IPE's United Kingdom Coverage – Page 257

  • News

    NAPF 'foundation' pension could limit means-testing, but at a cost

    2010-06-16T15:12:00Z

    UK – Introducing a 'foundation' pension combining the current Basic State Pension (BSP) and the State Second Pension (S2P) could reduce the number of people on means-tested pension benefits to 25% by 2050, according to research by the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI).

  • News

    Government should focus on current pension costs, says Towers Watson

    2010-06-15T15:26:00Z

    UK – The government should be focusing on how much pension promises being made today are worth rather than the increasing cost of past pension promises, Towers Watson has warned.

  • News

    UK think tank calls for auto-enrolment into ISAs

    2010-06-14T11:35:00Z

    UK – Pensions and individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) should be brought closer together through tax harmonisation and auto-enrolment into ISAs in an effort to boost long-term savings in the UK, a report from the Centre for Policy Studies has argued.

  • News

    UK RDR changes may deter pension saving

    2010-06-10T12:35:00Z

    UK – Changes to UK regulation forcing employees to pay for advice and management costs upfront rather than by commission could lead them to opt-out of pension saving once auto-enrolment is introduced, Creative Benefit Solutions has warned.

  • News

    Cuts to UK pension tax relief may cost industry £2.5bn, says Standard Life

    2010-06-10T11:57:00Z

    UK – Proposals to phase out the higher rate of pensions tax relief could cost employers, pension schemes and providers £1.05bn (€1.27bn), while the cost to employees could be a further £1.38bn, Standard Life has claimed.

  • News

    Early access to pension assets a mistake, warns Mercer

    2010-06-10T10:30:00Z

    UK – Giving savers access to their pension fund before retirement would be a mistake, according to Mercer.

  • News

    Trustees need to prepare covenant arrangements, says UK Pensions Regulator

    2010-06-09T01:02:00Z

    UK – Trustees should prepare plans to access employer support to the scheme, such as contingent assets, ahead of time, instead of waiting to ask for extra security when it would weaken the sponsoring employer, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has said.

  • News

    UK funding roundup: DB deficit reaches £41.5bn in May

    2010-06-08T13:49:00Z

    UK – The funding position of UK defined benefit schemes deteriorated in May, with the aggregate deficit increasing to £41.5bn (€50.1bn) at the end of the month, according to figures from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF).

  • News

    UK roundup: West Sussex, Coca-Cola, Ernst & Young, Tax relief

    2010-06-08T13:13:00Z

    UK – West Sussex County Council is seeking a transition manager for its local government pension scheme, while trade unions are threatening Coca-Cola with strike action over changes to the final salary pension scheme.

  • News

    UK roundup: PIRC, Hammersmith, BAE, Tate & Lyle

    2010-06-01T14:45:00Z

    UK – Revisions to the UK Corporate Governance Code requiring the annual re-election of directors of FTSE 350 companies has been welcomed by an independent corporate governance adviser, despite concerns from pension funds.

  • Cost of de-risking remains a barrier for UK trustees
    News

    Cost of de-risking remains a barrier for UK trustees

    2010-05-27T15:49:00Z

    UK – Trustees see cost issues as the biggest barrier to reducing risk in a pension scheme, leading a significant number to make deficit funding programmes a priority, a study has revealed.

  • UK government to tackle Royal Mail pensions deficit
    News

    UK government to tackle Royal Mail pensions deficit

    2010-05-26T15:58:00Z

    UK – The Royal Mail defined benefit (DB) pension deficit is one of the areas that will be tackled by the Conservative-Liberal coalition government in a new Postal Services Bill announced in the Queen's Speech.

  • Inflation fears sustain large FTSE350 deficits
    News

    Inflation fears sustain large FTSE350 deficits

    2010-05-25T15:05:00Z

    UK – Growing long-term inflation expectations have offset the effects of equity market gains, causing the aggregated pension deficit of FTSE350 companies to be valued at £160bn (€187bn) at the end of March 2010.

  • United Utilities slashes deficit with DB changes
    News

    United Utilities slashes deficit with DB changes

    2010-05-24T15:40:00Z

    UK – United Utilities claims it reduced its pension deficit by approximately £90m (€104m) through a number of changes to its defined benefit (DB) schemes.

  • DWP to face a £535m spending cut ahead of new Pensions Bill
    News

    DWP to face a £535m spending cut ahead of new Pensions Bill

    2010-05-24T15:00:00Z

    UK – The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be expected to make savings of more than half a billion pounds this financial year, according to HM Treasury.

  • News

    Auto-enrolment still on track as new UK government rings changes

    2010-05-20T12:22:00Z

    UK – The new coalition government in the UK has confirmed it will continue with existing plans for incoming auto-enrolment regulations, while its intentions to part-privatise Royal Mail has raised questions over the future of the organisation’s pension deficit.

  • News

    UK roundup: Hewitt Associates, DWP statistics, CIPFA

    2010-05-20T11:59:00Z

    UK – Hewitt Associates has estimated a £1.2trn personal pension shortfall in individual retirement income, while the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed occupational pension benefits made up a quarter of UK pensioners' income in 2008-09, and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has warned ...

  • News

    LGPS must adapt to avoid spending cuts – Mayer

    2010-05-19T15:00:00Z

    UK – Public sector pension schemes will have to accept changes if they are to survive potential funding cuts, the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) has warned.

  • UK roundup: Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury, BT Group
    News

    UK roundup: Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury, BT Group

    2010-05-13T15:24:00Z

    UK – Marks & Spencer and J Sainsbury have announced agreements to help cut the deficit in defined benefit pension schemes through property partnerships. Elsewhere, BT has reported an increase in its pension deficit on an accounting basis.

  • News

    Increased de-risking may drive up buyout costs

    2010-05-12T15:00:00Z

    UK - Pension funds could face soaring costs for buyouts as interest in pension scheme de-risking increases, an actuarial consultancy has warned.