger is better

    2017-11-10T00:00:00Z

    Editorial: When it comes to ensuring value for defined contribution members, bigger may often be better. 

  • News

    TPR reviews value for member assessments in DC

    2017-11-07T00:00:00Z

    The Pensions Regulator has launched a review into value for member assessments in defined contribution funds, with a view to boosting better outcomes for members of smaller schemes.

  • Nuffield
    Features

    Nuffield Health scheme boosts security with ABF

    2017-11-02T00:00:00Z

    Not-for-profit healthcare provider Nuffield Health has entered into an asset-backed funding arrangement for its £377.1m defined benefit pension fund, as schemes continue to secure benefits with tangible goods.

  • Philip Hammond
    Features

    What can we expect from the Autumn Budget?

    2017-10-31T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: The chancellor’s Autumn Budget is fast approaching, but the industry should not expect any radical pension changes from a weak government bogged down by Brexit, experts say.

  • News

    Employer-hired IFAs could solve member DB transfer advice struggle

    2017-10-25T00:00:00Z

    Sixty-one per cent of employers say members are having difficulty in finding advisers for pension transfers, a new survey has found, as experts highlighted the need for companies to engage independent financial advisers on behalf of scheme members.

  • Features

    Raising trustee standards: How can the regulator cast its net wider?

    2017-10-23T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: Member-nominated trustees' level of familiarity with the Pensions Regulator's expectations varies significantly from scheme to scheme, so how can the commitment and understanding shown by some boards be extended across the pensions universe?

  • Guy Opperman Timeline
    News

    Opperman discloses timetable until spring

    2017-10-20T00:00:00Z

    PLSA Annual Conference 2017: Pensions minister Guy Opperman provided some clarity on timescales for the dashboard and progress on the creation of a single financial guidance body in a speech at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference.

  • PLSA Annual Conference 2017
    News

    Recreation and retirement do not go hand in hand, say experts

    2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

    PLSA Annual Conference 2017: The association between retirement and a luxurious lifestyle of holidays is financially unsustainable and should be challenged, say experts, as the industry considers how to improve saving rates.

  • PLSA Annual Conference 2017
    News

    AE review: Consensus on solutions is still lacking

    2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

    PLSA Annual Conference 2017:Despite unanimity on the need to increase coverage and boost contributions, there is still a distinct lack of consensus on exactly how to address these issues, according to independent advisers on the government’s auto-enrolment review. 

  • News

    Age-based tax relief rumours met with industry criticism

    2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

    Philip Hammond is understood to be considering cuts to tax relief for older workers to fund tax breaks for younger people, a move that would ‘smack of ageism’ and cause further confusion, industry figures say.

  • Nottinghamshire opens portals
    Features

    Nottinghamshire to create portals for improved admin

    2017-10-13T00:00:00Z

    The Nottinghamshire County Council Pension Fund is implementing portals for both employers and members as part of a push to improve administration across the scheme.

  • Features

    Can multinationals achieve consistency in benefits?

    2017-10-11T00:00:00Z

    Analysis: Multinational companies often run several complex pension schemes across multiple jurisdictions, but different tax and benefit rules around the world can pose various problems for companies looking to achieve consistency in benefits.

  • Sophia Imeson
    Opinion

    Ethical investing: All talk and no action?

    2017-10-09T00:00:00Z

    From the blog: Ethical investing has come to the fore in recent years as more people say they want to align their investments with their moral values, but there are still some obstacles on the way there.

  • News

    Orchestra votes for lower pay rise to up pensions

    2017-10-04T00:00:00Z

    Members of the Royal Opera House orchestra have voted in favour of taking a lower pay rise to fund an improved pension scheme for new and future members, a decision that has struck a chord with experts.

  • News

    PPI: Consider different policy options for self-employed pensions

    2017-10-02T00:00:00Z

    Policymakers need to consider diverse attitudes and financial circumstances of different self-employed groups before deciding on options to boost pension saving levels, a new report finds.  

  • Features

    Wholesale changes to rules are needed to enable DB consolidation

    2017-09-28T00:00:00Z

    Pensions Expert 20th Anniversary: Amalgamating defined benefit corporate pension funds could reduce costs, improve investment and make for better governance, but it is still unclear whether full DB consolidation is a chimera or the fix to a fragmented system.

  • Features

    How will regulation need to change to be fit for the 21st century?

    2017-09-27T00:00:00Z

    Pensions Expert 20th Anniversary: When the world’s first funded occupational pension plan appeared towards the end of the 16th century in the form of a large iron chest, its success was short-lived.

  • News

    DC savers want compulsion, research shows

    2017-09-25T00:00:00Z

    Members favour scrapping the option to opt out of auto-enrolment minimum contributions, recent research has found, as experts highlight the need for better guidance around the levels of saving required for retirement. 

  • Features

    Royal Insurance Group overhauls trustee board

    2017-09-22T00:00:00Z

    The Royal Insurance Group Pension Scheme has reduced its trustee board size and changed the way member-nominated trustees are appointed, saying the move will save costs and make governance more efficient.