The Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has completed a £63m buy-in with the trustees of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Pension Scheme. 20 May 2013
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The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has unveiled its strategic objectives for the next three years to reflect a "mature organisation". 20 May 2013
Data problems suffered by schemes are down to advisers withholding information and issues from trustees in fear of it jeopardising their appointment, a pensions actuaries and administration specialist has said. 17 May 2013
The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) has called for JP Morgan to split the roles of chairman and CEO. 16 May 2013
The defined benefit (DB) pension scheme accounting deficits for FTSE350 companies were £108bn at 30 April 2013, which corresponds to a funding ratio of 84%, according to data published by Mercer. 13 May 2013
Royal London, a mutual life and pensions company, has announced that Roger Edwards, managing director of UK protection brands Bright Grey and Scottish Provident, will be leaving the company. 13 May 2013
The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has appointed a new director. 03 May 2013
More work is required to help defined contribution (DC) scheme members build their funds, experts said at a Pension Investment Academy (PIA) seminar. 02 May 2013
Over 300 large employers have signed up to the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), the organisation has announced. 01 May 2013
Concerns have been raised by the pensions industry regarding conflicts of interest within local government pension schemes (LGPS). 25 April 2013
The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has elected Paul Couchman as its new president, who will take over from Susan Andrews at PMI's annual general meeting in July. 23 April 2013
The latest financial report from Dutch fund ABP has revealed that its funding ratio increased five percentage points to 101% in the first quarter of 2013 from the forth quarter of 2012. 18 April 2013
Mercer has launched an interactive forum, which aims to stimulate debate about the challenges surrounding defined contribution (DC) provision. 16 April 2013
A rise in the number of late payments made into company schemes could be indicative of "economic problems laying ahead", said Pinsent Masons lawyers. 15 April 2013
The Pension Protection Fund's (PPF) latest 7800 Index has revealed that the deficit of defined benefit (DB) schemes has increased to an estimated £236.6bn in March 2013. 09 April 2013
Insurers expect total buyout activity to exceed £6bn during 2013, according to the latest analysis of the pension fund buyout market from an employee benefit provider. 05 April 2013
UK pension scheme deficits will rise to over £100bn at the "critical" 31 March company accounting date, according to analysis from an employee benefits firm. 28 March 2013
The Pensions Institute has published a set of "good practice" principles for modelling defined contribution (DC) schemes. 27 March 2013
Fujitsu UK and Ireland has received £800m from Fujitsu Limited to "substantially" improve the funding position of its defined benefit (DB) schemes. 27 March 2013
Pension deficits fell by £70bn to £551bn in February wiping out the previous month's increase, according to research from a pensions and employee benefits specialist. 18 March 2013
More longevity swap transactions are expected to take place this year as the larger schemes get ready to de-risk, according to a report. 15 March 2013
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has appointed a new chief investment officer (CIO) and a new head of restructuring and insolvency. 15 March 2013
The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has published a guide to help trustees assess the stewardship skills of prospective investment managers. 13 March 2013
Growing pension liabilities are creating a time bomb within the charity sector that could explode at any moment, say charity membership organisations. 12 March 2013
The Pension Quality Mark (PQM) has launched a new guide to help employers communicate more effectively with staff about pensions. 28 February 2013
Moody's decision to downgrade UK sovereign debt from AAA to AA1 could increase pressure on accountants to reduce balance sheet pension liabilities, warn consultants. 26 February 2013
UK pension schemes are falling further behind their long-term objectives, warns Aon Hewitt. 26 February 2013
The decline in the number of employees with a workplace pension has been driven mainly by the fall in membership of defined benefit (DB) schemes, says the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 22 February 2013
Legal & General has agreed to a longevity insurance arrangement for the defence and aerospace company BAE Systems' 2000 Pension Plan. 21 February 2013
The National Association of Pension Funds' (NAPF) chairman Mark Hyde Harrison comments on the challenges that the pensions world will face in the year ahead, and says that "more needs to be done". 19 February 2013
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has revealed that the deficit of defined benefit pension schemes has decreased in January. 13 February 2013
The deficit of the UK's biggest defined benefit (DB) pension schemes increased by £13bn in January despite a 6.5% rise in the UK stock market, according to data collected by Mercer. 07 February 2013
Savings of 10% or more could be secured by trustees of defined benefit (DB) schemes when they de-risk, due to the introduction of health and lifestyle techniques in the bulk purchase annuity (BPA) market, a report says. 04 February 2013
The Department for Work and Pensions has published a call for evidence by the Chancellor on the impact of funding defined benefit (DB) pensions on investment and growth. 28 January 2013
A new National Association of Pensions Funds (NAPF) survey reveals that defined benefit pension funds are closing their doors to new staff at the fastest rate on record. 28 January 2013
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has appointed Andy McKinnon, chief financial officer, as an executive director to its board. 23 January 2013
The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has said that when it comes to handling administration, pension schemes should operate more like corporates. 22 January 2013
"Our pension strategy is prudent and fair." Kevin Barnes, director of finance at Barnardo's said, when he announced that the children's charity is to close its DB scheme to further contributions. 17 January 2013
A new report published by investment manager BNY Mellon has identified administration, risk control and competitive fees as the three key critical considerations for DC pension schemes selecting a platform provider in the UK. 17 January 2013
Australian pension fund First Super will sell down its £4.6m stake in News Corp after Rupert Murdoch's failed to comply with the governance standards set by the scheme. 11 January 2013
Mercer has prepared a watch-list of 10 challenges facing companies involved in the auto-enrolment process. 09 January 2013
A new Aon Hewitt survey confirms that more organisations expect to reduce DC contribution levels for auto-enrolment. Few, however, expect to change their DC vehicle. 03 January 2013
Following a consultation launched in September, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has confirmed the 2013/14 pension protection levy estimate. 19 December 2012
Edmund Truell has been appointed the new chairman of the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) by London mayor Boris Johnson. 18 December 2012
Twenty five hundred jobs and the pension savings of 6800 people have been spared due to the new structure under which UK Coal will operate. 13 December 2012
The trustees of the Invensys Pension Scheme can look forward to the £1.7bn sale of Invensys' rail division to Siemens, a move which will wipe out most of the engineering group's bulky pension deficit. 04 December 2012
Scottish Life, the pensions branch of the Royal London Group, has launched an automatic enrolment (AE) proposition this week. 04 December 2012
A new joint industry code of conduct has been published by a group of pensions experts to provide a consistent disclosure of charges and investment costs for the first time in light of auto-enrolment. 28 November 2012
The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) is collaborating with a trustee liability insurance provider to improve governance and reduce risk for trustee boards through training and development. 21 November 2012
Joanne Segars, chief executive of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), has been elected as chair of the European Federation for Retirement Provision (EFRP). 13 November 2012
The former Archbishop of Canterbury has seen his fair share of problems in the Church, but one thing seems to have remained largely unaddressed; its ever-rising pension deficit. Hopefully Etonian and former oil executive Justin Welby, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, is good with numbers. 12 November 2012
The Master Trust Association (MTA) has been launched this week in order to promote best practice within master trusts and to ensure UK providers get a unified voice. 08 November 2012
Atkin & Co, the pension scheme administrator and actuarial consultant, has today argued that the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) could be a more popular choice than currently being predicted, particularly for smaller employers. 31 October 2012
The funded status of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the US, Canada and the Netherlands has declined since December 2011, says consultancy firm Mercer. However, an improvement is seen in the UK. 29 October 2012
Multinational telecommunications corporation AT&T have announced it will contribute a stake in its wireless business worth $9.5bn to the company's pension plan in an effort to secure the fund, according to Reuters. 22 October 2012
With the help of a group of industry experts the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has published a new essay examining what a 'defined ambition' (DA) pension might look like. 18 October 2012
Around a third of companies due to start auto-enrolment in the first half of 2013 are still considering their strategic response to the new regulations, according to a new survey by Mercer. 16 October 2012
Default funds with high charges should not be permitted in the new auto-enrolment market; otherwise millions of employees will suffer, the Pensions Institute has concluded in a new report. 11 October 2012
Members of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) and US-based Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS) have co-filed a resolution which seeks the appointment of an independent chair at News Corporation. 09 October 2012
Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) said that this year's "shareholder spring" highlights a need for a stronger correlation between chief executive pay and long term performance. 04 October 2012
FTSE350 pension schemes funding levels hit 2012 high after deficits reduce by 33% in September, says Mercer. 03 October 2012
A low risk approach to defined contribution (DC) pension investment could be an appropriate strategy for use by young employees who have accumulated relatively small investment pots, according to Mercer. 28 September 2012
Insurance company Aviva has launched an online automatic enrolment modelling and compliance solution for employers to manage their pension responsibilities. 26 September 2012
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) announced that the pension protection levy estimate for 2013/14 will be £630m. 26 September 2012
More strikes could hit retail giant Argos unless the company goes to the conciliation service Acas to resolve a dispute over the closure of the final pension scheme, Unite has warned. 24 September 2012
Increasing share prices have resulted in a higher average coverage ratio of Dutch pension funds. 21 September 2012
The total membership figure of occupational schemes in the UK is estimated to be 27.2 million, the same as in 2010, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 20 September 2012
Investment advisor and fiduciary manager Cardano believes that last week's Consumer Prices Advisory Committee (CPAC) meeting has created further uncertainty about how RPI inflation will be calculated in future. 19 September 2012
After the acquisition of Bluefin Corporate Consulting by Capita Hartshead in April, the companies are to combine forces and rebrand as Capita Employee Benefits. The new name comes into effect from November. 11 September 2012
The aggregate deficit of the 6,432 schemes in the PPF 7800 index is estimated to have decreased over the month to £280.3bn at the end of August 2012, from a deficit of £283bn at the end of July, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) says. 11 September 2012
Pension provider The Pensions Trust has announced its intention to launch a defined contribution (DC) multi-employer offering for the voluntary sector. 10 September 2012
"While companies continue to be focused on working with trustees to tackle their pension scheme funding deficits, we suspect the introduction of the revised IAS 19 in January 2013 is slipping under the radar of many financial directors," said Simon Robinson, principal at Aon Hewitt, this week. 03 September 2012
Employers have joined the main trade unions in supporting the planned pension scheme changes which are due to take effect from 2014. 31 August 2012
Shares in AGA Rangemaster, the cooker and kitchen specialist, dropped as it scrapped its dividend payouts to save its pension fund. 29 August 2012
In a letter to the regulators, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has set out an action plan for clearer pension charges and costs. 23 August 2012
Consultancy firm Mercer has highlighted four potential risk areas from the Eurozone crisis that have direct implications for defined contribution (DC) pension plans, along with some suggested actions that could help scheme sponsors and trustees mitigate these risks. 21 August 2012
The latest interim funding report of the BBC has revealed that the scheme's shortfall has risen to £2.6bn at 1 April 2012, an increase of more than a billion pounds from last year's figures. 17 August 2012
Cashmere clothing maker Dawson International has gone into administration after the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and Pensions Regulator rejected its request to put its pension plans into a protection fund. 16 August 2012
The aggregate deficit of the 6,432 schemes in the PPF 7800 index is estimated to have increased over the month to £283.0bn at the end of July 2012, from a deficit of £267.0bn at the end of June, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) says. 14 August 2012
Britain's biggest coal producer, UK Coal, has reached an agreement with its pension trustees that will see them extend a support package worth £90m up to the end of 2015. 14 August 2012
The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has launched a new specialist administration services panel (SASP) as part of the ongoing development of its Assess & Pay programme. 02 August 2012
JLT Pension Capital Strategies (JLT PCS), which specialises in corporate consulting and pension scheme de-risking, has released its latest analysis of pension fund buyouts in 2012. 02 August 2012
The Kay Review published its final report this Monday urging asset managers and other participants in the equity investment chain to adopt a more long-term vision and put their clients' interests first. 23 July 2012
The California public employee and teacher pension funds both posted small annual returns this week and might call for higher contributions. 17 July 2012
The aggregate deficit of the 6432 defined benefit (DB) schemes in the PPF 7800 index is estimated to have decreased over the month to £267.0bn at the end of June 2012, from a deficit of £312.1bn at the end of May, the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) says. 10 July 2012
Firms in the FTSE 100 share index paid an extra £11bn into their pension schemes last year in a bid to reduce the schemes' deficits, a report by actuaries LCP claims. 10 July 2012
ING and Dutch trade unions today announced they have finalised plans for a new pension scheme for the firm's employees in the Netherlands. 05 July 2012
Aon Hewitt has said that the liabilities of the FTSE 350's final salary pension schemes, as shown in their company accounts, are now equal to 35% of their sponsoring companies' combined market capitalisation. This, Aon Hewitt says, is "the highest level this proportion has ever reached". 03 July 2012
The Pensions Regulator is increasingly turning up the heat when it comes to scheme governance, which is understandable given the past few years of economic turbulence and the amount of money involved. On top of that, scheme members need to be protected. So how can trustees ensure they adhere to all of these demands and still keep on top of the long term goals and day-to-day chores? 29 June 2012
Following a widespread review of its retirement benefits ahead of auto-enrolment, the Co-operative Group, the UK's largest mutual business owned by its customers, announced it will offer its career average 'Pace' scheme to all of its workers. 29 June 2012
Adapting to the changes that are sparked by auto-enrolment, the National Association of Pension Funds' (NAPF) Pension Quality Mark (PQM) is including a new standard for pension schemes that use a different type of charge. 29 June 2012
Nearly one in five pension schemes in the UK have suffered fraud in the past 2 years, Baker Tilly's Pensions Fraud Risk survey 2012 reveals. This is an alarming rise of 55% on the same period last year. 22 June 2012
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has reduced the deficit in its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme by £7.4m over 2011, the firm announces in its annual report this week. 22 June 2012
The collective deficit of the UK's private sector final salary pension schemes have gone up with £104.5bn during the month of May, new figures from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) show. 22 June 2012
Department store House of Fraser has closed its two defined benefit (DB) pension schemes to future accrual. 12 June 2012
The Local Government Association (LGA) and trade unions have announced their new LGPS proposals which will take effect from 1 April 2014. 08 June 2012
The Netherland's pension fund for public employees, ABP, published its annual results after a turbulent year revealing a positive return but falling coverage ratio due to low interest rates. 24 May 2012
A new survey of Swiss pension funds shows that over the year 2011, schemes did not manage to achieve the positive results they had hoped for. 23 May 2012
At a seminar for leading industry professionals, the Defined Contribution Investment Forum (DCIF), a group of organisations formed to exchange ideas and develop initiatives to promote investment excellence in DC pensions, launched a new White Paper setting out the benefits of an active governance approach. 21 May 2012
New research from NEST shows around half of the UK largest employers and medium-sized employers have confirmed their provider for auto-enrolment and are expecting pension providers to support them through the process of change. 18 May 2012
The UK's defined benefit (DB) private pension schemes saw their accumulated deficit grow nearly two-fold in the last year, figures released by JLT Pension Capital Strategies (PCS) revealed. 11 May 2012
Financial services firm J.P. Morgan announced impressive results from a recent rebrand of their employee benefits scheme which saw the take up of their various benefits packages, including pensions, go up with 26% compared to the previous year. 01 May 2012
The top five biggest pension schemes in the Netherlands published their first quarter results revealing a growth in total assets but a continued problem with coverage ratios due to low interest rates. 26 April 2012
America's second biggest public pension scheme, which provides for the retirement of half a million California-based teachers, will face a shortfall of $64.5bn over the next three decades, its deputy chief executive, Ed Derman, told reporters. 26 April 2012
The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) has given permission to the pension fund for the film and cinema industry (BPF Film) to go into liquidation and transfer its assets and members to the bigger media scheme PNO Media. 17 April 2012
The 100 largest corporate pension funds in the US saw their funding levels drop to an all time low in 2011 due to a combination of falling stock prices, low interest rates and increased liabilities, pension consulting firm Milliman said. 13 April 2012
It's been an even more exciting week than usual for actuaries. 12 April 2012
James Murdoch's decision to step down as chairman of BSkyB has been welcomed by the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF). 04 April 2012
A plan to inject 2 billion Swiss francs (£1.38bn) into a struggling public sector pension fund might trigger a referendum over accounting techniques used in the recovery plan. 30 March 2012
Defence technology company QinetiQ has announced it has reached an agreement with the pension fund trustees of its UK defined benefit (DB) pension scheme to reduce its pension deficit and improve the security of the scheme. 29 March 2012
New B&CE CEO Patrick Heath-Lay has complained of the "confusion that for some people auto-enrolment equals NEST" in a frank interview with Pension Funds Insider. 29 March 2012
Pensions minister Steve Webb has praised supermarket group Tesco for proposing changes to its pension scheme designed to allow it to continue offering a defined benefit plan. 22 March 2012
The UK stewardship code on shareholder engagement is set for changes this April after criticism of its apparent ineffectiveness were made in the interim findings of the Kay review. 20 March 2012
Martin Mannion, the Investment Council chairman at the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) opened the industry body's annual investment conference in Edinburgh today, and criticised the UK Government for not doing enough to save workplace pensions. 07 March 2012
The Dutch minister for Social Affairs, Henk Kamp, has said in a statement that pension funds will be able to select boards that consist entirely of external professional members. 01 March 2012
BAE Systems has announced that it will be closing its UK-based defined benefit pension scheme (including its large hybrid scheme) to further accrual after its pension deficit increased from £3.8bn last year to £5.2bn in December 2011. 29 February 2012
Increasing numbers of pension fund trustees have faith in the company backing their scheme, although trustees are less frequently testing the strength of the same companies' commitments to the scheme – the so-called employer covenant. 24 February 2012
7.5 million employees and pensioners will see their pensions drop over the next couple of years after 103 Dutch pension funds announced yesterday that they will have to slash benefits 22 February 2012
The Bank of England is to inject another £50bn into the UK economy in order to restore consumer spending levels and increase corporate lending, but many pension funds will be wringing their hands at the decision 14 February 2012
Last Tuesday (7 February), UK Pensions Minister Steve Webb called for a middle-ground 'defined aspiration' pension in a speech delivered to the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) chairman's dinner. 10 February 2012
The government has called on pension funds and other shareholders to keep 'fat cat' executive salaries in check in its recently announced remuneration voting reform plans. 03 February 2012
National Australia Bank (NAB) announced last week it will transfer £130m into its Glasgow-based Clydesdale Bank pension scheme in order to reduce its deficit. 03 February 2012
The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) has approved a joint venture between asset manager and pension administrator APG and ABN AMRO's pensions department, to create a premium pension institution (PPI). The new PPI will be called Pensional. 31 January 2012
Consulting actuary firm Barnett Waddingham has warned that the erosion of defined benefit (DB) pension provision in favour of defined contribution (DC) schemes will lead to "massive social and economic problems" in the future 23 January 2012
According to UK daily newspaper the Independent, Citigroup has started talks with EMI's pension trustees regarding a £200m injection into the scheme. 20 January 2012
Iconic photography firm Kodak has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US, leaving its UK pension scheme facing an uncertain future 19 January 2012
Politicians in Switzerland have launched a consultation to consider tightening the country's liberal laws on savers' early access to their pension pots. 12 January 2012
A record-breaking fourth quarter saw the combined value of pension fund buy-in, buy-out and longevity swap deals smash the £10bn mark in 2011, consultants LCP have calculated. 11 January 2012
Royal Dutch Shell has announced that it is to close its DB scheme to new members. 06 January 2012
The UK Government has announced a deal with a large number of public sector unions that is set to end a series of strikes over changes to pension arrangements. 21 December 2011
A Swiss government study of pension fund administration fees has concluded that they are "reasonable" and that any reduction in administration service costs would require "simplifying" the occupational pensions system in Switzerland 13 December 2011
Nearly half of pensions industry experts expect the costs of defined contribution (DC) governance to rise in the coming years, according to RPMI, the pension service provider. 09 December 2011
Many pension scheme trustees are giving their advisers an easy ride and are not confronting issues that may be harming a scheme's overall performance, according to a former UK civil servant 09 December 2011
UK Pensions Minister Steve Webb has announced a consultation on the transfer of individual pension pots - and offered a few possible solutions to the problem 06 December 2011
Finance directors in the UK are taking on more responsibility for managing the risk of their company defined benefit (DB) schemes, and are driving discussions with de-risking solution providers ahead of trustees, according to Metlife Assurance. 01 December 2011
A union representing civil servants has reiterated its claims that a wave of opt-outs after proposed changes to public sector pensions would "destroy" the UK's Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). 17 November 2011
The UK's Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has reported an increased surplus of £678 million at the end of the financial year to 31 March 2011, pleasing pension funds which rely on it to absorb them if their sponsor company goes to the wall. 15 November 2011
Legal & General has announced the signing of a £1.1bn bulk annuity contract with the pension scheme of bankrupt asbestos producer Turner & Newell 11 November 2011
Pension Managers in the UK feel they are 'under-rated' and need further support from their employers as they face an increased workload in the run up to auto-enrolment 11 November 2011
JP Morgan's managing director of worldwide securities services Benjie Fraser has told Pension Funds Insider that the consultants the firm is working with are now turning into clients of the firm 11 November 2011
Despite going public with an agreement to buy BMI from Lufthansa, British Airways' owners have confirmed to Pension Funds Insider they still need to settle the fate of the BMI pension scheme. 11 November 2011
Earlier this week a group of pension scheme managers came together to discuss alternatives to NEST and establish what, in their eyes, a good pension provider should offer to employers. Pension Funds Insider reviewed the outcome with the meeting's host, Darren Jefferson from independent trustee and governance services provider Pitmans Trustees. 08 November 2011
ABP, ranked by Pension Funds Online as the second largest pension scheme in the world, today announced its assets have decreased by €7bn in the last quarter due to dropping yields on German sovereign bonds hitting its discount rates. 26 October 2011
Reports coming out of Switzerland suggest that the Canton of Zurich will levy an extra 4% on local taxes to pay a 2.6bn Swiss franc (£1.83bn) recovery bill for a scandal-ridden local civil servants' pension fund that is pushing the Canton into posting a record deficit. 26 October 2011
Legal & General have announced the signing of a £1.1bn bulk annuity contract with the pension scheme of bankrupt asbestos producer Turner & Newell. 26 October 2011
Lloyds Bank pension scheme members are said to be unhappy that their defined benefit (DB) plan could have been saddled with 'toxic' assets after the company became one of the latest sponsor to transfer non-cash assets into its pension scheme. Are trustees really at risk of being duped into taking unwanted assets into funds? Pension Funds Insider investigates. 26 October 2011
News Corp must change its structures and overhaul its corporate governance in response to unprecedented investor dissent, the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) said today. 25 October 2011
The Dutch pension fund for general practitioners, Stichting Pensioenfonds voor Huisartsen (SPH), and their administrator Doctors Pension Fund Services (DPFS) have signed an agreement with pension provider PGGM to join forces and provide a better service for their members. 25 October 2011
Capita Hartshead has claimed that UK local government pension schemes (LGPS) could make significant savings by joining up to a new framework which sees schemes sharing service providers for their administration. 21 October 2011
Pension fund trustees have been a thoroughly frustrated lot this summer. Sliding equity markets have widened many scheme deficits, in some cases unwinding years of careful reduction work. 21 October 2011
Zurich public prosecutors have announced that they are to charge the former investment head of a major civil service pension fund over a CHF 1.7m (£1.3m) bribery scandal relating to the award of investment mandates. 20 October 2011
Two London borough pension schemes have joined forces and appointed the same pension administrator in order to save costs 19 October 2011
The UK's Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has called for pension administrators to be able to talk to scheme members and employees about the advantages of paying into a pension without the fear that they will be accused of having given financial advice 19 October 2011
Denmark's largest pension scheme, ATP, has announced that it will launch a new multi employer trust, called NOW pensions, in the UK on 1 January 2012. 19 October 2011
The UK's pension fund investment consultancy market is set to further polarise between a handful of major international firms and a larger number of successful specialist boutiques and middle players, leading figures in the business have told Pension Funds Insider 19 October 2011
The controversial practice of offering members of defined benefit (DB) schemes Enhanced Transfer Values (ETVs) to leave their fund is set to be offered by half of all such schemes over the next decade, claims a recent KPMG report 19 October 2011
Long-term inflation and interest rate assumptions were a decisive factor in UK Coal planning to close its DB scheme despite shedding £50.8 million from its deficit over the past 12 months 19 October 2011
Many UK pension trustee boards are not fit for purpose and cannot meet the demands of 21st century pensions governance 19 October 2011
The final report from the UK's Workplace Retirement Income Commission (WRIC) has called for the Government and the Pensions Regulator to develop new structures that would "allow bigger, low-cost pension schemes to operate". In light of the report, Pension Funds Insider spoke to APG, the Dutch pension provider, to find out how sponsors and members could benefit from the adoption of the successful Dutch collective model 19 October 2011
Its banks may be infamously secretive about their client lists and several James Bond villains chose its Alpine valleys as perfect hideaways, but Switzerland's pension funds are not known to shroud themselves in secrecy 19 October 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 19 October 2011
The increasing popularity of insurance companies taking on UK pension funds' assets and insuring their liabilities via buyouts and buy-ins appears to have pushed longevity swaps to one side. Are UK pension fund trustees now looking at the option in a new light? 18 October 2011
An independent trustee in the UK is the latest to attempt to provoke a debate on whether DC funds can create a sense of certainty for savers by removing some of the investment risk borne by members 18 October 2011
TUI's innovative new pension fund recovery plan, which makes use of intellectual property, has won the approval of its trustees and unions, the firm has told Pension Funds Insider. 18 October 2011
Mayor Boris Johnson has approved a Greater London Authority (GLA) deal which will see it take up £3m in costs to guarantee full pension rights to former Visit London staff. 18 October 2011
Unilever workers from across UK sites took their pension dispute to London on 5 July to campaign against the food and household giant's plans to scrap their defined benefit pension scheme. 18 October 2011
The Minister of Employment Relations, Edward Davey, earlier this week told trustees that they needed to "provide proper leadership by asking the questions of the stewardship code" as calls continue for greater engagement from pension funds with the Financial Reporting Council's voluntary corporate governance guidelines. 17 October 2011
150 Unilever staff have walked out of a Warrington factory in an effort to keep one of the last private sector schemes in the country open, with their union, Unite, telling Pension Funds Insider that the company can expect to face more anger in the weeks ahead for what it claims is a betrayal of its historic principals. 17 October 2011
This week Pension Funds Insider caught up with the spiritual father of fiduciary management Anton van Nunen about the rise of fiduciary management and the changes the concept has brought to the consulting market. 17 October 2011
Pension fund trustees should redouble their efforts to monitor the strength of their employer covenant to avoid their funds becoming neglected in a possible massive wave of refinancing over the next few years, Punter Southall claim. 13 October 2011
Modern communications technology is clearly making its mark in the pensions industry. Pension Funds Insider asks whether the web may be about to facilitate a fundamental change by bringing together the most loosely connected group in the industry – the scheme members? 13 October 2011
NEST, the UK's national pension scheme, due for implementation in 2012, has come under fire from all angles. Now its communication strategy is being questioned as well. Pension Funds Insider assesses the criticism and how other schemes are progressing when it comes to taking to members. 13 October 2011
A 'loophole' in the pension system has been used again to shed pension liabilities as the question over who should stop the practice continues to rise. This time, however, it's a public body, not a private equity firm in the spotlight. Pension Funds Insider reports how, in an effort to promote London, City Hall leaves some of its own Londoners without a pension 13 October 2011
Earlier this week independent pensions consultant Hamish Wilson told Pension Funds Insider that a new structure of collective defined contribution (CDC) could increase members' pension pots by between 35-45%. 13 October 2011
In April 2006, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan came together with a group of some of the largest institutional investors in the world to launch the Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) in New York. The aim was to provide a framework for achieving "better long-term investment returns and more sustainable markets". Five years later Pension Funds Insider looks at the uptake by pension schemes 13 October 2011
A Barnett Waddingham report has revealed new evidence that a number of large UK companies are facing significant operational challenges due to their defined benefit (DB) pension deficits 12 October 2011
The chairman of trustees at British Airways' Airways Pension Scheme's (APS) this week told thousands of disgruntled members that their pension payment increases are to be switched to the lower consumer price index of inflation (CPI) in order to preserve the long-term health of the fund. 11 October 2011
One of Europe's largest pension providers, APG, which is responsible for more than €277m in managed assets, first revealed its interest in the UK savings market last November. Six months later, Pension Funds Insider recently caught up with Stephan Schuller, associate director for institutional clients, to find out if the Dutch firm is ready to reveal its plans for UK savers 11 October 2011
Members of the Prudential Staff Pension Scheme in the UK will have to wait another two weeks to see if they can continue their fight to keep their pension increases as closely in line with inflation as possible 11 October 2011
The corporate governance director of Aviva Investors has told Pension Funds Insider that pension funds "don't seem to understand what corporate governance is about or what to do about it." 11 October 2011
Pension fund trustees in the UK are putting members savings at risk by gambling on a stable economic recovery that is far from certain, claims Cardano 11 October 2011
BBC staff are worried that they will not receive appropriate financial advice from their employer as they are told to pick from a three-part pension menu by the end of the year, the head of the media and entertainment union BECTU has told Pension Funds Insider 10 October 2011
Despite being the 45th biggest pension fund in Europe, a wave of mismanagement and a corruption scandal has exposed an overall deficit of 15bn Swiss Francs at the BVK fund, according to a leading academic 07 October 2011
Dutch pension schemes score low when it comes to the speed at which they publish their annual results, according to annual research conducted by KPMG 07 October 2011
The fierce debate in the UK over public sector pension reform continues, as the Hutton report recommends phasing out final salary schemes for state employees. But could scrapping them have a negative overall economic effect? 07 October 2011
ING's decision to freeze pension increases for ex-employees in line with inflation for the second year in a row has resulted in its pension scheme trustees calling in three external experts to decide whether the decision is fair 07 October 2011
Ford claims it is powerless to avoid switching UK pension payments from an inflation linkage to the Retail Price Index (RPI) over to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). With 40,000 members of its fund affected by the change, the firm could now face strike action 07 October 2011
Earlier this month, the Dutch financial watchdog AFM published its first communication guidelines for pension funds in the Netherlands. Pension Funds Insider explores the benefits of the guiding principles for Dutch pension schemes 07 October 2011
A study of German pension funds' financial health and performance claims that a fund for painters and decorators is the best in the country 05 October 2011
The corporate wrap is emerging to offer a way of cushioning an unpredictable outcome for DC retirement benefits. Pension Funds Insider investigates what this means for existing UK schemes 05 October 2011
The introduction of low-cost flat-pack furniture to the UK from Sweden in 1987 rapidly changed the face of the British hardware retail market. Today, some 24 years later, a firm from neighbouring Denmark is hoping to shake up the pensions market in a similarly dramatic fashion with a firm 'no thrills' approach to pension provision 05 October 2011
A prominent financial services firm sent out a warning last week to Scottish pension schemes saying they could be inflating deficits due to the use of UK-wide life expectancy figures, which are higher than the Scottish average. But schemes and advisers have questioned whether these accusations are a fair reflection of actuarial work in Scotland 05 October 2011
Fiduciary management is at the heart of an ongoing debate taking place in board rooms and investment firms all over Europe. Is it time to re-think the whole concept? Pension Funds Insider recently (10 March 2011) asked two authors from KPMG on a report on the service, as to why its popularity seems to be diminishing in the Netherlands 05 October 2011
Longevity swaps are back in the spotlight following the first ever deal that hedges the risk of working contributors to a scheme. Some see the swap of £120 million worth of liabilities between JP Morgan and the Pall UK pension fund as indicating a new departure for a nascent market ready to take off, whereas others remain sceptical of their value to schemes. Pension Funds Insider investigates 05 October 2011
The number of trustee bodies carrying out formal covenant monitoring could be a lower number than believed, particularly amongst trustees of smaller schemes, according to Richard Bryant, Head of Trustee Services at Atkin Trustees 05 October 2011
Strong annual returns for pension assets of companies listed on Germany's major Frankfurt stock exchanges, have prompted Towers Watson's Dr. Thomas Jasper to claim that the pensions 'crisis' in Germany is over. 04 October 2011
Towards the end of 2011 the Dutch pension provider PGGM will be the first to start direct co-operation with a bank to better inform its members. With a state-led pension register going online just over a month ago in the Netherlands, is this sort of co-operation welcome? 03 October 2011
Overall contributions to private pension saving in the UK increased by £2.4 billion to £85.6 billion in the year from 2008 to 2009, according to the country's Office for National Statistics' latest pension survey 03 October 2011
New research from Cass Business School's Pensions Institute suggests clued-up defined contribution (DC) pension savers would be best served by avoiding saving for their retirement until the age of 35 as well as continuing a high-risk approach of holding equities after retirement 03 October 2011
Members of British Airways' Airways Pension Scheme (APS) have overwhelmingly backed the campaign of three rebel trustees to have their inflation-linked pension increases realigned to the Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation 03 October 2011
28 September 2011
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