All articles by Tom Higgins – Page 5
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NewsClimate awareness now ‘business as usual’ for schemes, Aon says
On the go: Managing climate change is now “business as usual” for pension funds, while other factors surrounding political instability have diminished in importance, Tim Manuel, co-head of responsible investment at Aon, told the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference.
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NewsSmart: Trust is key to ensure TPR’s powers are applied fairly
On the go: Member-nominated trustees have “nothing to fear” from the Pensions Regulator’s newly introduced criminal sanctions, chair Sarah Smart told the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference.
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NewsKeeping ahead of regulation curve vital to private market success
On the go: Private markets offer schemes access to transactions that will facilitate the transition to a green economy, but staying ahead of the regulatory curve is vital to achieving success within the space, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference has heard.
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News‘Stronger nudge’ still possible, but cost benefits need to be understood
On the go: A stronger guidance nudge may be needed to increase the number of savers using the Pension Wise service, but it may not be enough to drive a significant uptake or deliver the right kind of engagement, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference has heard.
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NewsNew index fund aims to help schemes build Paris-aligned portfolios
On the go: Willis Towers Watson has teamed up with index provider Qontigo to launch the Stoxx Willis Towers Watson Climate Transition Indices, which they say will enable investors to address climate risks in their portfolios with a forward-looking evaluation of Paris-aligned equity valuations.
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NewsMost pension schemes falling short on climate commitments
On the go: An overwhelming number of large UK pension schemes are yet to make net-zero commitments ahead of the COP26 summit, pensions campaign group Make My Money Matter has revealed.
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NewsDC payments steady during Covid, but statutory rise may be needed
On the go: Most companies with defined contribution schemes did not reduce their pension contributions during the pandemic, according to the latest CBI/Mercer Pensions Survey.
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NewsBT Pension Scheme deficit falls on back of recovery plan
On the go: The BT Pension Scheme deficit is expected to have improved by roughly £3.4bn over the year to June 2021 to around £4.6bn, due to sponsor contributions and strong returns on growth assets.
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NewsTPR may leave sponsors ‘guessing’ over potential enforcement action
Sponsors could be “left guessing” as to whether key decisions could lead to enforcement action under new guidelines from the Pensions Regulator, LCP has warned.
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NewsOmbudsman finds NHS ‘negligent’ failings led to doctor's tax breach
The Pensions Ombudsman has upheld a complaint against the NHS Business Services Authority and Primary Care Support England after they “negligently” failed to provide a GP with tax information and delayed the handling of his pension contributions.
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NewsPensions Dashboards Programme seeks testing providers
On the go: The Pensions Dashboards Programme is inviting organisations that intend to provide a pensions dashboard to help test the development of the project’s ecosystem.
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NewsTfL, Avon Pension Fund and Phoenix Group commit to net zero
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with the Transport for London Pension Fund committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, Avon Pension Fund shifting £780m into a Paris-aligned benchmark, and Phoenix Group setting a carbon emission-reduction target of 50 per cent by 2030.
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NewsGovernments should consider green investing incentives, says IMF
Policymakers should consider providing a financial incentive for sustainable funds as existing capital is “too limited in size and scope” to have a major impact on climate change, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
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NewsSmall pots mass consolidation poised for 2025-26
Mass-scale consolidation is set to be implemented in 2025-26, the Small Pots Cross-Industry Co-ordination Group has said, but industry experts have voiced concerns over the enormity of the task.
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NewsGovernance burden does not translate into value, industry says
On the go: Pensions professionals have said the burden of the increased level of scheme governance is not worth the value it brings, a survey from XPS Pensions Group has found.
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NewsMPs urge government to make green pensions industry world-leading
MPs have urged the government to seize upon the opportunities COP26 presents to the pensions industry and have called for more consensus on tackling climate change.
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NewsTPR criminal powers policy spurs more industry concern
The Pensions Regulator has published its policy on how it intends to use upcoming criminal powers to prosecute those who fall foul of new legislation, following widespread industry concern into the scope and extent of the powers.
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NewsFCA to introduce ‘synthetic’ Libor to ease rate wind-down
On the go: The Financial Conduct Authority has announced that some key Libor panels will publish ‘synthetic’ rates to safeguard an “orderly wind-down” of the benchmark interest rates.
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NewsPPF levy to fall by £105m in 2022-23
On the go: The Pension Protection Fund has announced that it expects to collect £415m from its levy payers in 2022-23, a reduction of £105m from the previous year.
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NewsPoor engagement hampers asset managers’ ESG commitments
On the go: Asset managers are not living up to their environmental, social and governance commitments, research from Redington has found, with shortcomings in stewardship and engagement prominent.