News – Page 63
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ArticlePension Schemes Bill receives Royal Assent
The Pension Schemes Bill that enables the introduction of the government’s pension reforms has received Royal Assent.It is the final piece of legislation bringing into force the upcoming pension flexibilities on 6 April 2015.Together with the Taxation of Pensions Act, which became law in December 2014, it introduces a number ...
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ArticleHigh Court rules on Merchant Navy Pension Fund deficit regime
Employers Stena Line, P&O Ferries and Sealion Shipping will see a reduced burden on plugging the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund’s (MNRPF) £300 million deficit following a High Court ruling.The organisations, along with 40 others, have contributed towards the deficit since 2001 under its old funding regime.The decision, handed down ...
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ArticleBalfour Beatty delays £85m pension payment
Balfour Beatty has agreed new terms with the trustees of its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme over an £85 million deficit payment that was due next year.The UK infrastructure group will now make the payment over the next eight years, starting with a £4 million cash payment in 2016.This will ...
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ArticleIBM staff can claim damages against DB closure
Members of IBM’s UK defined benefit (DB) pension scheme will be able to claim damages against it over the closure of the schemes, the High Court has ruled.The technology organisation is seeking to appeal the latest decision in the case of IBM vs Dagleish, which it “respectfully” disagreed with, according ...
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Article
Auto-enrolment continues to be a burden
The business barometer survey published by Close Brothers Asset Management in January, for example, found that more than three-quarters (76%) of employer respondents now notice the administrative burden created by auto-enrolment, a 7% increase since September 2014.In addition, figures published by The Pensions Regulator (TPR), also in January, highlighted that ...
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Article
Pension legislation announcements in February
Draft regulations to cap defined-contribution (DC) pension scheme charges at 0.75% were put before Parliament in February, alongside additional governance requirements.From April, scheme charges will be capped at 0.75% unless employees have specifically chosen a more expensive option.In its response to a consultation on the introduction of a 0.75% cap ...
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ArticleTPR publishes DB to DC transfer guidance
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published guidance on what it expects from defined benefit (DB) pension scheme trustees when a member requests a transfer to defined contribution (DC) schemes. Its guidance aims to ensure trustees have appropriate processes in place to manage transfer requests and to prompt trustees to consider ...
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ArticleEmployers spend less on benefits
The number of employers spending over 20% of employees’ salary costs on workplace benefits has dropped from a third in 2014 to a quarter this year, according to a study from Towers Watson.Just over a quarter (29%) of employers spend 11-15% on benefits, according to the study.The annual Benefits HealthCheck ...
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ArticleScottish Power agrees £2 billion DB pension longevity swap
Scottish Power has entered into a longevity swap for its defined benefit pension scheme.The longevity swap transaction covers almost £2 billion of pension liabilities and removes longevity risk from half of the scheme liabilities. It transfers the risk of almost 9,000 scheme members living longer than expected to three reinsurers.The ...
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ArticleMorrisons consults on closure of DB pension schemes
Morrisons is to consult with staff on the closure of its defined benefit (DB) pension schemes.The retailer’s proposed changes would mean that members of its career average revalued earnings (Care) schemes would stop building up benefits through that scheme. Benefits already accrued by staff will remain in the scheme until ...
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ArticleMost talked-about news on the website in March 2015
The total number of employers fined for failing to comply with their workplace pensions duties totalled 169 by the end of 2014, according to figures from The Pensions Regulator (TPR).“The message from The Pensions Regulator is loud and clear. Not complying is not an option. The crackdown is crucial to ...
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ArticleBT to pay £1.5bn to cut DB pension deficit
BT is to pay £1.5 billion into its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme by April to tackle its £7 billion deficit.The telecommunications firm will also increase the contribution rate for future benefits of active members from 13.5% to 16% from 1 April 2015 through to June 2017.The figures were announced ...
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Article51% approaching retirement would consider working longer
Just over half (51%) of rspondents due to retire this year would consider working beyond the state pension age, according to research from Prudential.The current state pension age is set at 65 for men born before 6 December 1953 or between 60 and 65 for women born after 5 April ...
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ArticleTwo-thirds of over-40s yet to discuss pension reforms
Almost two-thirds of people aged between 40 and 70 years have yet to speak to someone about the incoming pension reforms, according to research by retirement provider Partnership.Its survey of more than 1,600 people aged between 40 and 70 found that nearly a third (31%) of respondents have spoken about ...
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ArticlePension Wise website goes live
The online version of the government-backed guidance guarantee service, Pension Wise, has gone live.The Treasury-designed website, pensionwise.gov.uk, showcases six steps users should take in deciding how to use the new pension flexibilities, as well as get the best possible outcome in retirement from their pension pot.The six steps are:Checking the ...
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ArticleDWP publishes pot follows members update
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published more details on its plans to introduce automatic transfers of small pots when pension scheme members move jobs.Its Automatic transfers: A framework for consolidating pension savings report includes how the government will role out the programme and which schemes are in ...
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ArticleTwo-thirds of DB members will not transfer to DC pension
A third of defined benefit (DB) pension scheme members have yet to rule out transferring to a defined contribution (DC) arrangement when the new pension reforms come into effect from April, according to research by Hargreaves Lansdown.Its survey of 1,037 employees also found that 7.8% of respondents expressed a firm ...
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Article68% of over-50s would retrain to work longer in retirement
More than two-thirds (68%) of over-50s would consider retraining to work longer in retirement, according to research by MetLife. Its research, which surveyed more than 2,500 employees, found that financial pressures and a lack of sufficient retirement savings are the drivers behind employees working longer.Just over half (55%) of respondents ...
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ArticleGovernment lays out final regulations on charges cap
Draft regulations to cap defined contribution (DC) pension scheme charges at 0.75% have been put before Parliament alongside additional governance requirements.In April, scheme charges will be capped at 0.75% unless employees have specifically chosen a more expensive option.According to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the cap ...
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ArticleJohn Lewis reviews DB and DC pension schemes
The John Lewis Partnership plans to halve the accrual rate for its final salary pension scheme and extend the defined contribution (DC) section of its hybrid scheme. The retail organisation, which employs 86,000 people across the John Lewis and Waitrose brands, will make the amendments effective from April 2015 for ...