Frank van Alphen
Frank van Alphen is staff editor at Pensioen Pro, IPE’s Dutch sister publication
NewsBlue Sky Group to sell asset management arm
The €25bn Dutch pension provider wants to focus exclusively on pension administration as it deems itself too small to remain a frontrunner in asset management
NewsDutch schemes remaining in DB required to explain decision, says regulator
According to DNB, pension funds risk going along too easily with employer demands to retain a DB arrangement and close for new accruals
NewsDutch pension funds well prepared for liquidity crunch, say regulators
The switch to obligatory central clearing will increase liquidity needs while the transition to DC will likely have the reverse effect, according to regulators DNB and AFM
NewsMismatch between Dutch funds’ SDG demands and investment opportunities
Bonds that finance projects that contribute to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), Life below Water and Life on Land (SDGs 14 and 15) are especially hard to find
NewsBpfBouw crowned most sustainable Dutch pension fund
The scheme for the Dutch construction sector has taken the first place from ABP
NewsDutch pension funds allowed to index pensions above inflation
Funds will be allowed to provide more indexation than the actual rate of inflation this year, if they did not give full indexation last year
NewsSuperior investment returns for largest Dutch pension funds – research
However, large funds’ higher investment returns are undone fully by their lower interest rate hedges
NewsClosed Dutch Unilever fund to continue DB arrangement
Univest, the investment vehicle for all global Unilever pension schemes, will hand over two bond mandates to external managers
NewsABP sold Credit Suisse after fruitless engagement
Several large Dutch pension funds have sold their shares in the troubled bank in the last few years
NewsPensioenfonds ING divests from fossil fuels
The fund is the first Dutch company pension scheme to announce its intention to divest from oil and gas firms
NewsPME and PMT invest another €150m in venture capital investor
The two Dutch pension schemes also invested €75m each in Innovation Industries’ previous tech-focused fund
NewsDivestment has only limited impact on pension funds’ carbon footprint
Most of the reduction in carbon emissions can be explained by existing portfolio companies emitting fewer CO2, according to a study by Dutch pension regulator DNB
NewsDutch ‘early bird’ schemes delay pension transition plans
Pension funds that had planned to transition to the new DC system in 2024 are delaying their plans due to lack of capacity with their administrators
NewsDutch pension benefits up to 40% higher in new system
Especially younger people benefit from the switch to DC because there will no longer be a need for buffers, according to calculations by pension regulator DNB
News450,000 more workers to accrue pensions by 2027, says Dutch pension minister
Carola Schouten made the promise to ensure opposition support for the new pension law
NewsDutch health insurers scheme swaps BNP Paribas for Achmea
SBZ Pensioen has appointed the Dutch asset manager as its new fiduciary after 15 years with BNP Paribas
NewsPMT interest rate hedge increase backfires
The fund’s accountability body voiced surprise about the move
NewsPME sells MN stake to PMT for €1
PMT already had an interest of almost 80% in the pension provider
NewsPrivate equity fees push PFZW asset management costs to 0.75%
Private equity managers accounted for two thirds of PFZW’s fee payments
