Latest from IPE Magazine – Page 461
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Features
Cutting-edge strategies resolve risk/return dilemma
All pension funds have to balance risk and return, but for local government pension funds, there is also another balancing act involved – the ability to deal with political pressure.
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Features
Investment guidelines reflect members’ values
With socially responsible investing continuing to develop as an established part of the asset management industry, it is easy for pension funds to make token gestures towards the concept, without necessarily putting in place processes that can effect change.
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Features
Core/satellite approach keeps performance up
Since its launch in 1999, the Fonditel Red Básica pension fund has achieved remarkable returns on its investments, a record which has kept it permanently at the top of the performance rankings. For this consistency of performance, FRB has won the award for Best Spanish Pension Fund.
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Features
Open door policy redefines real estate
Investing in any kind of alternative requires care and skill. Real estate is a classic example. There are different ways you can get into this popular alternative and once in, running a property portfolio presents certain challenges – something Denmark’s professional services pension scheme, PKA, knows only to well, with ...
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Features
Mutual respect in selecting the best
Launched in 1993, Portugal’s small €94m BPI Valorização is unlike many of the other schemes represented at this year’s IPE Awards.
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Features
Back to basics review creates complex but manageable system
Constructing a successful portfolio will always require careful planning and a clear set of principles to ensure it develops effortlessly and efficiently. This is an ethos that Sweden’s €22.8bn AP3 scheme fully understands. With investment returns falling from 17.7% in 2005 to 9.5% in 2006, the state buffer fund began ...
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Features
Commodities results prompt measured reappraisal
For most passive commodities investors, 2006 was a disappointing year in performance terms. But instead of a knee-jerk response, reducing its exposure to this asset class, the reaction from Doctors Pension Fund Services was a calm reappraisal of its whole approach to this area.
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Features
An extra component to an LDI strategy
With assets around some €2.8bn under management, Dutch scheme PNO Media, which represents 30,000 members across the Netherlands’ media industry, may be small in comparison with some of its peers, such ABP and PGGM, but that doesn’t mean it is any less innovative or meticulous in its operations – as ...
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Features
Pooled vehicle brings new life to Baltic bond market
It is one thing to be aware that a specific market sector needs to be developed. It is quite another to recognise that opportunity and to grasp it with both hands. In helping to grow the corporate debt market in the Baltic countries, and for its innovative approach to its ...
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Features
Two for the price of one
Two complementary pay-as-you-go pension plans operating under one roof, Agirc and Arrco are managed by two pensions federations whose decision-making bodies are controlled by the company partners – Agirc and Arrco.
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Features
All your eggs in one basket
The small but innovative €566m Bosch hybrid group pension scheme remains the only occupational pension fund in Germany to apply changes to accounting practices introduced in 2005 by the International Financial Reporting Standards board which affect the way companies view their pensions.
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Features
The thinking pension revolutionary
Thought leadership is a well-worn term but one sure practitioner in the pension fund world is Keith Ambachtsheer, who has been voted by our readers as winner of this year’s IPE Gold Award for outstanding industry contribution.
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Features
A touch of magic
To win an award of any type is recognition that you stick out from your peers and have achieved excellence. To gain the ultimate accolade of Best Pension Scheme in Europe means you have worked magic and your level of innovation has resulted in something extra special. That sums up KBC’s recent review of its investment strategy perfectly.
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Features
A single manager approach but wide net to cast
Investing in hedge funds requires specific skills and careful monitoring. Pension schemes usually use hedge funds to ensure a robust diversification and the safest and perhaps easiest method of investing in this increasingly common alternative is through funds of funds. But for Ilmarinen, Finland’s €23bn multi-employer scheme, which has 3% or €750m of its overall portfolio in hedge funds, that is no longer enough.
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Features
Third man leading the pack
Gildi, Iceland’s third-largest pension scheme with €2.18bn under management, believes it deserves the IPE award for Iceland thanks to its successful portfolio management and performance.
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Features
Making choices the fun way
Effective communication in the pension scheme world is paramount, as how well you get the message across affects the many choices members have to make to ensure they get the best level of pension income when they retire.
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Features
Balancing life and pensions
Starting with a blank canvas back in 2003, the creation of the Bank of Ireland’s LifeBalance product was one of three components of the bank’s new integrated group pensions strategy that was developed by the group pensions department. The three components are governance, benefits and fund structures.
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Features
Finding the right level
Founded in 1961, Inarcassa began life as the state-run pension fund for Italian Architects and Engineers.
