All articles by Sophia Imeson – Page 17
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NewsEarly exit charge cap attracts criticism and praise
Both the government and the Financial Conduct Authority have confirmed plans to introduce caps on early exit pension charges, but authorities should take care not to actively encourage early decumulation, experts say.
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HMRC system changes ‘not catching anyone unawares’
HMRC is making software changes as part of ongoing plans to ensure its systems are up to date, but as long as pension administrators making pay-as-you-earn or pension scheme returns are prepared, they should not be too concerned, experts have said.
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FeaturesMerseyside mulls infra for income
Merseyside Pension Fund is considering an increase in its allocation to infrastructure, as experts have warned that investors should ensure they have access to the relevant skills and experience.
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FeaturesRexam reduces membership through commutation exercise
The Rexam Pension Plan has carried out a trivial commutation exercise, contributing towards a reduction in total membership as defined benefit schemes are trying to reduce costs.
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Select committee urges government to scrap triple lock
The Work and Pensions Committee has called for the state pension triple lock to be scrapped, in an attempt to ameliorate an economy "skewed in favour of baby boomers and against millennials".
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TPR uses powers to stamp out non-compliance and avoidance issues
The Pensions Regulator has continued to demonstrate its tougher approach by fining trustees for non-compliance.
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NewsCBI requests reforms to ease DB burden on businesses
The Confederation of British Industry has called for a number of reforms to help tackle the problem of pension costs for companies, including access to illiquid assets and approaches to measuring deficits.
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OpinionClosure cases: How trade unions are changing tack
It is not uncommon to hear of trade unions stepping in to protect defined benefit provision for members, as final salary schemes continue to close. But with a greater focus on defined contribution adequacy, union approaches to closure cases are evolving.
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Treasury scraps plans for secondary annuity market amid consumer protection concerns
Proposed reforms to create a secondary annuity market have been abandoned due to concerns about consumer protection and value for money.
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Features
New comms strategy charges up member contributions at Schneider Electric
PLSA Annual Conference 2016: Schneider Electric has overhauled its defined contribution engagement strategy, as research shows that members want solutions that enable them to make decisions and implement them easily.
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Features
Oxford University Press tackles pensions fraud with data matching
The Oxford University Press pension scheme has volunteered to take part in the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative data matching exercise to help detect and prevent benefit fraud.
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OpinionHow members' mental health issues affect pension schemes
Any Other Business: Every year 70m working days are lost due to mental health, while a quarter of people consider resigning due to stress, according to the Mental Health Foundation, so how do work-related mental health issues affect pension schemes and employers?
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FeaturesEdinburgh University proposes raft of changes to plug scheme deficit
The University of Edinburgh has proposed a number of changes to its defined benefit pension fund to make the scheme more affordable and sustainable, as its deficit has risen by a quarter.
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FeaturesTelefónica rings the changes with pensions modelling tool
A new online pensions modeller is being launched for defined contribution members of the Telefónica UK Pension Plan, but some experts have questioned the benefit of such tools.
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FeaturesComet scheme enters alternatives space
In a bid to improve diversification and returns, the Comet Pension Scheme has added alternatives to its portfolio, as rising deficits and the current economic environment prompt many pension funds to hunt for yield.
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FeaturesStagecoach tightens governance reins with scheme merger
Stagecoach Group has merged one of its smaller pension plans with its £1.3bn defined benefit scheme, but the company has maintained a separate section for the smaller fund, keeping liabilities separate while potentially sharing some costs.
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FeaturesDHL transition exercise delivers savings for members
Postal and logistics company DHL has saved £2.3m for members of its UK defined contribution pension fund by trading investments between members at no cost following an investment transition.
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Select committee inquiry: What should change to safeguard DB?
As the deadline for submitting views on defined benefit to the Work and Pensions Committee has passed, experts say there is a need for greater flexibility, potential benefit reductions and increased powers for the Pensions Regulator.
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Access set to rent as pools decide on structure
The Access pool of the Local Government Pension Scheme is looking into renting a provider for the structure of its investment vehicle, but there are different options for pools depending on how much they want to outsource.
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FeaturesRBS scheme diversifies with US life settlements
The RBS Pension Scheme has made a number of new investments as part of its long-term plan to diversify its portfolio.