All IPE articles in April 2009 (Online) – Page 5

  • News

    Finnish pensions had 'worst year' in 2008

    2009-04-16T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CEST 16-04] FINLAND – Suomen Pankki, the Bank of Finland, has revealed 2008 was the "worst year in the history of employee pension schemes", following the slump in equity prices.

  • News

    Providers say traditional diversification needs rethink

    2009-04-16T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CEST 16-04] EUROPE – Classic balanced or multi-asset mandates have failed to protect pension funds during the current crisis and need to be reconsidered, according to both Allianz Global Investors and German consultancy Heubeck Feri.

  • News

    TPR hints at flexibility in corporate planning

    2009-04-17T13:05:00Z

    [16:35 CEST 17-04] UK – The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has acknowledged the extra pressure trustees and employers are facing in the current economic conditions and agreed the importance of its regulation remaining "proportionate and targeted".

  • News

    Industriens diversifies to tap high-yielding dividends

    2009-04-17T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 17-04] DENMARK – Industriens Pension, the €8.3bn pension fund, has diversified its equity holdings a fraction to tap potential opportunities linked to dividend income.

  • News

    TNO recovery requires no major change

    2009-04-17T15:10:00Z

    [16:10 CEST 17-04] NETHERLANDS - The €1.8bn pension fund of TNO expects to recover from its cover shortfall by raising its contributions and refraining from paying indexation.

  • News

    Asian equities eyed via external manager

    2009-04-17T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CEST 17-04] IPE-QUEST – A Swiss investor is conducting an initial manager screening for a potential $100m (€76m) large-caps Asia (ex Japan) equity mandate, using IPE-Quest.

  • News

    IASS has €628m deficit - SIPTU

    2009-04-17T15:25:00Z

    [16:25 CEST 17-04] IRELAND – An estimated 40% fall in the value of its top equity holdings has caused the funding level of the Irish Airlines (General Employees) Superannuation Scheme (IASS) to move from a €79m surplus to a €628m deficit, a trade union has claimed.

  • News

    Swedish pension firms underestimate life expectancy

    2009-04-17T15:50:00Z

    [16:50 CEST 17-04] SWEDEN – An annual review of the technical provisions of 17 pension and life insurers by pensions regulator Finansinspektionen (FI) has revealed they suffered a deficit of more than SEK 17bn (€1.55bn) at their peak, although SEK15bn of this had been recouped by the end of 2008.

  • News

    MEP's pension faces reforms to cut deficit

    2009-04-17T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CEST 17-04] EUROPE – Members of the ABSL voluntary pension fund for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been told they will have to retire later, as part of a number of reforms aimed at reducing the growing pension deficit.

  • News

    Eureko and Poland to enter 'secret' talks

    2009-04-20T14:15:00Z

    POLAND – Dutch insurer Eureko and the Polish Treasury have signed a new memorandum to bring about a new round of negotiations concerning the insurer's shareholding in pension firm PZU.

  • News

    Property and infra to see investment resurgence - study

    2009-04-20T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 20-04] GLOBAL – A study of pension funds and institutional investors suggests funds will increase their listed and private equity holdings this year, but the asset classes of most interest for future years are likely to be property, infrastructure and hedge funds of funds.

  • News

    PMA recovery to alter asset allocation

    2009-04-20T15:40:00Z

    [16:40 CEST 20-04] NETHERLANDS - The €889m pension fund for pharmacies’ staff PMA expects to recover from its reserve shortfall within 15 years by adjusting its yearly indexation and changing its asset allocation strategy.

  • News

    Ukraine to receive second IMF instalment after reforms

    2009-04-20T15:45:00Z

    UKRAINE – A mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) confirmed it has recommended the second tranche of a loan should be paid to Ukraine following the implementation of budget reforms which include the balancing of the state pension fund.

  • News

    SIPTU threatens strikes in call for new pension system

    2009-04-20T15:50:00Z

    [16:50 CEST 20-04] IRELAND – SIPTU, the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union, has warned discussions with the government on a national recovery plan will need to address the issue of workers in occupational schemes losing their pension through company insolvency, or any lack of agreement could lead to fresh ...

  • News

    UK gov't warned against cutting pension tax relief

    2009-04-20T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 CEST 20-04] UK – Pensions industry experts have the UK government not to abolish higher rate tax relief on pension contributions as such a move would not be straightforward to introduce and could undermine confidence in pensions, leading to a general levelling-down of provision.

  • News

    TPR urges vigilance on fraud and 'unacceptable behaviour'

    2009-04-20T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CEST 20-04] UK – The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has highlighted the importance of good governance in the economic downturn as schemes may be more vulnerable to "certain actions which give us cause for concern" such as fraud and inappropriate transfers.

  • News

    Norway Global sees value increase in March

    2009-04-20T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CEST 20-04] NORWAY – The Norwegian Government Pension Fund – Global increased in value to NOK 2.08trn (€236.4bn) in March, following two consecutive months of decline.

  • News

    EC to regulate alternatives managers worth over €250m

    2009-04-21T13:00:00Z

    [14:00 CEST 21-04] EUROPE - Managers of hedge funds, private equity and real estate funds would escape regulation under a proposed European Commission directive targeting alternative investment fund managers, if their assets under management total less than €250m.

  • News

    ABP is alive with the Sound of Musicals

    2009-04-21T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 21-04] NETHERLANDS - Imagem Music Group, the music publishing investment fund of ABP, has extended its back catalogue and acquired the rights to the songs and musicals written by Rodgers & Hammerstein, including Oklahoma, South Pacific and The Sound of Music.

  • News

    PGGM secures fresh pension fund mandate

    2009-04-21T15:10:00Z

    [16:10 CEST 21-04] NETHERLANDS – The €300m pension fund for the Dutch private security industry has awarded PGGM an external mandate to manage the entire pension fund.