All Pensions articles – Page 107
-
ArticlePremier Foods’ DB pensions deficit falls £400 million
Premier Foods’ defined benefit (DB) pension schemes combined deficit has fallen by almost two-thirds in the 15 months to April 2015.The firm, which owns the Oxo, Mr Kipling and Bisto brands, revealed in its preliminary results that its pension deficit shortfall had dropped from £603.3 million to £211.8 million over ...
-
Supplier article
Risk-free path to pensions is a myth
Robin Geffen, Fund Manager and CEOAre you taking enough risk? Robin Geffen, Founder of Neptune and Manager of the top performing Global Alpha Fund, discusses the importance of accepting enough volatility in planning for retirement.Click here to read the full articleImportant informationInvestment risksThe value of an investment and any income ...
-
Supplier article
Global economics: Q1 review and outlook
James Dowey, Investment Director, Chief EconomistChina and Japan have both performed strongly so far this year, while the UK and Europe are going through periods of political uncertainty. In contrast, the US has experienced a temporary soft patch, but the lower oil price is proving to be a boon for ...
-
Supplier article
Monthly highlights: Delayed, not derailed
By Lucy O’Carroll and Paul Diggle, Investment Solutions, AberdeenThe global economic upturn has been slightly delayed by a weaker-than-expected first quarter, but has not been derailed. We have revised our 2015 global growth forecast down to 3.3 per cent from 3.4 per cent last month. While the adjustment is modest, ...
-
ArticleNational Grid outsources pension fund management
National Grid is to outsource the fund management of its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme’s assets. The organisation, which runs the power network in England and Wales, took the decision to implement a new stratgegy following a review of its investment and governance model.The board of trustees of the National ...
-
Supplier article
Q1 GDP growth: Beware preliminary estimates
By Paul Diggle, Economist, Investment Solutions, AberdeenGrowth in both the US and UK economies disappointed during the first quarter of 2015, at least according to preliminary estimates. Without wishing to underplay the extent of the slowdown in both economies at the start of the year, a number of temporary factors ...
-
Supplier article
UK general election 2015: clear challenges ahead (Economic and Investment Insight)
By Lucy O’Carroll and Richard Dunbar, Investment Solutions, Aberdeen Financial markets, not known for embracing uncertainty, liked what they saw. Currency, equity and bond markets all rallied in the immediate aftermath. A subsequent cooling of the initial euphoria, however, may signal markets’ acknowledgement of the challenges that lie ahead for ...
-
Supplier article
Investment Insight — A flash in the pan?
By Richard Dunbar, Senior Investment Strategist, Investment Solutions, AberdeenAs traders switched on their terminals on the morning of 6 May 2010, the thoughts at the front of their minds were very similar to those today. Greece was teetering on the brink of economic collapse, while the UK was heading to ...
-
Supplier article
Economic & Investment Insight — Greek expectations
By Lucy O’Carroll and Richard Dunbar, Investment Solutions, AberdeenIn a rational world, from the starting point of Greece as a member of the supposedly irrevocable eurozone, the country and its creditors would come to an accommodation — one that would no doubt bear a very strong resemblance to previous ‘kick ...
-
ArticleEmployers undecided on what to do when contracting out ends
Employers with defined benefit (DB) pension schemes facing a scramble to avoid higher national insurance (NI) bills when contracting out ends in 2016 have yet to decide how they will respond, according to research by Towers Watson.Its Cessation of contracting-out research, which surveyed 154 organisations, found that more than two-thirds ...
-
Supplier article
Negative yields in Europe: you’ve just got to ‘roll’ with them
By Thomas Laskey, Investment Manager, Fixed Income, AberdeenTimes are tough for investors in Europe at the moment. Expected returns on all investments are low, while negative yields are pervasive in euro government bonds.The numbers might be surprising: currently more than 15 per cent of all nominal eurozone government bonds outstanding ...
-
ArticleLufthansa Group pension deficit reaches €10.2bn
The Lufthansa Group’s defined benefit (DB) pension scheme has seen a 41% increase in liabilities since the end of 2014.The deficit of the airline’s scheme reached €10.2 billion (£7.4 billion) at 31 March according to the group’s first quarter earnings report.The organisation has attributed its high pension obligations to falling ...
-
ArticleLehman Brothers agrees £675 million pension buy-in
Financial services firm Lehman Brothers has agreed a £675 million buy-in transaction for its pension scheme with insurance firm Rothesay Life, following its application for bankruptcy in 2008.The buy-in has also secured full employee benefits for all members as a result of the settlement between the pension scheme trustees and ...
-
ArticleOlympic Airlines insolvency affects pension benefits
The Supreme Court has ruled that Olympic Airlines is unable to enter the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) because it did not have an establishment in the UK during its insolvency proceedings.The case, Trustees of the Olympic Airlines SA Pension and Life Assurance Scheme (Appellants) v Olympic Airlines, relates to the ...
-
ArticleTPR issues first escalated auto-enrolment fines
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has issued its first four escalated auto-enrolment penalties, which range from £50 to £10,000 a day depending on the severity of the breach.The organisations received fixed penalty notices for failure to comply with a statutory notice or specific employer duties.The quarterly bulletin from TPR also found:198 ...
-
ArticleEIOPA launches pension stress tests
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has launched a pensions stress test and quantitative assessment on solvency for Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision (IORPs). The stress tests, which EIOPA started preparing in 2014, will cover both defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) pension schemes.The first of these ...
-
ArticlePension freedoms prompt review of scheme design
Pension schemes have begun to evolve in terms of the member support they provide and and their at-retirement investment design, according to research by The Defined Contribution Investment Forum (DCIF).Its At-retirement solutions for the new pensions era report, based on in-depth interviews with providers behind nine large defined contribution (DC) ...
-
ArticleCompliance top issue driving DC pensions
More than half (56%) of respondents say compliance with legislation is their top issue driving their defined contribution (DC) pensions provision, according to research by Towers Watson.Its Fit for retirement report, which surveyed 101 organisations, also found that more than a third (38%) of employers cite their employees’ ability to ...
-
ArticleJust 7% are financially prepared for retirement
Less than one in 10 (7%) UK adults are financially on track for their retirement, according to research from Aegon.Its third UK readiness report, which surveyed 4,000 UK adults, also found that nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents do not feel confident about being able to retire when they want to.The ...
-
Case StudiesTelent engages staff with pensions via default investment strategy
Since it was introduced in April 2013, its contract-based defined contribution (DC) scheme has achieved 95% take-up. Telent closed its defined benefit (DB) pension to new members in 2007 and to future accrual in 2012.Telent closed its defined benefit (DB) pension to new members in 2007 and to future accrual ...