Investor Strategy – Page 144

  • Tapping engaged members 'could improve lifecycling'
    News

    Tapping engaged members 'could improve lifecycling'

    2009-05-21T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CEST 21-05] GLOBAL – Improvements could be made to lifecycle strategies within defined contribution pensions if trustees were to base their default designs more on the needs of “guided-selector” members who might already engage in decision-making, suggests research conducted by consulting firm Watson Wyatt.

  • UK buyout market halved in Q1
    News

    UK buyout market halved in Q1

    2009-05-20T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CEST 20-05] UK – The UK defined benefit (DB) buyout market reduced by 50% in the first quarter of 2009, as the total value of agreed transactions totalled less than £900m (€1.02bn).

  • News

    Pensions insurance might work long-term - advisers

    2009-05-20T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 20-05] GLOBAL – Some form of insurance or ‘lock-in protection’ might be a solution to the risk of investing in defined contributions pensions, but the industry must in the short-term do much more to inform members about the risks they face, say consultants.

  • 'Japan scenario' could seriously affect pensions - DNB
    News

    'Japan scenario' could seriously affect pensions - DNB

    2009-05-20T14:15:00Z

    [15:15 CEST 20-05] NETHERLANDS - Future pension benefits for Dutch workers could be affected if interest rates stay low and markets do not recover, pensions regulator De Nederlandsche Bank has claimed.

  • Diversified growth to play key role in DC default
    News

    Diversified growth to play key role in DC default

    2009-05-19T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CEST 19-05] GLOBAL – Consulting firm Lane, Clark & Peacock is advising pensions clients to adopt a new lifestyling default strategy for defined contribution (DC) plans which for the bulk of the investment period is equally split between equities and diversified growth investments.

  • News

    Overlay touted as swaps alternative

    2009-05-19T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 19-05] EUROPE – Pimco, the asset manager, has suggested pension funds who were considering applying an interest rate swap to their portfolios should instead look to a gilts overlay or equity futures to gain better returns.

  • News

    Increased interest hedge cushions TNT’s loss

    2009-05-19T14:15:00Z

    [15:15 CEST 19-05] NETHERLANDS - The €3.8bn pension fund of postal company TNT saw its losses considerably limited last year, officials claim, as the interest hedge on liabilities was increased from 53% to 75%.

  • News

    Croydon pension fund targets GTAA

    2009-05-15T16:25:00Z

    [17:25 CEST 15-05] UK – Croydon Council is seeking a supplier for the combined roles of providing Tactical Asset Allocation (TAA) advice to its pension fund while also managing a £25m (€28m) Global Tactical Asset Allocation (GTAA) mandate.

  • News

    Fujitsu mulls closing UK DB scheme to future accrual

    2009-05-15T16:20:00Z

    [17:20 CEST 15-05] UK – Fujitsu Services UK has confirmed it is initiating a three-month consultation with staff and trade unions over the closure of its defined benefit (DB) scheme to future accrual.

  • News

    Irish tourism authority seeks pensions admin

    2009-05-15T16:20:00Z

    [17:20 CEST 15-05] IRELAND - Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, is tendering a contract for consultancy and administration services to its three pension funds.

  • News

    East Sussex bank plan is 'madness'

    2009-05-15T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CEST 15-05] UK – Proposals by East Sussex County Council to use money from its local government pension scheme (LGPS) to establish a bank to help local businesses have been criticised as "utter madness" by the GMB.

  • News

    Pension funds act on negative swap spread

    2009-05-14T12:00:00Z

    [13:00 CEST 14-05] GLOBAL - Pension funds have been lining up to take profits from the interest-rate swaps they have put in place for liability-driven investing (LDI), according to their fixed income managers and advisers.

  • News

    1 in 4 Danes to work past retirement

    2009-05-13T16:30:00Z

    [17:30 CEST 13-05] DENMARK – Almost 50% of Danish workers intend to take early retirement before the age of 65, while just over a quarter plan to continue working past the normal retirement age, according to Forsikring & Pension, the Danish Insurance Association (DIA).

  • News

    KPN to step up risk after 14.5% loss

    2009-05-13T15:20:00Z

    [16:20 CEST 13-05] NETHERLANDS - The €3.6bn pension fund of telecoms provider KPN limited its loss in 2008 to 14.5% as a result of a 70%-hedge on its interest rate risk, but officials have plans to increase its alpha risk this year.

  • News

    Consultants predict potential longevity market of £15bn (updated)

    2009-05-13T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 13-05] UK – Babcock International, the engineering firm, has in principle secured a deal to hedge some of its pensions longevity risk through the market’s first longevity swap, though consultants say the arena could quickly grow to be cover a potential £15bn (€17bn) in pension assets this year.

  • News

    IBOA defers AIB action ahead of new talks

    2009-05-12T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CEST 12-05] IRELAND – The Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA) has agreed to defer using proxy votes at the annual general meeting (AGM) of AIB, following proposals put forward by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to end a dispute on pay, pensions and other issues.

  • 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

    PPF diversifies investment portfolio

    2009-05-11T16:25:00Z

    [17:25 CEST 11-05] UK – The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is diversifying its investment strategy to include three new portfolios including global tactical asset allocation (GTAA).

  • News

    Absolute return may be future for default funds

    2009-05-11T16:20:00Z

    [17:20 CEST 11-05] UK - Recent volatility in pension default fund investments has suggested there is a need to shift away from lifestyling towards alternatives such as absolute return funds, according to Punter Southall Financial Management.

  • News

    Shropshire reduces UK equities for new global mandate

    2009-05-11T16:20:00Z

    [17:20 CEST 11-05] UK – Shropshire County Council is seeking one or more managers to run a new global equity portfolio for the £740m (€824m) Shropshire Pension Fund.