The current Pensions Ombudsman and the Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman has bee reappointed for a third term, the Department for Work and Pensions announced. 14 June 2013
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The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has revised its codes of practice on pension contributions to help ensure that members of workplace pensions receive the contributions they are due. 07 June 2013
Trustees have been urged by an investment adviser to look closely at their investment portfolio following the additional statutory objective placed on The Pensions Regulator (TPR). 07 June 2013
The worst aspects of Solvency II have been avoided, but proportionate legislation for pensions is the next big issue for the European Commission (EC), Aon Hewitt has said. 06 June 2013
The European Commission has postponed its plans to include solvency requirements in an updated pensions directive, which will be presented this autumn. 23 May 2013
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published its plan for the next three years, stating that it will focus on five themes relating to defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) schemes and auto-enrolment. 21 May 2013
The Government has announced plans to tackle high and inappropriate pension charges. 13 May 2013
The introduction of a single-tier state pension in the Pensions Bill will be one of the Government's main objectives, the Queen confirmed in her speech today. 08 May 2013
The Pension Regulator (TPR) has published its 2013 annual funding statement to help pension scheme trustees and sponsoring employers to agree valuations and deficit recovery plans. 08 May 2013
The Scottish and UK Governments have been called to engage with the pensions industry to minimise the financial impact that Scottish Independence could have on private sector schemes. 26 April 2013
The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has warned that the Government's plans to automatically transfer pension pots when a worker moves jobs would introduce new costs for pension schemes and employers. 23 April 2013
The European Commission's proposal to enhance business transparency on social and environmental matters has been welcomed by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF). 17 April 2013
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published a preliminary report on the impact of the proposed European Pensions Directive based on Solvency II-type rules, but emphasised that "analysis and further consideration" are needed for the final report. 10 April 2013
The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) warned that The Pensions Regulator's (TPR) proposed code of practice for defined contribution (DC) schemes risks being counterproductive. 28 March 2013
The chief executive of The Pensions Regulator (TPR) will be leaving his current position at the end of June to start a new role as group chief executive of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). 27 March 2013
The European Commission has launched a three-month public consultation on the long-term financing of the European economy. 26 March 2013
Here are a variety of views regarding the Budget 2013, which was announced by Chancellor George Osborne. 20 March 2013
The UK's new single-tier state pension will be introduced in 2016 instead of 2017, the Government has announced. 19 March 2013
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has appointed a new executive director for defined contribution (DC), governance and administration. 13 March 2013
Smoothing pension fund asset and liability values is not the answer to solving the pensions problem in the UK, says Cardano, an investment adviser and fiduciary manager. 11 March 2013
PensionsEurope has warned that the holistic balance sheet approach is not a workable tool for Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORP) supervision, and said that alternatives should be considered. 11 February 2013
Pension Protection Fund (PPF) chief executive Alan Rubenstein has defended the fund's decision to take a stake in Jessops as part of a bid to save the company in 2009. 21 January 2013
Pension funds are increasingly taking up their stewardship responsibilities, a new study from the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) indicates, but how about investment consultants? 07 December 2012
Independent trustees work for members' best interest despite master trust conflicts of interest, says independent trustee company Pitman Trustees Limited (PTL). 20 November 2012
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a call for evidence on the impact of two statutory constraints on the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). 06 November 2012
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) launched the first Quantitative Impact Study (QIS) on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORPs). 17 October 2012
Pension funds need more leeway if they are to survive the damaging effects of quantitative easing (QE) and free up billions of pounds for businesses to invest, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) said today. 17 October 2012
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published evidence of how some of the flexibilities in the defined benefit (DB) funding regime have been used by pension schemes and sponsoring employers and provided an impact analysis of the contributions required to keep schemes on track of their recovery plans. 10 October 2012
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has launched a public consultation on changes to the calculation of the retail prices index (RPI) that would make it more in line with the consumer prices index (CPI). 09 October 2012
The biggest change in pensions for over a hundred years – automatic enrolment – started this week with the largest employers in the UK, who now have a new legal duty to automatically enrol workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and make contributions towards it. 05 October 2012
Plans for the much discussed 'pensions for mortgages' scheme could be in place by Easter, according to pensions minister Steve Webb. 26 September 2012
Two weeks to go until it becomes mandatory to enrol staff into company pension schemes, reminds KPMG, and not all businesses are prepared. 18 September 2012
In order to help trustees and administrators get their scheme records in order by the end of the year, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published a progress checklist for trustees and a list of frequently asked questions about measuring data. 06 September 2012
The results of a poll published by fiduciary manager SEI reveal that UK pension schemes do not think the Pensions Regulator (TPR) has gone far enough in its efforts to reduce the impact of quantitative easing (QE) for pension schemes. 21 August 2012
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) called on the government yesterday to ban employers from passing on the costs of taking advice from consultants onto staff pension pots. 31 July 2012
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the Pensions Minister Steve Webb announced this week that he will not hesitate to take action against the "sky-high charges" which are "tearing the heart out of people's pensions". 23 July 2012
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced it will implement a new system where workers can take their small pension pots with them if they change jobs. 18 July 2012
The National Audit Office (NAO) published its report this week on the regulation of defined contribution (DC) pensions and concluded that there is "insufficient accountability" to ensure that the regulatory system delivers value for money. 12 July 2012
The Bank of England's (BoE) monetary policy committee today voted to increase the size of its asset purchase programme, also known as quantitative easing (QE), by £50bn to a total of £375bn, a move which the NAPF says "short-changes businesses running final salary pensions". 06 July 2012
Pension schemes in the Netherlands were relieved after the country's Minister for Work and Pensions, Henk Kamp, announced he is to deal with the historically low discount rates currently used by schemes to calculate their future liabilities, in a move designed to increase the fund's coverage ratios. 06 July 2012
Pensions minister Steve Webb has vowed that he will not give in to "catastrophic" EU plans which would impose funding rules on British occupational pension schemes. 22 June 2012
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) encourages the pensions sector in the UK to respond to the consultation on the impact assessment of changes to the IORP directive which was launched last Friday by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA). 22 June 2012
A pensions workgroup set up by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) today launched a public consultation seeking views on the parameters of a new defined contribution (DC) Code of Conduct on charges. 16 May 2012
A new flat-rate state pension and a system to automatically increase the retirement age have been announced in the Queen's speech. 09 May 2012
The Swiss Employers' Federation has re-opened the debate about the country's common occupational pension conversion rate, saying it must be lowered further. 26 April 2012
Covering a wide range of topics the 'Automatic enrolment in workplace pensions and the National Employment Savings Trust' report that was issued by the Work and Pensions Select Committee has stirred up the pensions industry with some people opposing the recommendations and others rooting for direct implementation. Pension Funds Insider gives you a brief overview of some key opinions. 16 March 2012
In a report published on Thursday the Work and Pensions Select Committee called upon government to scrap two key restrictions that are in place for the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), stressing it was 'a matter of urgency'. 16 March 2012
At last week's Investment conference of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) in Edinburgh, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rachel Reeves said the current Government relies too heavily on the Bank of England's quantitative easing (QE) programme, using it as a smokescreen for its poor fiscal support. 12 March 2012
An opinion poll commissioned by the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has indicated that 33% of the public in the UK plan to opt-out of a pension plan if they are automatically enrolled into it over the next few years. 08 March 2012
On the week that the Commons Select Committee for Work and Pensions announced an inquiry into the governance of defined contribution (DC) schemes, Pension Funds Insider brings you a selection of opinion across the industry on the key issues that have been raised. 02 March 2012
Only 33 MPs have voted to call on the UK Government to re-introduce the Retail Price Index (RPI) as the inflation measure used to calculate pension payment increases for occupational pension schemes. 02 March 2012
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), together with ten other large pension funds from the US, Europe and Australia, have sent a letter of support to the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC), Mary Schapiro. The funds urge SEC to continue to push for market reform in the US in order to protect investors and maintain investor confidence. 16 February 2012
Key advice from Europe's supervisory agency for pensions has relieved pension funds of the need to provide an expensive capital buffer under new 'Solvency II' regulations but left open the possibility of funds still needing to inject capital on a massive scale. 16 February 2012
A report in Germany's mass circulating Bild newspaper suggests that the EU will this week tell European governments to further increase state retirement ages 14 February 2012
The Pensions Regulator has confirmed that it has barred three people from acting as pension fund trustees after an investigation determined they had 'inappropriately profited from their position as trustees' and were not 'fit and proper persons' for the role. 10 February 2012
In speaking out in favour of ending mandatory inflation proofing, pensions minister Steve Webb recently aired an idea that has been touted for years as a way to revive the ever dwindling fortunes of defined benefit schemes 20 January 2012
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) announced new plans to help UK trustees deal with the valuation and recovery plan process on 17 January 19 January 2012
Pension experts have identified a number of ways in which UK pension funds can escape the potentially calamitous consequences of the European Union's Solvency II directive applying to pension funds 06 January 2012
Pension Funds Insider caught up with Pension Protection Fund (PPF) chief executive Alan Rubenstein to reflect on two years in the top job at the fund of last resort which have seen significant changes, especially in levy charging arrangements 19 December 2011
How can the UK's Pensions Regulator surmount the structural obstacles found in Defined Contribution (DC) schemes and put its words on good governance into action? 16 December 2011
The UK Government has announced that small businesses will be given additional time to prepare for the implementation of auto-enrolment. 09 December 2011
Pension funds in the Netherlands will soon benefit from less red tape and be able to concentrate on their core business of providing retirement benefits, according to the Dutch Government. 16 November 2011
The UK pension landscape is set for a major overhaul next year with the arrival of auto-enrolment and the introduction of NEST, its new national pension scheme. But what does mainland Europe make of it all? Pension Funds Insider recently asked some non-UK pension professionals their views on reform in the UK and where they feel it could improve provision. 09 November 2011
Unions insist they will press on with plans to strike in protest against public sector pension reform, despite having welcomed newly-announced government concessions on the matter. 08 November 2011
Speaking to Pension Funds Insider at the annual NAPF conference in Manchester, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has warned that delaying auto-enrolment could mean that it "would not happen at all". 02 November 2011
The Pensions Regulator issued a statement yesterday (01.11.2011) saying that the Polestar pension scheme is to be wound up. 02 November 2011
A new study by accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), released yesterday, shows that the majority of Dutch employers welcome pension reform but feel they will not necessarily apply the needed changes in their own company due to feelings of 'paternalism' towards their employees. 02 November 2011
In his final speech as chairman of the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), Ian Tomlinson yesterday told the organisation's annual conference in Manchester that around 1000 UK pension funds were at severe risk of a double hit from "the torture of quantitative easing". 26 October 2011
The government-sponsored National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) has confirmed that close to 100 employers have committed to use its pension scheme one year ahead of the introduction of auto-enrolment into workplace pensions. 26 October 2011
After months of negotiation, the Dutch Government has managed to reach a final agreement on how future pension provision will be shaped in the Netherlands 19 October 2011
The government should try frightening employees and employers into embracing auto-enrolment reforms, the chairman of the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA) has told Pension Funds Insider 19 October 2011
An alleged promise to nationalise close to $27bn worth of pension fund assets has made the occupational pension system a major campaign point in Peru's presidential election 19 October 2011
Members of University Self Administered Trusts (SATs) in the UK will soon no longer be offered defined benefit (DB) arrangements, according to a Higher Education (HE) pension scheme manager 19 October 2011
Ireland remains mired in a banking crisis, with its Government forced to raid the coffers at the National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) to prop up its money lenders. What does that mean for the future of the Irish state pension? 19 October 2011
The shadow environment minister's concerns that changes to auto-enrolment legislation will fail to improve a 'shocking' low level of pensions saving in agriculture have been challenged by the National Farmers' Union in a pair of exclusive Pension Funds Insider interviews 19 October 2011
Members of one of the Netherlands' largest unions, FNV Bondgenoten, have voted against the new Dutch Pensions agreement in a referendum set up to decide the union's position 19 October 2011
Private sector workers must get a better deal from their pensions if they are to save enough for retirement, an independent investigation by the Workplace Retirement Income Commission (WRIC) warned today 19 October 2011
The UK Government's plan to wipe Royal Mail's pension deficit clean by taking on its £8bn pension deficit could be in jeopardy, following a challenge from the European Commission. Pension Funds Insider understands that the commission is threatening to block half the bailout if it deems the move to be anti-competitive 19 October 2011
The UN PRI initiative, the framework which seeks to draw institutional investors into investing in a sustainable way, has presented the results of its advisory council elections which took place in July 19 October 2011
Occupational pension provision is on the brink of taking off amongst small German companies, if a recent report in the influential business daily newspaper Handelsblatt is to be believed. 18 October 2011
The BT Pension Fund's strong performance over the past year has been the biggest pensions story of the fortnight in the UK. Readers of that news in the national press may have been confused that while some UK media outlets proclaimed a return to surplus, others noted a continued 'huge' pension deficit at the fund. What's in a number? 18 October 2011
The Swiss Association of Pension Funds (ASIP) has made a renewed call for its government to abandon its proposed second pillar reforms by claiming that the Swiss public have a large level of trust in their pension funds and do not want the extra costs the reforms would bring. 18 October 2011
An increasing amount of union members in the Netherlands are voting against the pension reforms that were agreed in principle by the Dutch government and its social partners in Amsterdam last month. 18 October 2011
The Dutch Government has managed to reach an agreement on the new Pensions Act with its social partners. 18 October 2011
The recent takeover of Silentnight by private equity firm H.I.G in the UK, has led to concerns from the Pensions Regulator and Pension Protection Fund that firms may have found a way to buy and restructure profitable companies without having to take on their pension liabilities. Pension Funds Insider looks at the implications of 'the Silentnight case' 18 October 2011
The government-sponsored National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) has confirmed that close to 100 employers have committed to use its pension scheme one year ahead of the introduction of auto-enrolment into workplace pensions 14 October 2011
The International Accounting Standard Board's (IASB) newly-updated IAS19 accounting standards look likely to bring the UK's defined benefit pension schemes closer to extinction, drag some healthy pension schemes into deficit and hit company profits by a couple of percentage points, Pension Funds Insider has been told by various sources. 13 October 2011
Computer multinational IBM's German subsidiary has been ordered by a Stuttgart tribunal to pay a disputed €90m fee to the company's Pension Insurance Association (Pensions-Sicherungs-Verein) safety net. 13 October 2011
The pensions industry has come out in overwhelming support of the government's plans to change public sector pension provision and reduce the funding burden on taxpayers in line with Lord Hutton's recent report. As the debate between government and unions turns increasingly acrimonious ahead of a planned public sector strike on 30 June, Pension Funds Insider asks industry figures how they see the big pensions debate. 13 October 2011
At the same time as the UK government is planning to 'nudge' young workers into pensions saving via auto-enrolment reforms, Austrian twenty-somethings are hoping that their government can encourage more companies to offer an occupational pension, according to a new survey released last week. The head of the association that commissioned it has also told Pension Funds Insider that the country can learn from neighbouring Switzerland in improving occupational pension provision 13 October 2011
The new Pension Act in the Netherlands, which was agreed upon by the majority of the social partners two weeks ago, has come under fierce criticism from the opposition parties and one of the countries biggest unions, FNV Bondgenoten. Pension Funds Insider gives you the latest update on the negotiations. 13 October 2011
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published responses from the UK pensions industry to the consultation on the impact of using the CPI-index as the measure of inflation for private sector occupational pension schemes payments 12 October 2011
KPMG has warned defined benefit (DB) pension schemes to complete insurance backed buy-ins before the European Union introduces its Solvency II insurance industry legislation in 2014, but another market expert has told Pension Funds Insider there is little need to panic 12 October 2011
A parliamentary motion to obtain information on which pension schemes have paid back money to employers in the Nineties was handed in last week to Dutch social affairs minister Henk Kamp 11 October 2011
Large companies that are not already preparing for auto-enrolment in the UK are "probably too late and will be bounced into rush decisions" claims the technical consultant to the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) who added that poor media coverage and insufficient understanding is contributing to inadequate preparedness 11 October 2011
The Dutch trade union federation (FNV) announced on Tuesday, 19 April, that it would start afresh with negotiations on pension reforms following a two week breather in order to deal with internal disagreements. 11 October 2011
The most recent of three trustees to resign from a British Airways pension scheme board has told Pension Funds Insider that the reduced board might be incapable of carrying through the sponsors' hope of switching pension increases to the Consumer Price Index of inflation (CPI) 11 October 2011
The Austrian minister in charge of the country's pension fund reforms has told Pension Funds Insider that the suggestion from the head of the Austrian Association of Pension Funds (FVPK) for occupational and personal pensions to be considered in an overarching programme of pension reform are likely to be ignored 10 October 2011
Are UK schemes rushing too quickly into inflation hedging solutions? 10 October 2011
The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) has made a fresh call for pension funds to 'reposition' themselves in order to alleviate financial pressures 07 October 2011
The chairman of the pan-European federation of pension funds has called on UK schemes to get in front of continental insurance groups and grab the European Commission's attention if they don't want Solvency II accounting regulations applying to pensions 07 October 2011
They have been an annoyance to politicians and insurers of late, but a European court could now potentially hand some defined benefit (DB) pension schemes a £100m per year windfall 05 October 2011
The World Gold Council (WGC) is said to be concerned about the decision by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) to force the SPVG pension scheme to sell off its gold 05 October 2011
Amidst a warm welcome from the pensions community to Lord Hutton's report on the future of public sector pensions, concern is being raised that previously planned contribution rises to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) threaten to cancel out any gains intended for the retirement plan 05 October 2011
As many as 500 responses have been sent to the Swiss government's consultation on controversial second pillar reform so far (as of 7 March 2011), Pension Funds Insider can reveal 05 October 2011
Last week (1 March 2011) the ECJ ruled that, from the end of next year on, insurance companies are not allowed to charge men and women different rates for products. The decision could have far-reaching implications for the cost of defined contribution pension schemes in the UK. Pension Funds Insider talks with some experts to see what lies ahead 05 October 2011
Rarely has the financing and structure of a pension scheme been debated so widely in public as with the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in recent weeks. Treasury proposals announced in October 2010 to increase contributions by £900 million have provoked a bitter response, even before Lord Hutton announced another set of changes 05 October 2011
The German Federal Association for Investment and Asset Management (BVI) recently issued a plea for investment funds to play a greater role in occupational pension provision after an influential committee of MPs indicated a desire to encourage more competition. But the country is split on the plans 05 October 2011
The Netherlands might be best known for its clogs, windmills and perennial World Cup final losing football team, but now there could be a new claim to fame due to the country's introduction of a pension register. What can it bring to the Netherlands and what could it mean for the rest of Europe? 04 October 2011
Lord John McFall, former MP and chair of the Work Retirement Income Commission, spoke to Pension Funds Insider (on 23 February 2011) about his wide-ranging investigation into the UK's retirement savings crisis 03 October 2011
Rob Daamen, chairman of SPVG, the Dutch pension scheme that has been forced to sell most of its 13 per cent stake in gold by the Dutch central bank (DNB), has described the order as "weird", and questioned why it took the bank so long to notice the scheme's holding in bullion. 03 October 2011
An associate at pension advisor Aon Hewitt has said he does not agree with the findings of the Accounting for Pensions report which was commissioned by the UK's National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) and released on 7 September. 03 October 2011
The accounting standards currently used to calculate companies' pension scheme assets and liabilities are undermining pension provision in the UK, according to a report published today by Leeds University Business School 03 October 2011
The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) could see its assets disappear by 2041 if laws governing the contribution rates for members and their employers do not change, says the California state auditor 28 September 2011
Alan Rubenstein, chief executive of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), has announced that the pension protection levy estimate for 2012/13 will be £550 million, its lowest level to date 22 September 2011
After the biggest union within the Federation of Dutch Unions (FNV) last week voted against proposed pension reforms, the nation is unsure on the future of their pensions. Pension Funds Insider sets out the dilemmas and the current state of affairs in one of Europes most sophisticated countries, when it comes to retirement provision 21 September 2011
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