IPE's United Kingdom Coverage – Page 259

  • 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.

  • UK funding update: April put DB schemes into deficit
    News

    UK funding update: April put DB schemes into deficit

    2010-05-11T14:00:00Z

    UK – The funding position of around 7,400 defined benefit (DB) schemes deteriorated by approximately £2.5bn (€2.91bn) in April, according to latest figures from the Pension Protection Fund (PPF).

  • UK roundup: Environment Agency, Merseyside, Aviva
    News

    UK roundup: Environment Agency, Merseyside, Aviva

    2010-05-11T13:00:00Z

    UK – The Environment Agency Pension Fund is seeking one or more managers to run an emerging market equity portfolio for the scheme.

  • UK trustees must engage with overseas parents
    News

    UK trustees must engage with overseas parents

    2010-05-10T13:45:00Z

    UK – British pension funds with sponsoring employers owned by an overseas parents need to engage directly with the latter on funding issues instead of relying on The Pensions Regulator (TPR) to bail them out, Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP) has warned.

  • News

    USS review group fails to agree pension changes

    2010-05-06T15:00:00Z

    UK – The Joint Review Group (JRG) of the £28bn (€33bn) Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) has been disbanded after it failed to reach an agreement to changes to the pension scheme, including a move to a career-average structure.

  • LPFA says proposed LGPS Commission would not take on investment strategy
    News

    LPFA says proposed LGPS Commission would not take on investment strategy

    2010-04-19T16:00:00Z

    UK – Local authorities could retain control over investment policy but would need to adopt standard guidance on valuation assumptions, under proposals for an independent commission for local government pensions put forward by the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA).

  • News

    CBI claims charges will drive savers out of NEST

    2010-04-19T15:55:00Z

    UK – High initial charges on the proposed National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) could mean savers would be better off in private sector pension funds with annual management charges of up to 0.6% for at least the first six years, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).