Funding
In-depth reporting on pension scheme funding for our pension fund and asset management readers from IPE’s award-winning journalists
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NewsUK defined benefit funding strengthens as recovery plans shorten sharply
A stronger funding position is giving UK trustees greater choice over endgame strategies, while recovery plans continue to shorten
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InterviewsSpotlight on UK LGPS: Border to Coast’s £120bn scale opens door to deeper global partnerships
Seven new funds take Border to Coast to £120bn, creating scale for investment and global partnerships
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NewsUK pensions industry urges rethink of general levy as costs rise
Pensions UK warns proposed levy increases could undermine consolidation, member outcomes and value-for-money assessments across pension funds
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NewsDutch retail scheme changes mind and buys put option for 80% equities hedge
Pensioenfonds Detailhandel reveals 2025 study resulted in decision to hedge most of equity risk in run up to January 2027 transition to new pension system
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NewsGerman corporate pension funding hits record 90.8%
Improved funding and resilient markets are giving German corporates greater scope to reduce pension risks and secure obligations
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NewsUniversities fund consults on cutting contribution rate to 16.4% after funding improves
USS’s improved funding position opens consultation on lower contributions while prompting debate over scheme’s long-term direction
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Opinion PiecesWhen pension professionals hold the key to a nation’s fortunes
Jos Vermeulen, head of solution design at Insight Investment, says a well-designed DB surplus regime could be a win-win on many levels
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NewsGerman pension funds test new underfunding regime with first BaFin filings
German Pensionskassen begin using new funding rules allowing temporary underfunding to expand investment risk budgets and returns
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NewsGerman reforms could see €400bn private pension boost
Opportunities for investment managers as Berlin looks set to adopt Swedish first-pillar retirement accounts model
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NewsTPR backs innovative DB endgame options as scheme surpluses grow
Improving UK defined benefit funding positions prompts regulator to support broader endgame strategies beyond traditional buyouts
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NewsUK consults on DB surplus release rules as industry sees boost for run-on strategies
Draft regulations would allow surplus extraction above low-dependency funding threshold, reshaping defined benefit endgame strategies
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NewsItaly’s Covip shifts pension fund levy to assets under management
COVIP, the Italian supervisor for the pension fund industry, is introducing a new contribution structure to fund its supervisory activities
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NewsSwiss pension funds increase domestic equity exposure as funding ratios surge
Strong equity returns and higher domestic allocations lifted Swiss pension funds to historic funding highs
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NewsUK pension professionals call for debate on lifeboat fund surplus use
Society of Pension Professionals urges consultation on future use of Pension Protection Fund’s £14bn reserve surplus
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NewsValuations increasingly become ‘strategic tool’ in UK endgame planning
Analysis from the UK’s pensions regulator shows aggregate funding reached 124% as at 31 December 2025
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AnalysisIPE Netherlands Briefing: Dutch pension fund returns disappoint
Dutch pension funds delivered an average return of -2.9% in 2025 as positive equity returns failed to compensate for losses made on bond portfolios
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NewsRecord funding ratios prompt DAX firms to rethink pension strategies, allocations
DAX firms achieved a 2.2% return on pension assets through active management, navigating a challenging economic and geopolitical environment, says WTW
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NewsDental pension fund swaps Apollo loan for direct financing in de-risking move
VZB, Berlin’s dental pension fund, replaces Apollo loan with direct financing to mitigate economic and legal risks
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NewsDAX firms push fully funded pensions despite regulatory complexity
German corporates increasingly fund pension liabilities fully, strengthening governance, reducing risk, and supporting profitability amid regulation
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NewsGerman dentists’ pension fund rejects industry association claims
ABV, Germany’s association of pension funds for professionals, is pressing for faster audit of VZB
