All articles by Barbara Ottawa – Page 73

  • News

    Slovak funds grow 0.5%

    2009-05-13T16:15:00Z

    SLOVAKIA – The six pension fund companies managing mandatory funds for Slovakia’s second pillar posted a positive return for the first quarter of 2009.

  • News

    Signs of recovery on the horizon, for some?

    2009-05-12T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CEST 12-05] AUSTRIA – Improved investment returns in April have helped Austrian pensionskassen to turn their performance into positive figures for the first time this year.

  • News

    German investors keep a level pensions head

    2009-05-11T16:30:00Z

    [17:30 CEST 11-05] GERMANY – Germans have continued to save for their retirement during the crisis and faith in the state pension has only increased slightly, suggests a regular study conducted by JP Morgan Asset Management.

  • News

    Swiss home bias pays off long-term

    2009-05-08T16:20:00Z

    [17:20 CEST 08-05] SWITZERLAND – Only Swiss bonds and Swiss real estate contributed positively to the performance of local pension funds last year but Swiss assets are a major contributor to long-term performance, a study by Lusenti has found.

  • News

    Romania to look at pension reserve fund and life-cycling (updated)

    2009-05-07T16:15:00Z

    ROMANIA – Pension fund companies in Romania will soon have to pay into a general reserve fund and they are likely to introduce the life-cycle model in their funds from 2010, according to the pensions regulator.

  • News

    DAX pensions lose €13bn in 2008

    2009-05-06T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 CEST 06-05] GERMANY – The pension schemes of companies listed on the German stock exchange index Dax remain well-funded over the long-term despite suffering a combined loss of €13bn last year, consulting firm Mercer has found.

  • News

    Basle City to plug pension hole

    2009-05-05T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CEST 05-05] SWITZERLAND – The CHF8.2bn (€5.4bn) pensionskasse for the Swiss canton of Basle City is to receive CHF1.38bn to ensure the pension scheme is fully-funded again.

  • News

    Solidarity fund loses 4.39% under PensPlan

    2009-04-30T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CEST 30-04] ITALY – The €258m solidarity fund, managed by PensPlan for the semi-autonomous Trentino Alto Adige region in northern Italy, returned -4.39% for 2008.

  • Regulators urged to leave pension funds alone
    News

    Regulators urged to leave pension funds alone

    2009-04-30T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CEST 30-04] EUROPE – Regulators came under strong criticism at a conference in Salzburg earlier this week, when Swiss consultant Felix Kottmann and Dutch fiduciary adviser Anton van Nunen told them to back away from damaging pensions.

  • News

    Asset managers 'could do more' on pensions

    2009-04-28T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 28-04] GERMANY – At least 20% of asset managers, KAGs banks, insurances and other product providers in Germany admit they are not investing enough or not investing at all in the retirement business within their companies.

  • News

    Dutch discount rate set to change – Van Nunen

    2009-04-28T14:15:00Z

    [15:15 CEST 28-04] NETHERLANDS – Dutch pension funds are not as poor as they look and calculation methods for liabilities will change to draw a more accurate picture, according to Dutch fiduciary management consultant Anton Van Nunen.

  • News

    Allianz rallies against 'safety pension'

    2009-04-27T15:40:00Z

    [16:40 CEST 27-04] AUSTRIA – Calls to introduce a 'safety pension' with a lower calculation rate in Austria will not completely rule out the need for pension cuts, officials at Allianz have argued.

  • News

    Bulk of Swiss schemes now underfunded

    2009-04-24T13:00:00Z

    [14:00 CEST 24-04] SWITZERLAND – The number of underfunded Swiss Pensionskassen has increased considerably in the first quarter with 74,3% now being below the full funding level.

  • News

    The winter of Swiss discontent?

    2009-04-23T10:00:00Z

    [11:00 CEST 23-04] SWITZERLAND – A referendum against a cut in the conversion rate of the Swiss mandatory second pillar pension regime will most likely happen before Christmas.

  • News

    Germans prepare for lower pension

    2009-04-22T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CEST 22-04] GERMANY – The number of Germans who think they will have to cut expenses at retirement is on the rise, while fewer people are willing to save privately for their pension, research has suggested.

  • News

    Publica loses another 1.43%

    2009-04-21T15:35:00Z

    [16:35 CEST 21-04] SWITZERLAND – The Swiss Pensionskasse for civil servants Publica returned -1.43% in the first three months of this year.

  • 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

    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

    Estonian gov’t takes contribution holiday

    2009-04-16T15:30:00Z

    ESTONIA – The government of Estonia is suspending payment of its contributions to the second pillar pension regime for two years.

  • News

    Negative Q1 for Swiss pension funds

    2009-04-15T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 CEST 15-04] SWITZERLAND – Swiss pensionskassen returned -1.5% in the first quarter, according to the latest calculations by Credit Suisse.