All Spence & Partners articles – Page 5
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FeaturesPost Office surplus raises union affordability complaints
The Post Office section of the Royal Mail Pension Plan remains in surplus, its latest funding update shows, just weeks after it was closed to future accrual amid union consternation.
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OpinionDB Pensions: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
If someone on average earnings had started saving 5 per cent of his pay in 2000 and invested it in UK equities, he could have accumulated a whopping £65,000 by now.
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NewsArcadia agrees shorter recovery plans as Green feels pressure
Arcadia Group has agreed to increase its scheduled contributions to its two pension schemes, a sign that public pressure and 'naming and shaming' may be having some impact.
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FeaturesTaylor Wimpey builds synthetic equities to tackle volatility
The pension scheme of housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has undertaken a widespread derisking programme, strengthening existing hedges while converting physical equity investments into a synthetic, volatility-dampening exposure.
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FeaturesJohn Laing targets speedy return to full funding
The John Laing Pension Fund has agreed a recovery plan worth £171m to be paid over seven years by its sponsor, infrastructure investor John Laing, following an actuarial valuation.
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FeaturesCentrica drills for returns with high-yield allocation
The Centrica Combined Common Investment Fund, which manages holdings for the energy giant’s pension schemes, has trimmed its exposure to corporate bonds, reweighting its portfolio towards high-yield debt.
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NewsSpring Budget focus on self-employed lets industry hope for more
The chancellor’s focus on the self-employed could pave the way for bringing the group into the pension system, some experts have said, as the spring Budget brings no significant news on pensions.
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OpinionWhat effect will a cap on exit fees have on freedom and choice?
Freedom and choice has generated over 1.5m flexible payments totalling more than £9.2bn since April 2015. That sounds like a lot to me, even though there are 4m people aged over 55 who are eligible, so I doubt if many people have been inhibited by exit fees so far.
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FeaturesMPs’ scheme votes for secured loans over REITs
The Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund has simplified its property portfolio and invested proceeds in a European loans mandate, with a view to generating income.
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News
LPFA feels divestment pressure
The London Pensions Fund Authority is under pressure from London Mayor Sadiq Khan to divest entirely from fossil fuel holdings, but says it prefers working with companies and fund managers over divesting.
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Opinion
Looking for a silver lining: Focus shifts to housing wealth as pension incomes hit a high
Analysis: Statistics seem to show that pensioners' incomes are now higher than other people's, but experts say there are many facets to the intergenerational fairness question.
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OpinionNolan: Everyone would gain from more DB to DC transfers
I half expected current gilt yields to generate a flood of transfers from guaranteed defined benefit schemes to flexible defined contribution schemes.
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NewsUnions reluctantly back BSPS closure proposal
Unions have backed a proposal to close the British Steel Pension Scheme to future accrual, raising questions about the future of private sector defined benefit schemes in the UK.
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News
Pinpointing life expectancy could cut deficits by £25bn
Using more accurate assumptions on longevity could be the key to bringing down defined benefit pension scheme deficits, new research shows.
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News
Cost scrutiny intensifies as TTF calls for select committee inquiry
The Work and Pensions Select Committee has been asked to launch a fresh inquiry into charges levied on pension savings, as campaigners warned price inefficiencies reach far beyond investment costs.
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News
Johnson Service Group adds £1.5m on top of recovery plan
Textile rental provider Johnson Service Group has committed to paying £1.5m to its defined benefit scheme following the £8.25m sale of its dry cleaning business to Timpson Group.
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NewsRoyal Mail closure consultation could see strike action
Royal Mail Group has begun consulting with active members on closing its section of the Royal Mail Pension Plan, spurring the threat of industrial action from unions if the sponsor does not react positively to their concerns.
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OpinionWhat's left to do on GMP equalisation?
The provision of guaranteed minimum pension equalisation guidelines had been in the government’s ‘too difficult’ category for some years, leaving schemes stalled. A set of draft regulations previously issued for consultation in 2012 was subsequently withdrawn for being too ‘onerous’.
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OpinionHow to decide what is in members' interests
The challenges facing trustees of defined benefit schemes have grown dramatically over recent years. At times of such difficulty, it can help to go back to the basic principles of good trusteeship.
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FeaturesABF and Pie to shore up Severn Trent against deficit plunge
The Severn Trent Pension Scheme has agreed a new asset-backed funding strategy with its sponsor, following a year which saw its accounting deficit more than double despite derisking measures.