All IPE articles in July 2008 (Online) – Page 8
-
News
BVI sees trend towards specialisation
[16:45 CEST 23-07] GERMANY – Investors are once again choosing separate providers for portfolio management and fund administration, according to the German investment and asset management federation BVI.
-
News
Poor record-keeping could add 5% to buyout cost
[17:05 CEST 23-07] UK – The Pension Regulator (TPR) is targeting poor record keeping with a consultation on new proposals for "good practice" guidelines for trustees and administrators, as evidence suggests poor practice significantly adds to the scheme's costs.
-
News
SPMS returns –4.9% in first half
[11:00 CEST 24-07] NETHERLANDS - The €5.2bn pension fund for medical consultants SPMS suffered market turbulence in the first half of this year, like many other pension funds, and saw its return drop –4.9% as a result.
-
News
Defendants acquitted in Vera/Pevos pensions trial
SWITZERLAND – All seven defendants in the trial around the collapse of the Vera and Pevos Pensionskassen in Switzerland in 1996 have been acquitted by a regional court and officials say it now may be too late to take the case further.
-
News
Towers Perrin takes risk management to "next level"
[16:10 CEST 24-07] EUROPE – Towers Perrin has created a new subsidiary to focus on the provision of advice on risk management services, including pension fund solutions which pull together the insurance and reinsurance market with the capital markets.
-
News
Credit Suisse stems asset bleed
[16:20 CEST 24-07] SWITZERLAND – After major asset outflows in the first three months of this year Swiss bank Credit Suisse has reported more positive figures for Q2, though all is not yet well.
-
News
UN staff pension funding level hits 147%
[16:30 CEST 24-07] GLOBAL – The $40.6bn (€25.9bn) United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) has reported a funding level of 147% and an actuarial surplus of 0.49% of pensionable remuneration.
-
News
Two-thirds outsource admin despite TPR fears
[16:30 CEST 24-07] UK – Over two-thirds of employers with defined benefit (DB) schemes have outsourced their pensions administration to third-party providers, according to Aon Consulting, even as the UK regulator raised concerns about the level of skill among administrators.
-
News
NPRF saw negative return of -12% in H1
[16:40 CEST 24-07] IRELAND – The National Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF) has reported a negative return of -12% in the first half of 2008.
-
News
Saving should be the new investing - BlackRock
[17:00 CEST 24-07] EUROPE – A study into the attitudes of pension scheme members has revealed many individuals are put off by messages suggesting pensions are an investment, and are more amenable to the concept if described as ‘savings’.
-
News
Industry-wide fund searches for high-yield gains
[13:00 CEST 25-07] EUROPE – An industry-wide continental European pension fund is seeking to hire a global high-yield fixed income provider to manage a $80m (€51m) mandate, using IPE Quest.
-
News
Is real estate increase only statistical?
[14:00 CEST 25-07] SWITZERLAND – According to the Credit Suisse Pensionskassenindex for the second quarter pension funds' exposure to foreign equities, real estate and alternative assets has increased over the last three months – but this may not have been down to active allocation decisions.
-
NewsPensions Bill may be amended to include earnings test
[14:30 CEST 25-07] UK – The UK government has confirmed it will amend the Pensions Bill 2008 at the next parliamentary stage if necessary, to clarify the definition of qualifying earnings for a pension scheme and allow the introduction of an annual test.
-
News
PPF seeks actuarial software provider
[14:45 CEST 25-07] UK – The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) is seeking a software provider for services enabling the organisation's actuarial team to complete its job.
-
News
BoNYM to service APG’s GTAA assets
[15:45 CEST 25-07] NETHERLANDS – APG Investments, the asset management arm of the giant ABP pension fund, has appointed Bank of New York Mellon to manage the asset administration for its global tactical asset allocation strategy.
-
News
FTSE 100 pensions yet to review VaR target
[16:40 CEST 25-07] UK – Only a handful of pension funds linked to FTSE 100 are reviewing their Value at Risk (VarR) target and so many are increasing the risk to corporate balance sheets, according to research conducted by accounting firm Deloitte.
-
News
Fall in Irish equities drives diversified funds
[16:45 CEST 25-07] IRELAND – A sharp decline in Irish equities over the last 12 months has highlighted the “inherent lack of diversification” in Irish balanced funds and driven managers to look at other asset classes, Hewitt has revealed.
-
News
LAPFF issues deadline for M&S governance
[16:50 CEST 25-07] UK – The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) has confirmed plans to file a resolution calling for an independent chair of Marks & Spencer (M&S) if the retailer fails to split the roles of chairman and chief executive by 2009.
-
News
Proposed ASB pension reporting seen as "misleading"
[12:00 CEST 28-07] UK – Proposals by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) to recognise actuarial gains and losses on a company's profit and loss account would be "misleading", Mercer has claimed.
-
News
Top 100 firms see £2.4bn of 'irrecoverable' surpluses
[14:45 CEST 28-07] UK – The overall funding position of the FTSE 100 pension schemes has fallen to a deficit of £8bn (€10bn) in the last year, while at least 20 companies have reported what would be a total irrecoverable surplus of £2.4bn under new accounting standards.
