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Pension Funds Online is the essential source of contacts, financial data and insight on global pension funds and their advisers.

Pension Funds Insider

Pension Funds Insider brings the latest pensions news and industry insights; from investment and governance updates to new mandate appointments and pensions regulatory information.

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Investment

Target Date Funds – a DC default solution?

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Target Date Funds, or TDFs, are a ‘one size fits all’ approach to defined contribution (DC) investing. They allow investors to select a fund closest to their expected retirement date, comfortable in the idea that the composition of the fund is managed over its lifecycle by a professional team and tailored to the investors’ time horizon and risk/return requirements.

New entrants mean new opportunities

Thursday, March 21, 2024

With an ever-changing landscape in the bulk annuity market, staying abreast of new opportunities is crucial. One such opportunity that has garnered attention in recent times is the emergence of new players in the bulk annuity market.

In the Wake of a Crisis - 12 months later

Monday, October 30, 2023

One year on, George Scurr of Quantum Advisory evaluates the impact of the gilt crisis on pension portfolios.

What would pensions and investments look like with sound money?

Friday, September 29, 2023

Sam Roberts of Cartwright muses about how the pension system could work under a different monetary system.

Mansion House Reforms

Friday, July 28, 2023

Sam Roberts comments on the Chancellor's recent Mansion House speech

Stewardship in India: findings from a recent survey

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Ensuring that investment practitioners in emerging markets integrate responsible investing practices into the way they invest is critical to attracting and retaining global capital.

Governance in Emerging Markets

Friday, May 19, 2023

“Weak governance” is often cited as a reason for avoiding emerging markets, despite the diversification and return opportunities that investing there can bring to an institutional portfolio.

A New Era for LDI

Friday, May 12, 2023

In less than a year the world of LDI has changed dramatically.

Real Estate - what will the new normal be?

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

The impact of rising interest rates to control inflation will likely have significant short- and long-term impact on global real estate markets. While initial effects are starting to be seen in loan defaults in the office sector, we believe the true impact won't be known until 2H23/1H24. With rates expected to be higher for longer, what will the new normal be for valuation capitalization rates (cap rates), real estate allocations and managers survivability?

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Thursday, March 9, 2023

Meaningfully measuring investment performance

The flood gates are open – are you prepared?

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Analysis shows that DB pension scheme funding has improved from c.70% back in March 2021 to over 90% by the end of 2022...

Hedge Funds - Multistrat vs HFOF

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Hedge funds have long been a popular alternative investment choice among pension funds but have waned in popularity in recent years. In 2020, European pension funds had an average 5% allocation to hedge funds (44% of funds surveyed were in the UK).[1]

The bumpy road to Disneyland

Friday, January 13, 2023

Mohamed El-Erian, Chairman of Gramercy and previously CEO of PIMCO, recently described the future for investors globally as the “bumpy road to Disneyland”. He described a picture of an excited father and son leaving for Disneyland but arriving all tired and exhausted after going through traffic, detours, and travel sickness. (...)There have been many bumps on the road, whether it is regulation, geopolitics or COVID lockdowns. It’s worth revisiting why one should travel to Disneyland

10 reasons why bulk annuity transactions are happening

Friday, January 13, 2023

Some trustees and employers still assume a bulk annuity transaction isn’t going to happen or if it is, that it’s in the distant future. What’s interesting is that many are surprised by what’s possible and how close they might be to securing members’ benefits.

ESG and Fiduciary Responsibility: Europe vs US

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Institutional, private, and public capital globally have largely contributed to the surge in ESG related investments; currently estimated to be approximately $35 trillion and growing^[1]. This phenomenon has led to increased interest and scrutiny of ESG investing.

Buyout Aware Investment Strategy

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Over the past 12 months the landscape for UK defined benefit (“DB”) pension schemes has forced trustees and their advisers to focus their attention on their investment strategy and grasp de-risking opportunities as they are presented. Throughout the year headwinds have been coming from all directions: geopolitical risks, stubbornly high inflation, and not least the recent spike in UK gilt yields which caused a tail risk event to occur for schemes holding liability driven investing (“LDI”) strategies.

Bulls vs Bears

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

A relief rally by global equities continued in the first half of August before hawkish comment from the US Federal Reserve sent global markets back into a downtrend. Since then, it’s been a mixed ride driven by inflation news and interest rate expectations. The Chinese markets, while driven by different factors, were equally volatile: a Party Congress, erratic foreign sentiment, COVID lockdowns and releases, a property sector slowdown. Despite pockets of good news on exports and infrastructure investment, China’s economy remained lacklustre.

Clearing up misconceptions about LDI

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Much of the press coverage on LDI during the recent market turmoil has, been inaccurate and based on, what we can only assume to be, misunderstandings. The biggest example of this being the suggestion that pension schemes were on the brink of insolvency and that large amounts of leverage was being used to generate returns. This was not the case.

The good news struggling to get out from the LDI crisis

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Pensions is in the news, and not in a good way. The recent turmoil in the gilt markets has been very heavily driven by the actions of defined benefit pension schemes who have needed to post material levels of collateral on their liability driven investments (LDI) as long-term interest rates have risen, and fast.

Central Banks Have Caught Themselves in a Trap

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Could Bitcoin be Part of the Solution?

The small scheme buyout BOOM

Thursday, September 29, 2022

I passionately believe that our industry must do more to help smaller schemes. By number, small schemes make up the vast majority of all private sector DB schemes in the UK. The Pension Protection Fund’s (PPF) 2021 Purple Book showed that approximately 36% of all PPF-eligible DB schemes had fewer than 100 members and a further 44% had between 100 and 999 members – so that’s 80% of all schemes.

Winners today may be losers tomorrow

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

“Past performance is not indicative of future results”

Livestreaming e-commerce

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

During times of turbulence and economic volatility, it is very easy to forget the main reason for investing in China. It is the single largest digital-savvy population globally presenting excellent opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs to exploit. The emergence of live streaming e-commerce in China is an example of this innovation.

Buy-out and risk transfer – a case study by Chris Mason, Senior Consultant & Actuary at Quantum Advisory

Monday, June 20, 2022

Helping Trustees to navigate the challenges of a buyout for a small scheme

Is China investible?

Monday, June 13, 2022

Does investing in China still make sense?

Are we currently seeing the emergence of a new global monetary system?

Thursday, May 26, 2022

After World War 2, the US and other developed economies, agreed to establish an international gold backed monetary system. Under this system they agreed that US dollars could be converted to gold upon demand at a fixed exchange rate. This system was maintained until 1971 and made the US dollar the global reserve currency.

Is the buyout market capacity crunch here?

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Insurers have the capital and appetite to write a vast amount of bulk annuity business each year and, to date, a lack of insurer capacity has never been an issue for pension schemes looking to purchase a bulk annuity.

The opportunity in China small cap

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Chinese regulators have been busy with a crackdown against monopolistic behaviour by large domestic companies as part of the drive for “Common Prosperity”. A consequence of this is a more competitive environment which creates opportunities for smaller companies. And yet this space is largely unexplored in China.

Managing downside risk in defined benefit schemes

Monday, April 4, 2022

Investment strategy is the powerhouse of any defined benefit (DB) scheme. Strategies are as unique as schemes themselves, based on characteristics such as the maturity of the membership, strength of the sponsor covenant, scheme rules and a host of other factors.

Shades of Green

Thursday, March 31, 2022

The evolution of ESG investing - What information do we need to help us take that first step?

Why the war in Ukraine affects every pension scheme, however small

Monday, March 14, 2022

The current situation in Ukraine is unsettling and concerning on many different levels. We hope it will de-escalate as soon as possible and our thoughts are particularly with those at personal physical risk – I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now.

Another turbulent year for investors: China in 2021

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

As China enters the Year of the Tiger, we look back on a tough 2021. The long-term uptrend of large consumer companies like Alibaba and Tencent ended abruptly as the state prioritised objectives like social stability and common prosperity

Benchmarking cash

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

It has become apparent that inter-bank rates have regrettably long passed their sell-by date. This is in part due to the way they are calculated...

Reducing carbon emissions in emerging markets

Thursday, December 9, 2021

A case of necessity trumping over the environment?

China’s tech giant edge

Thursday, October 21, 2021

China is the only country besides the USA that has delivered several multi-billion dollar technology companies. Why is this? We try to unpack the key ingredients in this article.

”Common Prosperity” in China

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Chinese regulatory events have dominated recent market news. This regulatory activity led to volatility across the Chinese markets as foreign investors in particular became concerned about China’s policy direction with some even questioning the government’s commitment to a market economy. Numerous sectors have been targeted, whether it is after-school education, online gaming for children, or most recently gambling licences in Macau.

Standing out in the crowd

Friday, August 27, 2021

The bulk annuity market is buoyant, but you might not realise it looking at recently published numbers on transaction volumes. The first quarter of 2021 was relatively quiet but since then the number of schemes approaching the insurance market has been very high.

“Funding - are you missing an opportunity?”

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

In DB pensions, we know that opportunities will come but we also know that time is running out as schemes move towards their end-game.

The Investment Podcast: Sustainability in private credit – can the two go hand in hand?

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

While sustainability has been most obviously implemented within public markets, appetite from investors to access private market opportunities has grown. With fewer disclosure requirements, and challenges in providing tangible evidence and data that prove the sustainability of business operations, can allocations to private credit be coherent with a desire to increase sustainability in investment? Catherine Ross and Fiona Hagdrup at M&G Investments sit down to explore the compatibility of these two investment aims.

CTI Templates - fail fast, learn fast

Friday, July 2, 2021

CTI has been a success. It has improved the flow and consistency of cost data coming from investment managers, but challenges remain. Anyone collecting templates, either within an asset owner or an intermediary, need to learn fast to make the data useable.

The Investment Podcast: Navigating the road to real estate recovery

Friday, June 25, 2021

Picking up on the themes from their latest Global Real Estate Outlook, the real estate team at M&G Investments discuss the outlook across different sectors and geographies. Which could see rapid growth and which may lag behind? They also explore the potential impact of inflation on the asset class.

Global Real Estate Outlook: Navigating the road to recovery

Thursday, June 3, 2021

The unparalleled economic disruption and acceleration of structural trends caused by the pandemic has focused investors on positioning for the long term. But what is the final destination? And with the journey unlikely to be smooth, could cyclical opportunities get lost? In the latest outlook from M&G Investments, we map the potential road to recovery, from today’s starting point, to signposts to look out for, to the direction of travel for real estate portfolios.

The Investment Podcast: The folly of forecasting – finding value in an uncertain world

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

There has been significant positive momentum in credit markets since the Covid crisis began, underpinned by unprecedented levels of government and central bank support. However, despite market expectations of a sharp rebound in economic activity, there remain significant risks to this view. Notably, what happens as the stimulus packages are wound down - how will markets respond? What does the structure of markets tell us about the underlying risks? In this episode, David Parsons is joined by Richard Ryan to talk about the current issues in fixed income markets and the cyclical nature of markets.

A closer look at the ‘S’ in ESG - especially when it comes to investing in China

Friday, May 14, 2021

The rapid growth of Asian stock markets has captured investors’ attention – but so have worries about ESG, especially in China. China’s effort to tackle the environment, like lowering carbon emissions, is well recognised, but concerns regarding human rights cast a shadow over the incredible growth opportunities.

Value centric pension administration – how to move the needle

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Is the UK too focused on driving pension administration costs down or are we missing something vital?

The rise of government bond yields

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Pension schemes are one of the largest investors in fixed income instruments and hence are sensitive to central bank policy - monitoring of global monetary policies are of utmost importance.

The evolution of ESG investing

Monday, March 22, 2021

Shades of Green

A review of a turbulent 2020

Monday, March 15, 2021

The Chinese perspective.

The Investment Podcast by M&G Investments

Monday, February 15, 2021

As we enter 2021, this podcast examines some of the narratives that have emerged from the real estate sector during 2020 and how much truth there may be to them in the coming year. Has COVID-19 caused a permanent shift? How will the retail sector continue to evolve? What is the outlook for the industrial sector?

Doing well by doing good

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Dwindling biodiversity, climate change and social injustice are just a few of the forces reshaping our understanding of economics. Investors wishing to address these challenges are fuelling the irresistible rise of Responsible Investment (RI)

The Case for Hedged Equity

Thursday, January 21, 2021

If any of the questions below are important to your pension scheme – we think it is worth a few minutes of your time to read this post:

· Is my pension funded status lower than I would like it to be?

· Is my scheme on a “de-risking” glidepath?

· Have I been disappointed with the performance and fees of equity long/short hedge funds?

· Are equity markets overvalued?

Pensions, pitfalls and presentation screw ups - musings from the box room

Monday, January 18, 2021

There is no doubt that 2020 presented a challenging environment for trustees, administrators, and advisers. Whilst we still find ourselves battling against the virus, economically and socially, we have had to alter our ways of working. Some of these adaptations have resulted in improved efficiency, timeliness and strangely enough, engagement. Not something that you would expect during a period where our everyday freedoms are restricted.

Increased regulation of technology companies: a Chinese perspective

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

In October there was much market attention – excitement even – around the imminent listing in Hong Kong of Ant Financial, the Alibaba-affiliated digital finance giant...

2021 Investment Outlook

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Investing Beyond the Pandemic: A Reset for Portfolios

The pandemic’s arc and its impact on political and policy developments are resetting expectations and will continue to define the investment landscape.

Pinebridge Investments have gathered insights from their senior investment leadership on what investors might expect in 2021 and beyond, how to position amid volatility and unpredictable market conditions, and where to tap opportunities arising from the disruptions they’ve seen and will likely continue to see.

The world that COVID built

Monday, November 16, 2020

2020 will go down in history as the year of the pandemic; an epic shock for societies and economies with dramatic ramifications on people and industries. This has propelled us into a new era, in which high uncertainty is likely to remain the base case for some time to come.

In M&G Investments' global outlook, we look ahead at the key trends shaping real estate, and identify stand out areas of opportunity in respective markets globally.

Cost disclosure - smoke and mirrors

Friday, November 13, 2020

Too many pension funds are criticised because the costs they disclose in financial statements are high. We should stop taking cheap shots and have more respect for funds that are going an extra mile on transparency.

ESG forever

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

First coined around a decade ago as an abbreviation for ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’, ESG only really entered common currency this year; yet confusion abounds as to what it’s all about.

Chinese Environmental Change - What is the impact?

Monday, October 19, 2020

Environmental changes can have a material impact on financial performance, so why compromise between financial return and ESG?

COVID-19 – A New Marshall Plan?

Friday, August 14, 2020

The exceptional market volatility and global economic impact that has come with the COVID-19 pandemic has brought an equally exceptional response from global policy makers....

A Technology Cold War?

Monday, August 3, 2020

We see a “technology cold war” as a major future risk for global investors. It might have far-reaching implications for industrial supply chains, technology companies and consumers everywhere. Our view on China remains constructive though...

The 80/20 Rule

Friday, July 10, 2020

Why the biggest investment costs are also the hardest to understand

A green light on ‘building back batter’ - Equities Market Perspective video July 2020

Thursday, July 9, 2020

In this month’s video Kirsty Clark, Investment Specialist at M&G Investments, comments on the growing focus on Sustainability and ESG issues in the wake of COVID-19, and how authorities, companies and investors have been responding.

The Growth of Private Equity Secondaries

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

The Global Financial Crisis provided opportunities and growth in the Secondaries market as a means to gain liquidity, but is that the same case today as a result of COVID-19? Or has the investment landscape changed? Neuberger Berman's Tristram Perkins and Benjamin Perl discuss what some of the key differences and similarities might be, along with how the Secondaries market has developed before the pandemic hit, as investors are adjusting to the “new normal” in today’s market.

Future Proofing Your Insurance

Monday, June 22, 2020

Considering buy-ins and longevity swaps for DB pension funds?

The long and winding road to recovery?

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Is this the low point for the UK economy and the start of a long road to recovery?

How many managers?

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

When could a multi-manager approach in China be particularly effective for the risk aware investor?

At the Peak of The Curve

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Asset Allocation Committee Outlook 2Q2020: Special Update by Neuberger Berman

PE Investing at Market Inflections

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Faced with the uncertainties of the COVID-19 crisis and demands for portfolio rebalancing, investors may be tempted to cut their private equity programs or re-think plans to expand them. In this short video interview, John Buser, Executive Vice Chairman—NB Alternatives, looks back to the dotcom era and the Great Financial Crisis to explain why he thinks they should stay the course.

Equity Investing as We Approach a “New Normal”

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Richard Nackenson, Neuberger Berman Equity Senior Portfolio Manager, discusses how investor psychology has changed over the past month and where he is finding investment opportunities as we approach a “new normal.”

Private Equity Perspectives “Moving from Defense to Offense”

Monday, May 18, 2020

David Stonberg, Global Co-Head of Private Equity Co-Investments at Neuberger Berman, provides an update on the private equity market and discusses deal activity in the Co-Investment space.

Trends in Private Market Investing

Friday, May 15, 2020

Sean Ward looks at the trends that are emerging across buyout managers and how this is impacting investor sentiment.

Recovery Scenarios and Emerging Themes

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Erik Knutzen, CFA, CAIA, Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Asset Class at Neuberger Berman shares insights on navigating the range of paths through the recovery and our playbook for capitalizing on investment themes.

Municipal Bond Market Update

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

James Iselin, Neuberger Berman’s Head of Municipal Fixed Income, discusses the potential for a rise in delinquencies and defaults across the municipal bond market.

Private Debt Through the Crisis

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Susan Kasser at Neuberger Berman explores the themes that remain consistent in private debt portfolios through the crisis and those that will likely reassert themselves following the dislocation.

Market Volatility – Closing Bell Insight

Monday, May 11, 2020

On this episode of Closing Bell Insights, Stephanie B. Luedke, Head of Private Wealth Management joins Joseph V. Amato, President and Chief Investment Officer of Equities at Neuberger Berman, as he shares an update on the current equity market environment and discusses what to potentially expect from an economic “restart”.

EM Equity: A Return to Fundamentals, but a Long Road ahead

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Conrad Saldanha, Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio Manager, discusses April’s EM equity market rally and the impact of falling oil prices on EM economies.

Perspective on Private Credit

Friday, May 8, 2020

Listen to David Lyon, Co-Head of Private Credit at Neuberger Berman as he discusses the current dislocation in the credit markets and the types of investment opportunities that may emerge as a result.

Opportunity in Credit Dislocation

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Michael Holmberg and John Humphrey of Neuberger Berman provide an update on the credit market dislocations resulting from the crisis, what is causing concern in the market and how to find the opportunities that are emerging.

Energy Update: Oil Prices Fall to Historic Lows

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Jeff Wyll, Neuberger Berman Senior Research Analyst, discusses the April 20th collapse in U.S. oil prices and the implications for investors in the energy sector.

Real Estate Investing through the Crisis

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Matthew Kaplan reviews the impact to different sectors of the real estate market resulting from COVID-19, where opportunities may arise as the market finds its footing.

Fixed Income Market Update: A Lower Volatility Environment

Monday, May 4, 2020

Ashok Bhatia, Neuberger Berman Deputy Chief Investment Officer - Fixed Income, discusses the decline of fixed income market volatility in April and provides an update on where his team is finding value across the fixed income markets.

The Health Care Sector through a COVID-19 Lens

Friday, May 1, 2020

Welcome to Disruptive Forces in Investing, a podcast series featuring Neuberger Berman’s seasoned investors who discuss trends that are transforming the investment industry and beyond.

European Private Equity Insights

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Joana Rocha Scaff, Head of Europe Private Equity at Neuberger Berman, delves into how European private equity firms are dealing with the crisis, best practices for investor communications and the importance of understanding the long and short term impact of the crisis.

Volatility Update: Swings in Sentiment Keep Volatility Levels Elevated

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Derek Devens, Neuberger Berman Option Group Portfolio Manager, talks about continuing volatility, the factors that could steer it one way or another and the potential implications for Options investors.

European Fixed Income Market Update

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

In this video, Investment Grade European Fixed Income Head at Neuberger Berman, Patrick Barbe provides an update on current conditions across bond markets, explaining what he believes marks an important turning point in the current situation. He also offers his outlook and an update on positioning, considering potential trends such as a shift away from globalization towards more domestically-oriented growth prospects.

A View of the Private Equity Environment

Monday, April 27, 2020

Anthony Tutrone, Global Head of Alternatives at Neuberger Berman, looks at private equity valuations through crises and the investment environment looking ahead.

Closing Bell Insights

Sunday, April 26, 2020

On this episode of Closing Bell Insights, Joseph V. Amato, President and Chief Investment Officer of Equities at Neuberger Berman, shares his market update and insights after the closing bell, including potential implications for investors.

High Yield Market Update: Volatility Persists

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Christopher Kocinski, Neuberger Berman U.S. High Yield Senior Portfolio Manager, discusses the factors that have contributed to the volatility in the non-investment grade credit market and how his team has adjusted portfolios as spreads have widened.

Uncorrelated Strategies Market Update

Friday, April 24, 2020

In this short video, Portfolio Manager, Fred Ingham provides an update on current conditions across uncorrelated strategies, offering his thoughts on both the short and longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on asset markets. He also updates on the positioning of Neuberger Berman’s portfolios.

Credit Dynamics

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Senior credit professionals Ashok Bhatia, Deputy CIO in Fixed Income, David Brown, Co-Head of Global Investment Grade Fixed Income, Susan Kasser, Co-Head of Private Credit and Joseph Lynch, Global Co-Head of Non-Investment Grade Credit at Neuberger Berman discuss the market implications and potential opportunities arising from the recent unusual market dynamics.

Real Estate Securities Market Update

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

In this short video, Gillian Tiltman, Portfolio Manager of the UK and Continental European portion of Neuberger Berman’s Real Estate Securities Group offers an update on real estate markets. Gillian explains why some of the longer-term secular demand trends her team have been focused on are now being highlighted by the current situation. She also updates on positioning across portfolios.

Covid-19 and the bulk annuity market

Monday, April 20, 2020

There are still benefits to be had from dealing in uncertain times.

Global High Yield Market Update

Monday, April 20, 2020

In this video update from Senior Portfolio Manager, Vivek Bommi at Neuberger Berman, we review conditions across global non-investment grade bond markets and offer our outlook for the asset class.

Capitalism meets Coronavirus

Friday, April 17, 2020

Despite the clearly tragic short-term impacts of the coronavirus, could the outbreak be an unintended agent of change? In this month’s video, Investment Director at M&G Investments, Ritu Vohora looks at the potential silver lining amidst the fear and the value of ESG to long-term investors, providing an important and alternative perspective on major issues affecting markets and economies today.

Perspectives on Liquidity

Friday, April 17, 2020

Anne Brennan, Chief Risk Officer and Ken DeRegt, COO for Fixed Income at Neuberger Berman, share their insights on managing liquidity in today’s markets, with a look at how this compares to 2008.

Macro Insights and Asset Allocation

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Erik Knutzen, Chief Investment Officer – Multi-Asset Class Strategies at Neuberger Berman, discusses the impact of last week’s Fed actions and stimulus package along with how this decline is different than 2008 in terms of markets and investment implications.

EMD Market Update

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Gorky Urquieta, Co-Head of the Neuberger Berman Emerging Markets Debt Team, discusses the factors that contributed to the sell-off of EMD assets over the past month and how the team is positioning portfolios in this volatile market environment.

COVID 19 – The Financial Impact

Thursday, April 2, 2020

The exponential spread of Coronavirus across the globe has driven a global market crash and, most likely, a deep economic recession. As businesses temporarily close or halt production, we do not yet know the legacy this will leave on the UK economy – or pension schemes.

Making good use of cost data: #3 – am I becoming more efficient?

Thursday, April 2, 2020

The Cost Transparency Initiative (CTI) templates are helping pension funds to get a grip on their investment costs – but how can funds make the data useful? There are three fundamental questions that pension fund Boards should expect answers on:

1. Are my costs reasonable?

2. Am I getting value-for-money?

3. Am I becoming more efficient?

Corporate Hybrid Bond Introduction

Monday, March 30, 2020

In this short video, Senior Portfolio Manager, Julian Marks offers an overview of corporate hybrid bond markets and outlines the philosophy and approach adopted across Neuberger Berman’s portfolios. He provides examples of the kinds of issuers the team typically consider and reviews current market conditions.

Introduction to our Multi-Asset Income Fund

Friday, March 6, 2020

In this short video, Joe Mc Donnell, Head of Portfolio Solutions & Portfolio Manager for Multi Asset Income looks at some of the themes driving demand for income as well as supply challenges in meeting this need. Joe outlines Neuberger Berman's approach to generating a consistent income through diversified multi asset class portfolios.

Making good use of cost data: #2 – am I getting value-for-money?

Monday, February 24, 2020

The Cost Transparency Initiative (CTI) templates are helping pension funds to get a grip on their investment costs – but how can funds make the data useful?

The Solvency Sharpe Ratio: Strategic Asset Allocation for Insurers

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Against the backdrop of shrinking risk-free asset allocations and growing allocations to alternative investments to maintain book yield, a well-designed strategic asset allocation (“SAA”) framework could help companies navigate risk and improve investment efficiency.

Making good use of cost data: #1 – are my costs reasonable?

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

The Cost Transparency Initiative (CTI) templates are helping pension funds to get a grip on their investment costs – but how can funds make the data useful?

The attraction of emerging markets

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Emerging markets role in a fund’s strategic asset allocation

The simple truth about LGPS investment costs

Thursday, January 23, 2020

The cost of investing LGPS assets is going to rise. It’s virtually guaranteed. This is despite the determined efforts of so many people inside and outside LGPS pooling.

Fixed Expense Investing

Monday, January 13, 2020

Low and even negative yields have turned some fixed income investing into “fixed expense” investing—but there are still good reasons to hold negative-yielding bonds.

Asia Bonds: Tactical Value for a Long-Term Opportunity

Friday, December 20, 2019

Asian debt exhibits robust fundamentals and bright long-term prospects, with attractive yields.

Two Cultures, One Aim

Thursday, December 19, 2019

How genuine collaboration between quantitative and fundamental analysts can enhance stock selection and portfolio construction.

De-risking: balancing risk and reward

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

With the majority of UK private sector defined benefit schemes now closed to future accrual, attention is on how best to de-risk those schemes, and what to do in the meantime if the scheme isn’t in a position to fully meet its liabilities yet.

Investment pathways and independent governance

Monday, November 11, 2019

With the increase in the use of drawdown options, the FCA has recently proposed governance remedies for issues centred on consumers who opt for drawdown without taking advice. These proposals are part of a wider drive for improved governance of workplace pensions and transparency for savers. So how did we arrive at this juncture, and what do providers need to do?

Three interest-rate cuts in three months, is the Fed done cutting?

Thursday, October 31, 2019

In this video from Manulife Investment Management, Chief Economist and Head of Macroeconomic Strategy Frances Donald, discusses the recent US interest rate cuts.

The appeal of Absolute return investing and Asia fixed income

Monday, October 28, 2019

Neal Capecci, Manulife Investment Management argues in this video that although there are rising trade tensions in the world, investors still find Asian bonds alluring.

Can offering ESG investment approaches help drive member engagement?

Thursday, October 24, 2019

This article from Karen Bolan, AHC, looks at the way ESG will impact engagement in investing and saving choices.

4 questions to consider when it comes to investment costs

Monday, October 14, 2019

Costs are important but don’t get dragged down a rabbit hole

Sign up for the business model of the future

Monday, October 14, 2019

Nimble companies are adopting subscription models to help grow their customer base and generate more predictable revenue streams.

Video game industry goes for the win

Friday, October 11, 2019

Capital Group investment professionals Nathan Meyer and Alan Wilson discuss their optimistic outlook for the multi-billion-dollar video games industry.

Keeping it local

Friday, October 11, 2019

RisCura takes debates the benefits of local specialists

The Fed cuts rates again amid low inflation. What’s keeping it down?

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Capital Group investment professionals discuss the implications of U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, loose global monetary policy and negative interest rates.

Argentina update: Q&A with EM debt investment analyst

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Argentina’s currency and financial markets have experienced a sharp selloff in recent weeks. Emerging markets (EM) debt investment analyst and portfolio manager at Capital Group, Steve Backes, gives his take on why market sentiment has soured, whether capital controls will bring stability and the outlook for Argentina.

ESG – A Global Issue?

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The role of the investment industry is key to changing ESG matters, however the processes involved are complex and have far reaching effects.

Thinking of investing in China?

Thursday, August 1, 2019

In this article, Riscura attempt to dispell myths about Chinese investing.

Learning with the World’s Top Funds – smarter, fairer, simpler

Monday, July 8, 2019

John Simmonds poses the question ‘where should we go in the world to find examples of really great pension funds?’ And his answer - Canada, Australia and Holland. There are unique characteristics in each that are worth reflecting on.

Putting the Cart before the Horse

Monday, May 13, 2019

John Simmonds tackles the issues of benchmarking when it comes to alternative investing.

Three ways to manage the impact of cash flows on DB pension schemes

Monday, May 13, 2019

Simon Hubbard takes us through the key points to consider when monitoring and managing a negative cashflow position.

Service management: A move from quantitative to qualitative key performance indicators (KPIs)

Thursday, March 21, 2019

In recent years, we have seen a distinct trend in the way success is measured. Outsourced pensions administrators were heavily reliant on quantitative information, and largely focused on time and volume as the primary measures of success. Whilst this was, of course, an easy way to measure the service, it was too simplistic.

The power of governance. Is it through delegation?

Friday, November 23, 2018

Does every decision need to go to the board? Do they need to assess manager performance at every meeting? Can asset owners allow decisions further down the organisation to be made through delegation?

Responsible Investing: Implications for Pensions

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

'Assets managed under some form of sustainable, responsible investing mandate across the globe grew from $18 trillion in 2014 to $23 trillion in 2016' Matt Tucker looks at the measures investment managers take to satisfy scheme trustees of their credentials in relation to responsible investing.

Integrating climate risks with your scenario planning

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

A new perspective on incorporating climate-related risks and opportunities in scenario analysis for strategic investment decision-making

A new solution to closing the income gap

Friday, August 31, 2018

UK defined benefit pension schemes are rapidly moving into cash flow negative territory, so the impending reality of fulfilling pension promises should be at the top of trustees’ agendas.

It’s time for a shift in perspective and look at assets in a new light – do they generate income?

Selecting delegated investment managers

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Learnings from e-commerce and beyond.

Ortec's Maurits van Joolingen shares his thoughts on ratings, reviews and choices when it comes to investment management.

Climate Change – can actuaries actually save the world?

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Chris Mason tackles the climate change topic and debates if the industry can do more to help.

Buy ins and buy outs: Be prepared (be very prepared)

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

The ever-growing volume of bulk annuity transactions has seen them become somewhat more standardised, but perhaps more importantly, the lawyers and consultants who regularly advise in this area now have established relationships (and precedent documentation) with most or all of the relevant insurers.

Does that make it easier to transact quickly? - Yes, but only up to a point.

Old and new worlds meet

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Active membership of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes has fallen by just over one million in the past seven years, with most predictions forecasting that the remaining 12% of still-active private sector DB schemes will close before the end of the next seven. While the pace of closures appears to be slowing, the outcome remains inevitable.

Emerging market debt demystified

Friday, June 8, 2018

Despite evolving as an asset class and becoming a strategic holding for many, emerging market (EM) debt can still be clouded by misconceptions and concerns for some investors. The reality is that these markets continue to mature, but still offer the potential for diversification and enhanced returns.

We examine the reality of EM debt investing and find that, while challenges remain, fixed-income investing in EM is more robust and investible than is often perceived.

Climate change

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Practical tips and guidelines for trustees

The deadline has passed

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Are trustees compliant?

Clearer, quicker, tougher

Monday, May 21, 2018

Clearer, quicker, tougher - why TPR's new mantra matters to you

PPF Levy – Do you know the score?

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Ahead of the PPF levy deadline Robert Palmer explains how checking your data is correct could save more than just money.

Delivering member benefits - focusing on the right risks?

Thursday, March 15, 2018

The current pensions’ legislative framework (be it funding, company accounting or solvency) encourages a focus on short-term risk metrics linked to movements in interest rates, but how well does this sit with a scheme’s long-term objective to deliver member benefits? This article explores some of the tension between these dynamics, discusses other risks that a scheme should be focusing on and reflects on the possible implications for leveraged LDI structures. We conclude that cash flow driven investment (CDI) principles should be central to a pension scheme‘s investment strategy to meet its long-term objective to pay member benefits.

EY Fiduciary management fees survey 2017

Monday, March 12, 2018

EY’s third survey on fiduciary management fees is now available, following our previous fee surveys in 2013 and 2015.

Fiduciary managers and demonstrating how they add value

Monday, March 5, 2018

Tej Donsanjh looks at the worth of outsourcing investment decisions to investment experts

Fiduciary management: time someone else ran the day-to-day?

Thursday, February 15, 2018

As the investment backdrop gets increasingly demanding, trustees need to show they can meet the challenges of today’s pensions schemes. But with their time and resources often under pressure, outsourcing their scheme’s day-to-day running to a fiduciary manager – while still keeping overall control – could be the solution.

Is the age of active management dead?

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Amanda Burdge discusses the merit of active and passive management in the correct environments.

Can you invest responsibly in emerging markets?

Monday, February 5, 2018

Two of Capital Group’s equity and fixed income analysts discuss the importance of good Governance when selecting companies and countries to invest in. In their view where the ‘G’ of ESG leads, the ‘E and the ‘S’ follow.

The importance of planning your DC risks

Friday, December 15, 2017

Sacha van Hoogdalem discusses the complexities associated with considering DC offerings as an alternative

AXA IM launches China fund

Thursday, September 21, 2017

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has launched the AXA World Funds China Short Duration Bonds fund, giving investors exposure to the 56 trillion (€7 trillion) renminbi (RMB) bond market.

Emerging market equity most popular asset class with pension schemes

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Emerging market equity is the asset class being considered by the most investors for the six months ahead, according to a survey of pensions schemes, asset managers, and consultants.

Worldwide pension fund assets increased in value in 2016

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Assets under management at the world's largest pension funds increased in value by 6.1%, $15.7 trillion in 2016, according to research from Willis Towers Watson.

Finnish fund drops US stocks from portfolio

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Finland's largest pension fund has reduced its US stocks after questioning the legitimacy of Donald Trump's presidency.

Buy-in and buy-out volumes almost double in first half of 2017

Thursday, August 10, 2017

UK pension schemes completed £5.1bn of pension buy-ins and buy-outs in the first half of 2017 – an 88% increase on the same period last year.

New fund launched for emerging markets

Friday, August 4, 2017

BMO Global Asset Management has launched a new fund that will invest in small companies in emerging markets.

Legal & General launches equity fund with Boots Pension Scheme

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Legal and General Investment Management (LGIM) has launched a multi-factor global equity fund with initial investment from Boots Pension Scheme.

Kames Capital launches new property fund

Friday, July 7, 2017

Kames Capital has launched a new fund that enables pension schemes to track the commercial property funds market.

PSP announces strong financial results

Thursday, June 15, 2017

One of Canada's largest pension investment managers has announced an increase in its net assets for 2017.

Lancashire County Pension Fund invests in London 'built-to-rent' development

Friday, June 9, 2017

Lancashire County Pension Fund (LCPF) has invested in a purpose-built rental development in Hayes, west London.

Shifting global trade patterns bring new opportunities

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

In this article Capital Group looks at the shifting global trade landscape, with the advancement in digital economies comes a host of difficulties and as their size grows, issues related to digital commerce and intellectual property gain prominence in trade agreements.

College of Law completes £28m pensioner buy-in

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

The College of Law Pension and Assurance Scheme has completed a £28million pension buy-in with Aviva.

BlackRock expands Tax Transparent Funds for UK schemes

Thursday, May 11, 2017

BlackRock is increasing its range of Tax Transparent Funds to meet the growing demand from UK pension funds.

AXA to divest from coal companies

Friday, April 28, 2017

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is divesting from companies that get more than half their revenue from coal.

Original thinking in emerging markets

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Understanding what drives valuations and differentiates markets is key to delivering attractive long-term investment returns

Bernard Matthews pension scheme owner 'lined own pockets'

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The former owners of Bernard Matthews lined their own pockets by rejecting a buyout offer that would have protected the company pension scheme, according to the Work and Pensions Committee.

A time for reflection

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

How often have you looked back and thought "it was obvious, why didn't I act?" Hindsight is a wonderful thing; the challenge is recognising when you are at a seminal moment in time. As we enter 2017, are we at such a moment?

Pensions schemes paying investment managers 70% more

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Investment managers are earning up to 70% more from pension schemes than they were six years ago, according to LCP's Investment Management Fee survey.

Remaining faithful to active investing

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

John "Jack" Bogle, the retired founder of The Vanguard Group, wrote in his Princeton University thesis in 1951 that mutual funds "may make no claim to superiority over the market averages" (1). While he expected "mutual funds to live up to this responsibility and become much more active in the future", it seems nothing much has changed.

Changes to public sector pension scheme asset allocation

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Public sector pension funds have increased their exposure to alternative assets over the last three years.

Bulk annuities topped £10bn in 2016

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Pension buy-ins and buy-outs by UK pension schemes came to £10.2bn in 2016, according to consultants LCP.

How the overlooked middle ground could help solve the cash flow challenge

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes are rapidly moving into cash flow negative territory. As their members grow older, it's time to make good on those pension promises.

New report looks at ESG risks for DC funds

Thursday, February 23, 2017

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has released a new report into the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks facing Defined Contribution (DC) pension schemes.

PiP acquires six solar farms

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP) is acquiring six solar farms from Trina Solar Limited, as part of its ongoing investment in UK infrastructure.

Land Securities Group scheme completes £110m buy-in

Thursday, February 9, 2017

The pension and assurance scheme of FTSE 100-listed company, Land Securities, has completed a £110million buy-in with insurer, Just.

Anticipating Real Estate Capital Markets Downturns

Monday, January 30, 2017

This paper discusses the importance of capital markets for real estate investing, identify tools and techniques for tracking capital markets across the globe, and provide a simple framework for collating he best leading indications of the next turning point in the current cycle in the three regions where are most active; North America, Europe and Asia – Pacific.

£25bn could be wiped off DB debt

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Trustees of the UK's defined benefit (DB) pension schemes could reduce the collective UK deficit by £25bn by more accurately predicting how long people will live.

Climate change framework launched

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Some of the UK's biggest pension schemes have co-founded an initiative to understand how the transition to a low carbon economy affects their investments.

PiP deal for Railways Pension Scheme

Thursday, December 15, 2016

The Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP) has helped to refinance a portfolio of 1,911 rooftop solar assets to provide £20.3million of inflation linked to debt capital for the Railways Pension Scheme.

MPs launch campaign for greener pension fund investment

Thursday, December 8, 2016

A cross-party group of MPs and 350.org, the climate campaign group, has launched a campaign calling for greater transparency on the Parliamentary pension fund.

PIP infrastructure fund completes first equity investment

Friday, December 2, 2016

The PIP Multi-Strategy Infrastructure Fund (MSIF) has acquired a portfolio of 31 individual wind turbines.

Workplace pension savers back higher contributions

Friday, November 18, 2016

More than half the people currently saving into a workplace pension would be willing to contribute more, according to new research by Aviva.

Trump victory benefits DB schemes

Friday, November 18, 2016

The total UK DB scheme deficit has gone down by more than £35bn since the US election result, according to pensions specialist Hymans Robertson.

Hymans Robertson introduces new DC approach

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Pensions and benefits consultancy Hymans Robertson has launched a new approach to Defined Contribution (DC) investment.

PLSA launches three new Made Simple guides

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Pension and Lifetime Savings Association launched three new guides at its annual conference in Liverpool last week.

Lifetime ISA popular with under 40s

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Two-thirds of workers under 40 would open a Lifetime ISA (LISA), according to new research from Hymans Robertson.

UK drops down two places on Australian pension index

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The UK has dropped from ninth to 11th in this year's Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (MMGPI).

Pension Funds could save £800k per year

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Greater transparency of costs and charges could have a significant, positive impact on pension funds, according to The Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT).

White paper says pension funds can reduce deficit

Thursday, October 6, 2016

MIDIS reports on the impact private debt market investments could have on UK pension fund liabilities.

China's Impact on Australian Real Estate

Friday, September 16, 2016

Focusing on how China has become enormously important to the Australian economy as its largest export destination, a rapid source of growth in inbound international tourism and migration, plus a strong source of foreign investment.

Pension Wise to extend service to advise on secondary annuity market

Friday, September 16, 2016

The government plans to create further access to Pension Wise for those considering selling their annuities.

The Case for UK Private Rented Sector

Monday, September 12, 2016

The UK PRS offers institutions a compelling combination of reliable income growth and robust capital values

The Chancellor announces plans for the launch of the new Lifetime ISA

Friday, September 9, 2016

The government announces they are close to launching the new Lifetime Savings Account with some firms saying they are ready to offer their own LISAs by April.

The Case for Investing in US Core Real Estate

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Providing efficient access to the diverse U.S. Market

Beginning of the end for DB schemes, says Hymans Robertson

Friday, September 2, 2016

The head of corporate consulting at independent consultant Hymans Robertson says Defined Benefit pensions will become a thing of the past.

Young people struggle to save, says PLSA

Friday, August 26, 2016

People aged between 18 and 35 feel pressured to save but feel they can't, according to new research from the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA).

DB schemes will buy £300bn of gilts

Thursday, August 25, 2016

A report from pensions specialist Hymans Robertson found demand from DB schemes to transact bulk annuity buy-ins will reach £350bn by 2026.

European Regional Economic Growth Index 2015

Thursday, August 18, 2016

LaSalle's annual European Regional Economic Growth Index (E-REGI) identifies European regions with the best economic prospects. Our analysis identifies that European regions, but our interest predominately goes out to the 100 major cities that are discussed in this report.

BlackRock completes final close for Renewable Income Europe Fund

Thursday, August 11, 2016

BlackRock Real Assets has completed the final close for its Renewable Income Europe fund with €650 million in commitments secured from more than 25 institutional investors in Europe and Asia.

ICI pension fund first to try new risk assessment technology

Thursday, August 4, 2016

New technology to help pension schemes assess longevity risk is now being used by its first schemes.

Legal & General to make longevity insurance mainstream

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Legal & General is joining forces with a specialist longevity information service to bring automated longevity insurance pricing to defined benefit (DB) pension schemes.

L&G completes £750million ICI buy-in

Thursday, July 21, 2016

The ICI Pension Fund has completed a £750million buy-in with Legal & General.

UK pension schemes see deficit decrease following Brexit

Thursday, July 14, 2016

LDI will have provided pension schemes with some protection after the EU referendum - says Xafinity.

BlackRock launches alternative income fund for UK DB schemes

Thursday, July 7, 2016

BlackRock has launched a new income fund for DB schemes which has access to a range of income sources.

Lifetime ISA 'not a threat'

Thursday, July 7, 2016

The introduction of the new Lifetime ISA, or LISA, in 2017 could encourage people to save, according to financial education specialist, Wealth at Work.

Brexit to fuel demand for UK pensions to be moved

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Brexit will be a trigger for people to move their British pensions out of the UK, according to deVere Group CEO Nigel Green.

Brexit uncertainty leads to increased DB scheme deficit

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Uncertainty in the lead up to yesterday's EU referendum led to the UK's collective DB pension deficit increasing to £850bn.

Smaller pension funds most at risk from volatile market

Thursday, June 16, 2016

The UK's smaller pension funds are more exposed than others to market volatility linked with the forthcoming EU referendum, according to new research.

Unilever pension chief joins 300 Club

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Mark Walker, the global chief investment officer and managing director of Unilever's internal pension investment organisation, is the latest new member of the 300 Club.

97% of large final salary schemes closed to new members

Thursday, May 26, 2016

The fourth annual survey of UK defined benefit (DB) schemes with assets over £1billion has found just three per cent are still open to new members.

PiP reaches £125million for UK infrastructure

Thursday, April 28, 2016

The Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP) has secured GBP 125million of pension scheme investor commitments for its PiP multi-strategy fund.

UK millennials to embrace annuities

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Younger people intend to include annuities in their retirement strategies, despite sweeping changes to pension rules, a new survey has found.

Wealthy professionals choose risk over retirement

Friday, April 15, 2016

Wealthy professionals are rejecting retiring at 65 in favour of starting a business, pursuing an alternative career or doing good, according to a new report by UBS Wealth Management.

PLSA responds to European Commission consultation

Friday, April 8, 2016

The PLSA has responded to the European Commission's consultation on long-term and sustainable investment.

Details of Legal & General bulk annuity deal with Kingfisher

Friday, April 1, 2016

L&G revealed it had completed the UK's largest medically underwritten bulk annuity with a UK defined benefit pension scheme, in December 2015.

Will the new Lifetime ISA impact pensions as much as initially feared?

Thursday, March 24, 2016

During last week's budget the Lifetime ISA (LISA) was announced and the focus turned to the future of pensions.

Fund managers should treat climate change as 'significant risk'

Friday, March 18, 2016

Climate change will have far reaching implications for companies and assets that pensions funds invest in, according to chief investment officer at The Pensions Trust, David Adkins.

PiP launches infrastructure fund

Friday, March 11, 2016

The Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP) launched the PiP "multi-strategy infrastructure fund" this week with a target size of £1billion.

Experts divided on flat rate tax relief

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Fundamental changes to tax relief are coming and everyone agrees that an ISA-style system won't work - but is a flat rate the answer?Sara Benwell, digital editor of Pensions Insight and Engaged Investor explores the alternatives.

Local government pension scheme consultation closes

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

A government consultation on revoking and replacing LGPS regulation has been welcomed by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association.

M&G launches first investment in European long lease property

Friday, February 19, 2016

M&G Investment has launched a new fund offering pension funds and other investors the opportunity to invest in European real estate.

Barnet Waddingham recognised for 'outstanding' customer service

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Barnett Waddingham has been assessed as 'outstanding' for its customer service levels for SIPP and SSAS

Royal Mail first to receive PASA accreditation

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has announced Royal Mail is the first organisation to achieve reaccreditation.

Haringey to invest £200m in green fund

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Haringey Borough Council in London has pledged to invest one third of its equity funds into a low carbon fund.

DB schemes have more than £1trillion of unhedged interest rate exposure

Thursday, January 14, 2016

UK defined benefit (DB) schemes have more than £1trillion of unhedged interest rate exposure, despite the value of assets held on bonds nearly tripling over the past decades, new research has revealed.

Climate change agreement to impact investors

Friday, December 18, 2015

Investors needs to consider how the new climate change agreement will change their investment portfolios, according to the head of sustainable funds at Royal London Asset Management.

Hermes report outlines sustainable strategy

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Hermes Investment Management, the £29.5billion manager, has published a report outlining how to deliver sustainable, risk adjusted returns.

LGPS group invests £6.5bn in pooled funds

Thursday, December 3, 2015

The Shires, a group of seven UK Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds, is investing £6.5bn in pooled funds managed by Legal & General

Autumn statement: Guidance published for pooling LGPS into wealth funds

Thursday, November 26, 2015

The government has published criteria and guidance for pooling the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) into six 'British Wealth Funds' worth at least £25bn each.

The New Geography of Investing

Friday, November 20, 2015

Today's investment environment requires a truly global perspective, a vision that takes into account the changing nature of the world's economies and markets. Because multinational or global companies now represent a driving force in worldwide economic integration, it may no longer be sufficient to follow the traditional paradigm of investing in companies based on their country of domicile. The domicile approach to measuring geographic exposures - one of the primary building blocks of asset allocation - arguably is less relevant and increasingly disconnected from the fundamentals that drive companies and portfolios. We believe an additional way to look at companies, and evaluate portfolios, is to consider where those companies do business, not where they are headquartered - an approach that contributes to a 'new geography of investing'.

Charities failing to take action on fossil fuels

Friday, November 13, 2015

Fewer than a third of UK charities have looked at the debated issue of fossil fuel exclusion, according to the second annual Newton Charity Investment Survey.

AXA bond to help transition to low carbon

Thursday, November 12, 2015

AXA Investment Mangers has launched a new 'green' bonds fund to provide its investors with access to the growing global green bonds market.

German city bans fossil fuel investments

Friday, November 6, 2015

The City of Munster has become the first German city to ban investments in coal, oil and gas companies in response to climate change.

Aviva and PSP in joint venture into London real estate

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Aviva Life & Pensions UK is investing in central London real estate, in a joint venture with one of Canada's largest pension investment managers.

Half of DB schemes are paying out more than they receive

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Findings of a pensions analysis report show half of FTSE350 DB schemes are already cashflow negative - or soon will be.

Volatility is the future

Monday, October 19, 2015

William Hague and Stephanie Flanders speaking at the NAPF conference this week talk of volatile times ahead.

Swedish national pension funds may drop Volkswagen

Thursday, October 1, 2015

The third Swedish national pension fund, AP3, has announced plans to drop Volkswagen AG as an investment option as the emissions scandal continues to affect returns.

Welsh pension funds to merge holdings

Friday, September 25, 2015

Eight local government pension schemes (LGPS) in Wales are to procure a joint passive equity manager.

Pensioners pay multi-billion pound income tax bill

Friday, September 25, 2015

UK pensioners pay more than £17.5billion in income tax every year, according to new analysis of recent ONS data by Prudential.

Legal & General to manage £13bn National Grid assets

Thursday, September 17, 2015

A long-term strategic partnership between National Grid UK Pension Scheme and Legal & General will oversee £13billion of assets.

Seven LGPS funds to join forces

Friday, September 4, 2015

A group of seven local government schemes are working together on an initiative for passively managed assets.

Fossil fuel not the future

Friday, September 4, 2015

Calls for further divestment from fossil fuels came from environmental leaders at a conference on divestment in France.

DB pension transfer requests double

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Pension transfer requests from DB schemes to DC schemes have doubled since the pension reform in April, according to research from one provider.

Norwegian fund divestment over environmental concerns

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Norway's sovereign wealth fund is removing four Asian companies from its investment portfolio for ethical reasons.

BT to invest £1bn in private equity

Thursday, August 13, 2015

BT's pension scheme is investing GBP 1bn in private equity through Hermes.

Manchester pension fund invests £10m in renewable energy

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) has committed GBP 10bn to community-scale renewable energy projects.

Northern firms make the most generous pension contributions

Friday, August 7, 2015

More than a quarter of SMEs in the north of the country are planning to pay more than the minimum auto-enrolment contributions.

PIP secures £1bn for investment into UK infrastructure

Friday, July 10, 2015

The Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PIP) has secured more than £1bn of commitments from pension schemes to invest into UK infrastructure.

Staffordshire Housing Association in £22m deal with M&G Investments

Thursday, July 9, 2015

M&G investments has struck a deal with a housing association to secure long-term cash flows for its pension fund clients.

Four UK pension schemes commit to PV Fund

Friday, June 26, 2015

The Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PiP) and Aviva Investors have today announced first close on the solar photovoltaics (PV) fund.

NAPF concern over secondary annuity market

Thursday, June 25, 2015

The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has expressed a number of concerns in response to HM Treasury's consultation, 'Creating a Secondary Annuity Market'.

Pension liabilities outstrip GDP for the first time, says Hymans Robertson

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Figures released this week from independent pensions, benefits and risk consultancy Hymans Robertson, show that the financial cost of settling liabilities has reached £2tn.

Aviva Investors completes new funding arrangement for 307 homes

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Global asset manager Aviva Investors has announced a new funding agreement with Genesis Housing Association.

June 5th, Divestment day for Norway

Friday, June 5, 2015

As fossil fuel divestment becomes one of the fastest campaigns of its kind in history the world's largest pension fund is set to divest from coal.

Diversified growth funds see fivefold growth

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Assets in Diversified Growth Funds (DGFs) have grown almost fivefold in five years, according to figures from investment consultant Punter Southall.

Aviva completes Social Housing Fund arrangement in North Wales

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Global asset manager Aviva has completed a new funding arrangement for 177 affordable homes in Wales.

Falkirk pension fund to benefit from social housing grant

Thursday, May 7, 2015

A multi-million pound grant for a social housing initiative in Falkirk, Scotland has been brought forward, generating additional income for the council's pension fund.

Global debate on fossil fuel divestment heats up

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Fossil fuel divestment is hitting the headlines once again this week.

RWC launched Japan Focus Fund

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Investment manager RWC Partners has launched RWC Nissay Japan Focus Fund, which has day one investors totaling approximately $40m with a significant pipeline.

F&C Investments appointed by Dutch supermarket pension fund

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Coop Pensioenfonds has appointed F&C Investments, part of BMO Global Management, to manage its liability matching portfolio.

Pension Protection Fund sells £150m stake in Harworth Estates Property Group

Thursday, March 26, 2015

The PPF has sold its stake in Harworth Estates, the property group split from UK Coal, back to Coalfield Resources.

London Assembly votes to divest from fossil fuels

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The London Assembly has today passed a motion calling on City Hall and the London Pension Fund Authority to divest from fossil fuels.

Morgan Advanced Materials appoints BlackRock to manage £200m assets

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The trustees of Morgan Advanced Materials' pension schemes - The Morgan Pension Scheme and The Morgan Group Senior Staff Pension and Life Assurance Scheme - have appointed BlackRock as fiduciary manager for their combined assets of around £200 million.

Pension funds play key role in Eurostar buy out

Thursday, March 5, 2015

A group of British pension funds have secured 10 per cent of rail company Eurostar as the UK government sold off its share of the company for GBP 585.1m.

Danish funds to divest from fossil fuels

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Danish academics, engineers and lawyers are set to vote on divesting their €32bn (£23bn) pension funds from the fossil fuels that drive climate change.

Deloitte launched defined benefit pensions master trust

Thursday, February 26, 2015

A multi-employer pension plan specifically for defined benefit (DB) schemes has been launched by Deloitte.

MPs' pension pot under threat from 'carbon bubble'

Friday, February 20, 2015

The GBP 478million Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund is in danger of taking a financial hit if they do not divest from fossil fuels, a group of MPs and Lords has warned.

EU launches landmark green paper

Friday, February 20, 2015

The European Commission has launched its landmark project to unlock funding for businesses in Europe.

UK pension funds push for responsible investment

Friday, February 13, 2015

Sixteen of the UK's largest pension funds have joined forces to ensure asset managers fulfil the promises they make regarding responsible investment.

ECB quantitative easing announcement provokes mixed response

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Industry experts are divided over whether the impact of the larger than expected quantitative easing plans announced by the European Central Bank (ECB) will be positive.

Bedfordshire joins Glasgow in fossil fuel commitment

Friday, January 23, 2015

The University of Bedfordshire has become the second higher education institution in the UK to commit to not investing in the fossil fuel industry.

Emerging markets present good opportunity for 2015

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Emerging markets expert Ashmore has urged investors to keep sight of the big picture despite global volatility in the year ahead.

M&G Investments acquires £173.4million Gala Bingo Portfolio

Thursday, January 8, 2015

International investments manager M&G has completed a sale and lease back deal with Gala Leisure Limited on a portfolio of 47 bingo clubs.

M&G funds £4.9billion of private financing deals

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Diversifying funding sources has been a driving force behind investors' re-financing decisions this year, according to investment manager M&G Investments.

Global survey finds investors confident despite market risks

Thursday, December 18, 2014

A survey of institutional investors that collectively manage $31trillion in assets has found confidence is high across the globe when it comes to meeting long-term objectives.

Allianz Global invests in refinancing of student accommodation

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Diversified global investment manager, Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI), has invested £119.7 million in the refinancing of the student accommodation project at the University of Exeter.

First stage of ground-breaking pension partnership launches

Friday, December 5, 2014

Lancashire County Pension Fund and the London Pensions Fund Authority have announced the first stage in the development of a ground-breaking Asset and Liability Management Partnership.

US students demand divestment from fossil fuels

Monday, December 1, 2014

Students in Washington took part in the largest on-campus demonstration in the history of the divestment movement to demand that administrators divest from fossil fuels.

Rothesay Life announces £185m Makro bulk annuity

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Rothesay Life has completed a bulk annuity with a pension scheme for former staff of the cash & carry chain, Makro.

UN secretary general advises pension funds to divest from fossil fuels

Thursday, November 6, 2014

The United Nations has become the latest voice calling on pension funds to cut investments in oil companies and other fossil fuel businesses in a bid to tackle climate change.

Non-disclosure agreements are an 'outrage'

Friday, October 31, 2014

Questions have been raised about the fairness of non-disclosure agreements between asset managers and pension funds.

Danish get tough on hedge funds

Thursday, October 23, 2014

New rules to clampdown on the pensions industry's dealings with hedge funds are being introduced in Denmark.

Greens call for fossil fuel divestment

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has called on the £487m Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund to pull its investments out of fossil fuels and shift them to sustainable sources.

African investment is the future,' Sir Bob tells NAPF conference

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Fund managers were urged by Sir Bob Geldof to focus their attention on Africa instead of China at this week's annual conference of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).

Danish investors back €1bn energy saving infrastructure

Thursday, October 9, 2014

A new infrastructure fund focussing on European and US energy assets has received DKK8bn (€1.05bn) from six Danish pension funds and two banks.

Hedge funds trimmed by top pension funds

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Two of the UK's largest pension funds are reducing exposure to hedge funds to the tune of several billion.

Industry veteran to head Pensions Infrastructure Platform

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The UK's National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has appointed industry veteran Mike Weston as chief executive of Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PIP).

New UN coalition to reduce carbon footprint of 500bn dollars

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Leading European pension funds are joining forces with the United Nations Environment Programme and its Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) to reduce the carbon footprint of $500bn of worldwide institutional investment.

The Real Estate Investable Universe 2014

Friday, September 19, 2014

In our latest Real Estate Investable Universe update, we estimate that institional investors – one third of them public real estate companies – own $7.6 trillion of commercial real estate, approximately 16% of the total value of global commercial real estate. This absolute size estimate, and its segmentation for different owner types and across countries, provides a baseline for assessing property allocations and the impact of capital market flows on real estate.

LPFA to fund London housing development

Thursday, September 18, 2014

The London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) has been appointed to finance 85% of a housing project in East London.

Passive funds could improve pension scheme returns

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Large pension funds could get an additional £3.8m return per year if they invest through passive funds rather than active funds because they are cheaper and perform better, research has revealed.

Student Accommodation in the UK

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Introduction – What is UK Student accommodation?

Pension Plans and Real Estate

Monday, September 15, 2014

Pension plans are evolving, and the vehicles they use to invest in real estate are adapting alongside them. All pension systems have the same goal: providing retirement income. But they reach this goal by many different paths.

ISA Global Overview

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

In this video, LaSalle Investment Managementgives a global overview of the economic recovery.

DC schemes to change default investment strategy design

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Nearly 66% of trustees are looking to change their default strategy within the next 18 months following the Budget 2014 pension reforms, according to research by SEI.

Pension scheme funding improvements prompts new approaches

Friday, August 22, 2014

Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes should be changing their approach and diverting sponsor contributions into alternative financing strategies as schemes climb towards a healthier funding status.

BoE examines structural trends in investment allocation by pension funds

Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Bank of England (BoE) has published a discussion paper which examines trends in the investment decisions of insurance companies and pension funds.

Pensions Institute calls for full disclosure on investment fees

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The "visible and hidden" costs of investment management should be fully disclosed, the Pensions Institute has said.

UK pension schemes miss out on £1.7bn in potential returns

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Pension schemes in the UK are losing out on £1.7bn in potential annual returns by accepting passive-style performance from actively managed funds.

UK schemes' pace of exit from equities slows

Thursday, May 15, 2014

UK pension schemes have reduced their equity exposure by only 2% over 2013, which is the slowest rate since the financial crisis, Mercer has said.

PFZW enters into risk sharing deal with Rabobank

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW) has entered into a risk sharing transaction with Rabobank concerning a portfolio of corporate loans to help stimulate the Dutch economy.

UK pension assets hit record high in 2013

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

UK institutional pension fund assets grew over 13% during 2013, hitting an all-time high of over £2trn, Towers Watson has said.

FTSE 100 pension schemes continue to shift equities into bonds

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

FTSE 100 companies pension schemes are continuing the shift from equities into bonds despite the recent rally in the equity market, JLT Employee Benefits (JLT EB) has found.

Storebrand excludes ten more coal companies

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Norwegian pension fund Storebrand has excluded ten companies in the utilities sector as a result of a decision to further reduce its investments in coal.

Devon Pension Fund invests in infrastructure fund

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Devon County Council Pension Fund has announced that it is committing to invest £40m in Aviva Investors' returns enhancing and liability matching (REaLM) strategies, as part of a recent increase in allocation to infrastructure investments.

PensionDanmark invests in new climate investment fund

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

PensionDanmark has announced that it is investing DKK200m in the Danish Climate Investment Fund.

PGGM divests from five Israeli banks

Thursday, January 9, 2014

PGGM has decided to divest from five Israeli banks because they are involved in financing Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Dutch pension fund manager has said.

PIC invests in second Manchester PFI bond

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has invested £74m in a PFI project to enable Manchester City Council to begin a regeneration scheme.

PRI to appoint independent advisor for governance review

Monday, January 6, 2014

The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Initiative is planning to appoint an external independent advisor to review the organisation's governance.

Danish pension funds leave PRI organisation

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Six Danish pension funds have decided to leave the private organisation behind the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

LPFA and Adveq co-invest in Secured Mail

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) and global private equity investor Adveq have co-invested in a UK postal operator with growth capital investor Next Wave Partners.

PensionDanmark invests £153m in UK wind farms

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

PensionDanmark is set to invest approximately £153m in six wind farms in the UK which are owned by Falck Renewables.

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan agrees to buy UK biscuit maker

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) has announced an agreement to buy a large biscuit maker in the UK.

USS invests in The Airline Group

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Universities Superannuation Scheme Limited (USS) has announced that it will acquire a 49.9% non-controlling stake in The Airline Group Limited.

Pension funds must become 'climate conscious investors'

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Pension funds in the UK must do more to recognise the growing financial risks of climate change, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and unions have said.

Pension funds should change poor-performing investment approach

Friday, October 25, 2013

Defined benefit (DB) schemes in the UK could be losing millions of pounds in high costs and poor fund performance if they adopt static asset allocations using active fund managers, an investment adviser has said.

Law Commission publishes review of fiduciary duties

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

A consultation paper reviewing how 'fiduciary duties' apply to investment intermediaries has been published by the Law Commission and welcomed by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF).

Trustees increasingly willing to consider alternative assets

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Pension scheme trustees are increasingly willing to consider a wider range of asset classes than has previously been the case, Aon Hewitt has found.

Swedish AP funds divest from 4 companies

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Sweden's state-managed funds have announced that they will divest their holdings in Walmart, Freeport McMoRan, Incitec Pivot and Potash due to ethical concerns.

AE debate must now focus on how the money is invested

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

One year into the auto-enrolment project the focus should now shift to how the money will be invested, AllianceBernstein has said.

Schemes increased hedging activity in Q2 2013

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Pension scheme hedging activity increased in Q2 2013 following potential concerns of a rise in inflation and large rise in rates in the second half of the quarter, F&C Investments has found.

Dutch funds invest 14% domestically

Friday, August 30, 2013

Dutch pension funds invested over 14% of €960bn pension assets domestically at the end of March this year, a survey has revealed.

UK schemes have a "narrow view" of property investment

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Many UK schemes are not approaching their property investment in the right way and are missing out on better returns or taking more risk than necessary, an investment adviser has said.

UK schemes plan to increase or retain fixed income exposure

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Nearly two out of three UK pension fund managers plan to retain or increase their current exposure to fixed income over the next three years despite uncertainty about the prospects for the asset class, research from Aquila Capital has found.

BT Pension Scheme enters partnership with Canada Pension Plan

Thursday, July 25, 2013

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and the BT Pension Scheme (BTPS) have formed a 50:50 joint property venture.

Pension funds are failing to manage cash flow effectively

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Almost one third of defined benefit (DB) schemes already expect to be cash flow negative this year and the trend is expected to increase, according to the findings of a survey of UK DB schemes.

Growing confidence in frontier markets

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Nearly one in five pension fund managers believe that frontier markets have the biggest potential for equity gains over the next ten years, research by Baring Asset Management (Barings) has found.

Pension funds continue to have "faith" in alternative assets

Monday, July 8, 2013

Pension fund alternative assets allocations now account for around 19% of all pension fund assets globally, a Towers Watson study has found.

Storebrand divests from fossil fuel firms

Monday, July 8, 2013

Norwegian pension fund and life insurance firm Storebrand has excluded 13 coal and six oil sands companies from all investments following the latest sustainability analysis of the energy sector.

PMI collaborates with Mott MacDonald

Thursday, July 4, 2013

The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has entered into a partnership with an engineering, management and development consultancy.

PFZW shuns tobacco industry

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Pensioensfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW) has excluded tobacco products from its investments, the Dutch fund announced.

PPF enhances its responsible investment framework

Monday, June 24, 2013

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) reinforced its commitment to responsible and sustainable investing by enhancing its Responsible Investment (RI) framework.

PensionDanmark to invest $200m in Cape Wind

Friday, June 21, 2013

PensionDanmark announced that it will be investing $200m in America's first offshore wind farm.

LDI market increases by 11% in 2012

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The liability driven investment (LDI) market rose by 11% in 2012 to cover £446bn of UK pensions scheme liabilities, a KPMG survey has revealed.

Liability shortfall still drives "significant" investment strategy changes

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Major changes in investment strategy are still being driven by a liability shortfall, a new survey has revealed.

Canadian pension fund partners with Crown Estate in development deal

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Crown Estate, which manages property on behalf of the Queen, will be working with a major Canadian pension fund in a £320m partnership to develop an area in central London.

Local authority pension funds create 'investing for growth' initiative

Friday, May 24, 2013

Five local authority pension funds are seeking expressions of interest from asset managers in a new investment initiative to deliver financial returns and create a positive economic impact.

NAPF launches responsible investment guide

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

A new guide has been launched by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) to encourage its members to invest responsibly by considering 'extra-financial factors'.

DC schemes need better diversification

Monday, May 20, 2013

Defined contribution (DC) members are receiving "inferior" investment services compared to defined benefit (DB) members through a more restricted access to asset classes, a report stated.

Danish pension funds support PPPs for infrastructure projects

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Infrastructure projects in Denmark should be based on public-private partnerships (PPPs), a new report from Danish pension funds has revealed.

PIP begins search for investment managers

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PIP) will soon begin its search for investment managers to look after some, or all, of the PIP's target £2bn assets.

Pension funds need agile investment strategies, says Aon Hewitt

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Pension funds need to remain agile in their investment strategies, Aon Hewitt has said.

LGPS encouraged to invest in UK residential property

Friday, April 26, 2013

UK residential property should be included in local government pension schemes' (LGPS) multi-asset portfolios, said a residential property fund manager.

Dairy Crest pays for scheme with cheese

Friday, April 19, 2013

Dairy Crest Group Pension Fund's liabilities have been backed by £60m worth of the company's maturing cheese, it has been revealed.

UK DB schemes to reduce equities in 2013

Monday, April 15, 2013

Over one third of UK defined benefit (DB) schemes plan to reduce their exposure to domestic equities in 2013 and one third are looking to increase diversification into alternative assets, according to a new survey.

Great rotation theory is misleading, says strategist

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The term 'great rotation', where institutional asset allocations are switched from bonds to equities, is misleading and there is little evidence to support it, said a strategist from Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM).

Fiduciary Management Insights Overview 2013

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

During 2012, Ernst & Young hosted a series of four webcasts to introduce pension trustees and company representatives to the concept of fiduciary management. In all, over 500 individuals participated in these webcasts. During the webcasts, we asked participants for their thoughts on a variety of subjects.

Pension fund investment helps finance green infrastructure project

Monday, March 25, 2013

Pension fund investment has helped to secure a transaction to fund what is expected to be one of the UK's largest NHS energy centres.

Launch of new ethical target date fund range

Friday, March 22, 2013

Target date funds are now becoming part of the landscape, said AllianceBernstein at the launch of its new range of ethical target date funds for the UK defined contribution (DC) market.

Infrastructure project secures 10th pension fund

Monday, February 18, 2013

A new initiative to support pension funds investing in infrastructure has now secured ten funds as founding investors, and reached £1bn of investment capital.

Norwegian Pension Fund makes first US real estate investment

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Norwegian Pension Fund Global has made its first real estate investment in the US, buying almost 50% of five office properties owned by TIAA-CREF.

More pension funds set to use ETFs

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

New research from State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) reveals that nearly half of European pension funds and fund managers plan to increase allocation to exchange trading funds (ETFs) over the next five years.

School shooting sparks US pension investment debate

Friday, January 18, 2013

Several US pension funds are announcing that they are, or are considering, divesting from certain arms manufacturers, in light of the Connecticut school atrocities that occurred last month.

Investment firm sets up 3.0 investment model

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A new asset management firm has been formed to proactively engage with the companies it invests in, a practice they have coined 'ownership investing'.

LGPS might get more freedom to invest in infrastructure

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The UK government is launching a consultation looking at the possibility of giving local authority pension schemes more freedom to invest in infrastructure. The move would pave the way for a possible £22bn cash injection into UK infrastructure projects.

New report shows effects of DB scheme deficits on UK business investment

Monday, November 5, 2012

The high levels of defined benefit (DB) pension scheme deficits are hampering the ability of UK companies to invest in their business, according to new research published this week.

QE impact on pension funds "exaggerated"

Friday, November 2, 2012

The overall impact of quantitative easing (QE) on pension funds has been "exaggerated" according to consultancy firm Towers Watson.

Trustees still believe in equities

Friday, November 2, 2012

Trustees and pension fund executives, representing schemes with assets in excess of £90bn, voted overwhelmingly in favour of equities still playing a vital role in closed DB schemes at a recent Pension Investment Academy (PIA) debate held in London.

Pension Protection Fund "in good shape"

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Despite difficult economic conditions, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) says it remains in good shape to face future challenges and is confident that it can continue to look after its members' futures.

NAPF and PPF name PIPs founding investors

Thursday, October 18, 2012

The NAPF and PFF today announced the first schemes which have come on board as founding investors in the Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PIP).

"UK pension schemes not fully de-risked until after 2040"

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

On current trends it will be around 2040 before UK private-sector defined benefit (DB) pension schemes can fully de-risk unless they consider alternative strategies, according to Towers Watson.

Manchester council pension fund signs groundbreaking house building scheme

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Greater Manchester Pension Fund has signed a deal with town hall chiefs that will see £25m of pension cash fund house building in a bid to revitalise the region's ailing housing market.

UK pension schemes warned of "investment blind spot"

Monday, September 10, 2012

Aon Hewitt's 2012 Delegated Investment survey shows governance issues are still affecting the investment approach of pension schemes.

Pension funds remain under-invested in emerging markets, says L&G

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) says long-term investors remain under-invested in emerging markets and do not use the opportunities at hand.

Pension schemes drive inflation hedging levels to new record

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The volume in inflation hedging transactions carried out for liability hedging purposes hit a new record high in the second quarter of this year, according to F&C's Liability Driven Investment (LDI) survey.

Government infrastructure fund on track to launch early next year

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The first multi-billion pound infrastructure fund in the UK to be funded by pension scheme investors seems to be on track to be launched early 2013 as the pensions industry has shown strong support for the plans.

Pension schemes want infrastructure investment cap removed

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Local government pension schemes around the country are willing to invest in infrastructure as suggested by the government but say the current cap on such investments will have to be removed or changed before they are able to do so.

Pension funds make Australian real estate project possible

Monday, July 9, 2012

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, the investment side of the Canadian state retirement plan (Canadian Pension Plan - CPP), has committed itself to making its largest real estate investment up to date with a CAD 1bn (£632m) investment in an Australian real estate project.

Pension schemes' interest in LDI strategies grows

Monday, June 25, 2012

A new study reports that the number of UK pension schemes that move away from investments in equities and more towards alternative and liability matching assets, is likely to increase "significantly" over the next three years.

World's fourth largest pension scheme opens office in London

Monday, June 25, 2012

The fourth largest pension scheme in the world, the South Korean state pension fund (NPS) has opened a new office in London. The scheme holds assets worth $320bn according to the latest data held by Pension Funds Online. The move is designed to expand the scheme's international portfolio of assets.

Korea's National Pension Fund to increase domestic stock exposure

Friday, June 22, 2012

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), one of the world's largest pension schemes, plans to buy KRW 6.6tn (£3.6bn) in domestic equities next year.

Pension schemes pull back from infrastructure

Friday, June 8, 2012

A leading publication for infrastructure finance and investment published its proprietary ranking of the 30 largest infrastructure investors by size this week, revealing the total figure for direct infrastructure investment by pension funds has decreased to $49.46bn this year from $53.9bn last year.

BT Pension Scheme acquires a minority stake in Thames Water

Friday, June 8, 2012

The BT Pension Scheme has agreed to acquire a 13% stake in Thames Water through a shareholding in Kemble Water Holdings Limited in order to increase its exposure to domestic infrastructure investments that have a natural linkage to UK inflation.

European pension funds move away from equities as Euro-zone crisis deepens

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Pension fund allocations to equities are increasingly replaced with alternatives as European investors seek to cover themselves from the increasing volatility created by the Euro-zone crisis, Mercer's annual European Asset Allocation Survey says.

Consolidate pension funds and take advantage of British infrastructure, says Canadian pensions boss

Thursday, May 24, 2012

The head of one of the world's largest pension funds, the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), called upon UK-based pension funds to consolidate in order to "build funds of sufficient scale and capability to become true long-horizon investors".

Schemes explore de-risking strategies as DB membership falls sharply

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

A new industry report from Clear Path Analysis states that pension schemes are exploring de-risking strategies as DB membership falls sharply.

Tesco to manage own pension scheme in bid to up returns

Friday, May 11, 2012

Tesco, one of the world's largest retailers, says it will manage its own pension scheme - one of the largest final salary schemes in the UK - in order to maximise returns and become independent of consultants.

PMI partners with Aberdeen Asset Management to extend advice on Emerging Markets

Friday, May 11, 2012

The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) and Aberdeen Asset Management announced that they will join forces in an expert partnership in order to deliver high quality information and guidance to the industry about investing in emerging markets.

Pension and healthcare costs threaten US debt calamity

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Demographic challenges and poor economic prospects threaten to send the next US administration into posting uncontrollable deficit figures, according to Legal & General Investment Management.

Asset manager APG to increase Asia property investments for ABP pension scheme

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Dutch asset manager APG, which manages about €299bn for the Netherlands' civil servant pension scheme ABP, said it will increase investments in Asian properties to tap economic growth in the region, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Ken Livingstone aims to call upon pension funds to build London's future

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Ken Livingstone, candidate for the role of Mayor of London, said he would call upon pension funds to help fund infrastructure projects in the capital if he wins the elections on 3 May.

Catastrophe bonds try to break new ground in pensions despite rift of opinion

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Pension funds can reap rewards from record issuance of catastrophe bonds, claims a new Clear Path Analysis study.

Local government pension schemes talk merging to cut costs and invest in infrastructure

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

London's local authorities are in talks about combining their pension funds in order to cut administration costs and invest up to £2.5bn a year in infrastructure projects in the capital.

DC pensions anger fuels tanker drivers' strike

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tanker drivers voting to strike are angry at their inability to move defined contribution (DC) pension pots with them to new employers.

South Korean pension scheme to boost British infrastructure

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The government is expecting a boost for British infrastructure projects after the South Korean National Pension Service (NPS) has announced it is to set up office in the UK's capital.

Comment: The pension infrastructure fund - three questions that need answering

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Last week's announcement of a new industry-backed infrastructure platform at a National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) conference was made with some vital elements left unexplained.

NAPF and PPF confirm creation of pension scheme infrastructure fund

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Alan Rubenstein, chairman of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and Joanne Segars, chief executive of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), have confirmed the launch of a new UK infrastructure platform for pension schemes.

Salmond urges pension schemes to invest in Scotland

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Scotland's £2.5bn of public infrastructure plans offer new opportunities for pension funds, MSP Alex Salmond said in a speech at the National Association of Pension Funds' (NAPF) Investment Conference in Edinburgh this afternoon.

Struggling Swiss pension funds ticked off for short-term risk taking

Monday, March 5, 2012

The Association of Swiss Pension Funds (ASIP) has complained that its member pension funds are acquiring too much short-term risk in a bid to avoid falling into deficit.

Royal Mail, Sainsbury's pension funds named as victims of State Street scandal

Friday, March 2, 2012

It has been reported that the Royal Mail pension fund and Sainsbury's pension scheme have both been given refunds from State Street after being double charged by their transition management service.

Hedge funds back in the balance for pension fund trustees - Deutsche Bank

Thursday, March 1, 2012

A Deutsche Bank survey indicates that pension fund trustees are becoming increasingly sure of the merits of hedge fund investing, despite a disappointing year for the industry's returns.

Ford injects $3.8bn into global pension scheme

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Ford Motor Co is injecting $3.8bn into its global pension plan this year and plans to increase its bond investments in an attempt to de-risk.

Sir Stelios vs easyJet 'too close to call' as governance advisors divided

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Two independent corporate governance consultancies have advised pension funds to support easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou's in his battle to vote down the company's remuneration report at Thursday's annual meeting.

Investment Management industry is taking '£18.5bn' from pension schemes every year

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The investment managing industry is taking £18.5 billion out of the pensions and investment industry via 'hidden' charges, claims a damning report from wealth manager SCM Private's True and Fair campaign.

Californian pension fund tells Facebook to diversify its board

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) is challenging Facebook over the lack of women on the company's board of directors.

Low gilt yields could 'hit pensions for decades'

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The current era of low gilt yields could last for decades, leaving pension funds stuck with critical deficits, says the Pension Corporation.

New signs that hedge funds still charm pension funds despite losses

Friday, February 3, 2012

Two apparently contradictory items of news were released at the end of January – on the one hand it was reported that hedge funds' saw their second worst year ever and on the other we read that a new survey shows pension funds' are still eager to increase their hedge fund holdings.

UK Local authority pension funds should give up investing in tobacco, report claims

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A new report by FairPensions and ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) has challenged the long held view that UK local authority pension funds can hold 'unethical' assets such as tobacco in order to fulfil a legal duty and maximise investment returns

Fourth largest fund to invest in yuan-denominated Chinese assets

Friday, January 20, 2012

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), the world's fourth largest pension fund, announced earlier this month that it will begin investing in yuan-denominated Chinese assets in order to diversify its portfolio.

Irish pension funds perform poorly

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Eurozone crisis cost Irish pension funds over €2bn during 2011, according to Mercer. The consultancy firm also predicted that with the current outlook managing risk will continue to be the most important focus for trustees in this year

Pension funds investing in hedge funds are "rich enough to know better" says Hedge Fund Mirage author

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The author of a controversial new book on hedge fund investing has warned UK pension funds that the real money in the asset class lies in fees for the industry rather than returns for clients

ABP blacklists Walmart and PetroChina

Thursday, January 5, 2012

One of the world's largest pension schemes, ABP, has placed American supermarket Walmart and Chinese oil company PetroChina on a list of companies the scheme prohibits itself from investing in

At least £25bn of pension money pulled from UK equities last year as 'race to bottom' gathers pace

Friday, December 16, 2011

UK Private sector employers are dropping generous defined benefit (DB) pension schemes at an increasing rate, according to new research from the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF). This domino effect has been replicated in the UK equity market, with at least £25bn having been pulled out of listed companies by DB pension funds over the last year

Legal & General warns of deep recession

Friday, December 16, 2011

Pension funds can expect some stormy months ahead with a possible recession both in Britain as well as in the Eurozone in the first six months of 2012, according to Legal and General Investment Management (LGIM)

New York City pension fund plans to increase emerging market exposure

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

New York City fund looks to diversify; changes investment manager selection process

Government's infrastructure investment plan called into question

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The UK Government wants pension funds to make a massive direct injection into the UK economy through infrastucture investment. Will its plan take off?

Strathclyde launches "Dragons' Den-style scheme" to help out SMEs

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Strathclyde pension fund is behind an innovative £100mn "Dragons' Den-style scheme" aimed at helping out Scottish entrepreneurs, according to reports from the Scottish Daily Record

Dutch pension funds: in a strong position?

Friday, December 2, 2011

The chief investment officer at pensions administrator APG has claimed that Dutch pension funds are still on course to post strong investment returns

UK Government calls on pension funds to invest in infrastructure

Friday, December 2, 2011

The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has confirmed that the Government has indentified over 500 infrastructure projects it wants to see built over the next decade or so – and it wants UK pension funds to foot some of the bill

DNB reveals extent of 2008 investment losses

Thursday, December 1, 2011

DNB releases report that shows pain suffered by Dutch funds in 2008; reveals that investment returns down in Q3 2011

Eurozone property at 'low point of cycle' says Invesco

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The real estate investing arm of Invesco has said that pension funds can benefit from strong long-term return prospects in depressed Eurozone property markets such as Spain

"Hedge funds are a tool, not an asset class"

Monday, November 14, 2011

Pension funds must not make the mistake of seeing hedge funds as an asset class but should instead look at them as a tool to "diversify and protect against volatility", says Keith Guthrie, chief investment officer at consultancy Cardano.

Risky emerging markets better than Europe

Friday, November 11, 2011

Riskier emerging market equity is still a better investment at the moment than European equities, says Timo Loyttyniemi, managing director of Valtion Elakerahasto (VER), the Finnish state pension scheme, when speaking to Pension Funds Insider this week.

Swiss pension deficits up slightly in 2010, but figures show calm before storm

Friday, November 11, 2011

Swiss pension deficits rose only slightly in 2010 according to a comprehensive analysis from the Swiss National Statistics' Authority

A new Danish pensions export

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

NOW: Pensions, the multi-employer trust backed by Danish pension scheme ATP today unveiled the details of its new product offering for the UK, proving that the country can export more than just bacon, lager and Lego.

German pension schemes back Euro

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

While their countrymen seem to be increasingly concerned at the cost of propping up the Eurozone, a new survey claims that German pension investors back the politicians who want to see the single currency kept together.

JP Morgan: our consultants are now turning into clients

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

At the annual NAPF conference in Manchester JP Morgan's managing director of worldwide securities services Benjie Fraser told Pension Funds Insider that the consultants the firm is working with are now turning into clients of the firm.

Schemes 'risk damaging sponsor if they ignore ethical investing'

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Pension funds run the risk of inflicting 'reputational risk' on their sponsor companies if they fail to invest ethically, the head of the UK Sustainable Investment Foundation (UKSIF) has told Pension Funds Insider. At the same time a major group of active investors has called on governments to introduce decisive legislation to combat climate change.

World's largest pension fund plots path into emerging markets

Monday, October 24, 2011

Japan's public pension fund, the world's largest scheme, will start investing in emerging market stocks by the end of the year, according to Bloomberg.

Austrian pension funds turn to alternatives in crisis

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Figures from the Austrian financial regulator indicate that the country's pension funds embraced alternative asset classes whilst suffering negative investment performance in the second quarter of 2011

Emerging market debt touted as refuge from crisis

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Pension funds looking for reliable returns in a time of economic turbulence in Europe and North America should embrace emerging market debt, says the head of Rexiter asset management

Government bond 'bubble' can bring pension funds back into equities

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The trend of pension funds de-risking their portfolios should make them wary of contributing to a bubble in low-risk holdings, leading asset managers have claimed during a panel debate on the future of investment

USS: "Current storm in markets may present opportunities"

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

As global financial market volatility persists throughout August, one pension fund has claimed that it is in a position to look for buying opportunities in the near future, rather than worrying about what damage the equity sell-off and decreased UK government bond yields may have on its funding levels

Strong Franc takes blame for stuttering Swiss pension funds

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Swiss pension funds are averaging negative returns for the first half of 2011, claims the country's pension fund organisation ASIP

Inflation hedging 'opportunity in crisis'

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Despite £100bn said to have been added to the country's pension deficits in the recent market downturn, there is a window of opportunity for inflation hedging, claims independent consultancy Redington

Does ESG investing really pay?

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Research from Allianz's RCM is the latest of several studies to suggest that incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into equity investment can boost a pension fund's returns. Pension Funds Insider explores whether the arena offers pension funds a chance to secure real long-term returns in a world of uncertainty and market turbulence

Plunging markets give pension funds food for thought

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

While the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has maintained that the focus for pension funds remains in seeking sound long-term investing rather than reacting to short-term market fluctuations, Phil Page of Cardano gave Pension Funds Insider a sombre warning for funds

Dutch schemes do not have to bail out Greece

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Pension schemes in the Netherlands will have to contribute virtually nothing when it comes to the Greek rescue plan, the Ministry of Finance have said last week in a statement

Pension funds return to pre-crisis levels

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Most rich countries' pension funds returned to their pre-crisis levels by the end of last year, a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows

Irish investment managers face government fee probe

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Irish investment managers face a government investigation into the fees they charge to pension funds, the Irish Independent has reported

Stock crisis presents opportunity in real estate, say managers

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Real estate managers are claiming that recent stock market turbulence is making their asset class an attractive proposition for pension funds that are looking to diversify

PGGM sends out investment warning, blames politicians

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

A slow and "unacceptable" reaction to the Euro zone crisis is hurting pension schemes' ability to function as long-term investors, says Jac Kragt, a board member at Dutch pension provider PGGM

German pension schemes back Euro

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Passive investment in a risky world

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The debate of whether passive investing trumps active investing rumbles on, but the world in which it is waged changes. In an unspectacular market, savings on fees with cheaper passive mandates can make a difference to pension funds' bottom lines. But in today's volatile world, Pension Funds Insider asks if passive investing gives funds too much exposure to possible future financial fault lines

NEST investment strategy 'already changing DC'

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The investment strategy of the government-backed National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) scheme is already inspiring major defined contribution (DC) providers in the UK to review their own plans, claims asset manager AllianceBernstein.

Funds facing long wait to move assets

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Pension funds across the world are increasingly being exposed to "raw risk" in the sheer length of time it is taking to transition assets from one investment manager to another, claims an arm of BNY Mellon.

Asset managers look for new ground to encourage real estate comeback

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Sharing the pain of many homeowners as property values dropped in 2008 and 2009, pension funds with big exposures to real estate suffered. Yet while property markets are yet to fully recover, noises are being made about funds wanting to increase their real estate holdings, and asset managers are trying novel ways to provide attractive investments in the area

Increase of Dutch hedge funds assets powered by pension funds

Monday, October 17, 2011

The net assets of hedge funds based in the Netherlands increased dramatically from €2.9bn in the first quarter of 2009 to €13.3bn in the first quarter of 2011, according to the Dutch central bank (DNB).

West Country pension index reaches out to small funds

Monday, October 17, 2011

A Bristol-based consulting actuary firm is running the country's first regional pension funding index in the hope that it proves a more accurate gauge of deficits affecting small and medium pension funds, Pension Funds Insider has discovered.

Swiss government's fee survey gives funds moment of relief but adds to worries about alternative charges

Thursday, October 13, 2011

A recent government-commissioned study of Swiss pension funds' asset management fees has been greeted by a large amount of debate at an important time for the industry. Pension Funds Insider gauges the reaction

Half-price mandates agreed by bargain-hunting funds

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Pension funds that drive a hard bargain with asset managers can make savings of up to 50% in management fees, claims consultant bfinance.

Africa; the new promised land?

Thursday, October 13, 2011

With talk of another chapter in the financial crisis unfolding, institutional investors are wise to explore their options, diversify and avoid a head-on 2008-style crash. Where can they go with their investments? Pension Funds Insider explores one relatively untouched option – Africa

Austrian fund loses €20 million to 'dubious' real estate investors

Thursday, October 13, 2011

The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber's pension scheme looks to be the biggest loser from the collapse of three funds of a real estate manager accused of misleading investors.

ABP & PFZW - Dutch pension titans remain steady

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

ABP and PFZW, the two largest pension schemes in the Netherlands, presented their results yesterday for the second quarter of 2012. Both schemes showed positive, if not marginal, returns

Huge investment returns for CalPERS and CAlSTRS

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

California's two largest public pension funds have reported returns of over 20% for the fiscal year 2010-2011

Euro pension fund assets grow

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Figures released by the European Central Bank (ECB) show that the combined value of pension funds in the Eurozone increased by €23bn to €1.413 trillion throughout the first quarter of 2011.

Moving your equities out of the one basket

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Recently released figures confirm that the proportion of equities in UK pension funds' portfolios dropped dramatically in the first decade of the 21st century. Pension Funds Insider considers the fallout

Divine intervention

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Should more institutional investors be making their voices heard and voting against 'excessive' bonus payments for top executives? The Church of England's Pensions Board, and its supporters, certainly think so

Making Sharia work

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Earlier this week Pension Funds Insider spoke to Chris Gower, head of European consultant relations at HSBC, to find out more about Sharia compliant investing, its agreement with NEST and the Life Amanah Pension Fund

Hedge funds - pot luck?

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Over the past couple of years hedge funds and institutional investors have not always seen eye to eye. Hedge fund managers have been perceived to be too reckless, too expensive, and not transparent enough. Pension Funds Insider investigates whether pension funds can rely on a change of attitude from managers

FX fee worries spread to the UK

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Legal action against custodian banks charging unduly high foreign exchange transaction fees could already have been launched by as many as 50 pension funds worldwide, Pension Funds Insider understands. This has led to increasing numbers of funds in the UK checking their FX fee arrangements

Dutch schemes flushing money away

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Dutch Authority for Financial Markets (AFM) has claimed that pension schemes in the Netherlands pay three times the actual administration and investment costs that they report in their annual accounts, following the release of findings from a study into pension scheme costs on 12 April

It's a small world

Monday, October 10, 2011

Investing in global small caps makes sense from a diversification and return point of view, if you can stomach the volatility

ETF Investing: a new institution?

Monday, October 10, 2011

Apart from liquidity, what else do Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) offer pension schemes? A lot, argue providers - as long as they can get them accepted by some consultants

Irish funds should buy crisis-hit government bonds, say official

Friday, October 7, 2011

Irish pension funds are being encouraged to buy 30-year government bonds to de-risk their liabilities, although due to the perilous state of the country's public finances, trustees appear reluctant to take up the offer

Investing in clean growth

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

With so many institutional investors pressing ahead with plans to pioneer sustainable investment strategies, are UK pension funds already a step ahead of regulators?

Local government schemes won't stop investing in tobacco

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Local government pension schemes in the UK have been heralded in the past as being good examples of Socially Responsible Investors. Yet many are making 'unethical' investments in tobacco firms. Pension Funds Insider reports on the widespread practice by local government schemes, which are under pressure to maximise returns

Local real estate - a global trend?

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

In the past few months large pension funds in the Netherlands have been offloading their listed real estate and opting for a portfolio of unlisted property in real estate funds

Swiss figures provoke fund uproar

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

A leading Swiss newspaper has exposed concern amongst the national fund community that major banks might be distorting pension industry analysis to promote their own services

UK pension funds climb on back of global recovery

Monday, October 3, 2011

UK pension returns are estimated to be recovering at around the same pace as a strong global pensions rebound, according to a report from TheCityUK. The financial lobbying group has estimated that global pension assets grew by 8% to $31.1 trillion in 2010 while UK funds averaged a real return of 7.6%

Building a bridge to China

Monday, October 3, 2011

In early February, Dutch pension provider PGGM, announced that it would invest up to 30 per cent of its infrastructure portfolio in emerging markets. The first stop is China. A sure bet then, or is there a catch?

Asset managers look for new ground to encourage real estate comeback

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Local government tobacco investor list grows

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Over a month ago Pension Funds Insider reported that various UK local government schemes invest in the tobacco industry. This week the BBC has added yet another scheme to the list. Are the schemes set to face a backlash for their unethical investments?