All XPS Pensions Group articles – Page 6
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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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News
Monitoring crucial as transfer requests could creep up
Defined benefit schemes could see increased levels of transfer quotation requests as low gilt yields push values higher. Experts have said trustees should monitor request numbers and manage their liquidity accordingly.
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FeaturesRSA scheme targets buy-and-maintain strategy to derisk
The RSA Insurance Group’s Sal Pension Fund is focusing on buy-and-maintain credit as part of an investment strategy overhaul as the scheme looks to further derisk its portfolio following the results of its latest actuarial valuation.
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News
Uptick in scams prompts call for tighter regulation
A recent increase in reports of suspected pension scams has been called “the tip of the iceberg”, as experts said tighter legislation would help schemes ensure their members do not lose hard-earned retirement savings.
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News
Risk-averse DC members shy away from DGFs
At a Pensions Expert event this week, panellists debated how best to incorporate multi-asset strategies into defined benefit and defined contribution portfolios, agreeing that such strategies will become much more geared towards DC in the future.
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NewsShould you pay higher DC contributions to spur retirement?
Any Other Business: Lower employer contributions to defined contribution pension schemes can lead to “massive” challenges in paving the way for older workers to retire and injecting new blood into a business, experts have said.
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Opinion
Change in law is needed to stop scammers, experts say
Scam activity could be present in as much as 11 per cent of pension transfer requests, consultancy Xafinity has found. Trustees and lawyers say legal constraints prevent them from protecting individuals.
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Features
Scapa reduces liabilities by £4m via mortality study
Adhesive tape manufacturer Scapa has reduced its defined benefit liability by £4m, having undertaken a mortality study across its pensioner population as part of a holistic approach to managing risk across the scheme’s assets and long-term obligations.
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News
PE investors threaten to sell over transparency concerns
Private equity is experiencing a renaissance, but nearly a third of institutional investors may abandon their plans to invest over fears about transparency, a new report shows.
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OpinionLDI: Cost concerns, cash flow and skewed models
Roundtable: Six industry experts discuss liability-driven investments - the costs, cash flow impact, European legislation and pitfalls of modelling.
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Features
Are LDI models less perfect than they seem?
Roundtable: Using models can make liability-driven investment seem like a clear-cut decision, but should trustees be more willing to question these models? In the final part of this roundtable series, Bestrustees’ Huw Evans, HR Trustees’ Giles Payne, Aviva Investors’ Rakesh Girdharlal, KPMG’s Simeon Willis, Cambridge Associates’ Benoît Jacquemont and P-Solve Asset Solutions’ Barbara Saunders discuss the pros and cons of LDI models.
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Opinion
How will Emir shape the way schemes use LDI?
Roundtable: Pension schemes have been granted a transitional exemption from having to centrally clear derivatives – a rule contained in the European Market Infrastructure Regulation – but the exemption will end in August 2017. How will schemes be affected and how are they preparing? In the third part of this roundtable series, Bestrustees’ Huw Evans, HR Trustees’ Giles Payne, Aviva Investors’ Rakesh Girdharlal, KPMG’s Simeon Willis, Cambridge Associates’ Benoît Jacquemont and P-Solve Asset Solutions’ Barbara Saunders discuss what the new requirement will mean for schemes.
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Opinion
Has LDI become too expensive?
Roundtable: Derisking in an environment of low interest rates makes liability-driven investment look expensive, but is it? In the first part of this roundtable series, Bestrustees’ Huw Evans, HR Trustees’ Giles Payne, Aviva Investors’ Rakesh Girdharlal, KPMG’s Simeon Willis, Cambridge Associates’ Benoît Jacquemont and P-Solve Asset Solutions’ Barbara Saunders discuss what makes the decision to hedge so difficult.
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News
Larger mastertrusts welcome imminent regulation
Providers have welcomed plans to increase regulation of mastertrusts, as the government reveals it intends to bring in legislation for the arrangements “as soon as practically possible”.
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Features
BA transfer value review puts spotlight on older members
Trustees of the British Airways Pension Scheme have rebalanced the scheme’s transfer value basis towards younger members, but anticipate the net impact of the shift will be cost neutral to its funding position.
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News
Transfers to be streamlined as more ask for quotes
The Pensions Regulator will introduce new guidance to ensure transfers between defined contribution schemes are completed promptly, the government said last week. This comes as defined benefit transfer values recovered in January after hitting a low in December.
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Opinion
Funding and reinsurance emerge as biggest challenges on the road to buyout
Feature: The introduction of Solvency II last month has made buying out in full even trickier than before, but there are things trustees can do to make it more likely to happen.
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FeaturesMUMS the word: Medically underwritten mortality studies' benefit questioned
Analysis: Medical underwriting of defined benefit scheme members to facilitate bulk annuity insurance transactions has taken off over the past two years, but industry experts are sceptical of the benefits of using medical data for scheme valuations.
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NewsPPF: 'Steady as she goes' approach for 2016/17 levy
The Pension Protection Fund has revised down its aggregate levy requirement for 2016/2017 but has urged schemes to continue to focus on risk reduction.
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News
Kingfisher puts trivial commutation on ice to focus on member data
Kingfisher Pension Scheme has said it is holding fire on a trivial commutation derisking drive to focus instead on data cleansing, while research shows 83 per cent of members would consider such a transfer.