All Features articles – Page 357
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Features
VPK launches own absolute return fund
Vereinigte Pensionskasse AG (VPK), founded in 1990 is the largest multi-employer pension fund in Austria with a total of e1.9bn under management. Contributions to the pension fund in 2001 counted more than e106m. Paying attention to the volatile capital markets – on the bond side as well as on the ...
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Features
Second time around achievement in much tougher contest
The staff at Germany’s Nestlé Pensionskasse VVag were naturally delighted to discover that they had won another IPE Award, this time for fund administration, following their success in the country category in the inaugural awards of 2001. “We reckon it was our efficient and ‘one-class system’ approach to the fund’s ...
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Features
Acknowledgement for the hard work in creating a new model
The Fonds de Pension Métal (FPM), Belgium’s sector-wide pension fund for its 150,000 metal industry workers, was delighted to learn that it had won the IPE Award for fund structure and innovation. A number of judges welcome it as the first real moves to establishing industry or sector structures. “Winning ...
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Features
Storebrand goes ahead of the curve
In an absence of any interest from existing corporate pension plans or pension trusts, Norway’s life insurers have become the main protagonists of the new tax favoured DC schemes. The insurers already dominate the management of occupational DB plans in Norway. Some NOK 300bn (E41bn) of pension fund assets are ...
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Features
Fund's reputation for being 'a step ahead' is confirmed
What the judges said: “Inarcassa is to be commended for its attention to detail on its asset allocation modelling and decision-making, as well as an excellent presentation, obviously supported by good research. The judges also praised Inarcassa’s “clear decision-making process, external performance monitoring and good risk controls”. Inarcassa’s pension fund ...
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Features
Aiming to do the best the fund can has paid dividends
The hand of Myners is seen at work in the Diageo fund, according to at least one judge. “Paul Myners’ best disciple – right down to a clear 5% commitment to venture capital – this might be the shortest summary.” Graeme Robertson, UK pensions director at Diageo, expresses his satisfaction ...
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Features
SFB aims to build with other funds
The Dutch pensions scene has to change, maintains Joep Schouten who heads the SFB Group, responsible for the asset and liability management of the Dutch building industry pension funds with assets of around E16bn. “In the Netherlands, there are over 1,000 pension funds for both company and industry-based pension funds. ...
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Features
CSIF aims for benefit transparency
The Canton of Zurich Civil Service Insurance Fund (CSIF), prides itself on the clear and accessible way in which it communicates with its members. “The broad information, the transparency and efficiency of the insurance and investment services over the last few years make us believe that the CSIF belongs to ...
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Features
All part of the service
In an era when the custodian community is desperately attempting to reinvent itself, the less than glamorous concept of cash management rarely finds itself in the spotlight. The notion of ‘the custodian, as a discernibly unglamorous and low-tech anachronism, is no longer compatible with the ‘image-is-all’ focus of today’s big ...
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Features
Wiinning shows importance of different allocations
What the judges said: “We were particularly impressed by the clarity of LPFA’s submission and by the fact that their investment strategy has not been set in light of recent trends but was established a number of years ago pre “Myners”. Amanda Walker, head of finance and investment says the ...
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Features
Bear limps along
Economic data is once again the driving force behind the performance of Europe’s equity markets, with analysts playing down the significance and impact of the Iraqi parliament’s unanimous decision not to allow weapons inspectors to return to Iraq. “It’s not something that we can afford to ignore, but oil prices ...
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Features
Infrastructure as an alternative
Recent global market turmoil has seen a rebalancing of many pension funds’ portfolios away from listed equities and a greater willingness on the part of institutional investors to examine alternative asset classes. There have been many reports of increased allocations to private equity and hedge funds as well as a ...
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Features
OGPF increases alternatives weighting
Osuuspankkien eläkekassa is the pension institution responsible for the TEL pension guarantee (obligatory second pillar) of the employees of OKO Bank Group. At the end of 2001 the pension fund comprised of 355 employers, with a total of 9,229 employees on a TEL contract. The investment operations of the pension ...
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Features
Boots shows another way
The Boots pension scheme is one of the 50 largest UK pension funds, with 72,000 members and £2.3bn of assets (e3.75bn). A move last year to invest 100% of the fund’s assets in long dated bonds, however, made it one of the country’s, if not the continent’s, most talked about ...
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Features
APK puts theory into practice
APK is one of Austria’s largest pension funds with roughly (E1.5bn) is assets under management. The beginning of the year 2000 marked the turning point in the thinking of many institutional investors. Therefore, as a result of the events in 2000, APK reviewed its investment decision-making process and developed an ...
