Latest analysis – Page 25
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FeaturesPerspective: What is trusteeship worth?
Running a pension fund is a difficult job, whether for an executive, a professional trustee, or a member-nominated representative
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Analysis
Research: Stewardship – a key point of competition
In the second of two articles on a new survey, Amin Rajan and Simon Klein argue that climate-change investing is mandating asset managers to be agents of change
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Features
Accounting matters: Totalling the sub-totals
A project that at its simplest is about the layout of financial statements should be uncontroversial. But the International Accounting Standards Board’s Primary Financial Statements project faces a potentially big test.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from Australia: Pooling for savings and strength
The government, the regulator and economic fallout from COVID-19 have combined to pressure Australia’s large and unwieldy pool of super funds towards consolidation.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from US: Diversity in asset management rises
“It is a part of your fiduciary duty to invest the fund’s assets in a prudent manner. Investing with diverse asset managers that demonstrate outperformance and deliver strong returns is more than prudent, it is wise.”
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Book ReviewBooks: It all boils down to the three Ds
Paul Marshall’s pocket guide to fund management covers multiple subjects, each of which really deserves its own book. Nonetheless, he writes well, and has produced a diverse and entertaining work.
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FeaturesPerspective: How to survive a reputational crisis
Pension fund trustees could benefit from developing a clear policy stance in relation to controversial questions
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Features
Accounting Matters: Controversy over sponsor rebates
In 2014, staff at the International Financial Reporting Standards Interpretations Committee (IFRS IC) – the body responsible for developing guidance on the application of IFRSs – recommended the approval of an amendment to its asset-ceiling guidance.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from Australia: Paltry pickings in the political pie
As deficits mount in a post-COVID-19 world, politicians and bureaucrats are again eyeing national pension savings – hundreds of billions of dollars they can capture at the stroke of a legislative pen.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from US: Politics forcing divestment
American pension funds have become embroiled in the cold war between the US and China and diversification strategies may be affected by the new scrutiny of investments in Chinese companies.
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FeaturesPerspective: Trouble in Lykkeland
The decision to appoint Nicolai Tangen, a hedge fund owner, to the position of CEO at Norges Bank Investment Management has proved controversial
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Features
Accounting Matters: Will IFRS 9 cause a new crisis?
The global financial crisis of 2008-09 was fertile ground for the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Suddenly everyone was talking about flawed accounting. Globalisation was king, bigger was better, and politicians were keen to assuage public anger that banks which seemed were healthy were in fact insolvent.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from US: Investors and savers hold steady in the face of the pandemic
During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many investors stayed the course and did not make drastic changes to their asset allocations or to their saving rates. That is according to the first quarter 2020 retirement analysis by Fidelity Investments of more than 30m 401(k), Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and 403(b) retirement accounts in the US. Data updated to 17 April confirm the trends.
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AnalysisPerspective: Funds embrace diversity
Some US pension funds have been leaders in diversity and inclusion. Are others catching up?
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AnalysisPerspective: COVID-19: Funds seek solace in the long term
COVID-19 is forcing European pension funds to put on a brave face as asset portfolios and funding ratios plummet, and regulators soften their stances.
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AnalysisPerspective: Inspired actuaries form COVID-19 rapid response group
At the onset of Europe becoming the epicentre of the coronavirus crisis, there were individuals in one profession that were keen to act as quickly as possible in response to what they saw “could well be humanity’s burning platform for change”.
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AnalysisPerspective: EIOPA’s COVID-19 address reassures
A coronavirus crisis statement from EIOPA addressed to national supervisors drew positive words from lobby groups PensionsEurope and the European Association of Paritarian Institutions (AEIP).
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AnalysisPerspective: Four difficult questions facing pension fund investors
The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic poses many difficult questions for investors. Pension funds will probably have to reconsider many long-standing assumptions. These are some of the most intractable.
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AnalysisPensions accounting: A matter of survival
If there is one thing DB scheme sponsors and trustees can be sure of this year, the COVID-19 pandemic is going to affect not only their ability to fund schemes but also how they account for them
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AnalysisFixed income, rates, currencies: Thinking on one’s feet
The enormous scale of national lockdowns has made it hard to keep abreast of all the extraordinary monetary interventions and fiscal support packages worldwide.
