Latest from IPE Magazine – Page 467
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Features
Winners and losers
The prospects for investments in the Balkans are improving but political stability remains a concern, as does the lack of liquidity in the region, writes Branko Železnik
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Features
Finding a half-way house
In the aftermath of several scandals,legislation introducing regulatory and governance changes is in the pipeline But, with moves towards regionalisation of supervision, George Coats finds that the debate on the issues is far from over
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Features
Fed’s rate cut buoys markets and steepens curve
Yield curve/duration lthough neither the ECB nor the Bank of England (BoE) raised rates at the start of September, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) did step in to cut rates. While the US forward markets had over the summer already moved to discount an early autumn rate cut, the size ...
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Features
Province of a select few?
Complexity and regulation continue to drive outsourcing of pension fund investments, finds Rachel Fixsen
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Features
A proud man at the helm
Roderick Munsters is the head of investments at Europe’s largest second pillar pension fund, the Dutch civil servants’ scheme ABP. He talks to Brendan Maton about Warren Buffet, Jean Frijns and the opportunities to be found during market crises
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Features
Shifting horizons
The AHV/AVS Swiss Federal Social Security Buffer Fund, continues to diversify its assets − this year investing into commodities and Japanese small cap equities. However, it faces a long-term funding crisis that could see its assets dwindle to nothing within eight years. Liam Kennedy spoke with Eric Breval, the fund’s managing director
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Features
No man is an island
The Isle of Man government is keen to promote the island as an attractive place to locate a business. To this end, it has published proposals to simplify its tax regime for pensions, with the intention of enabling the Isle of Man to remain competitive with other countries. As such, ...
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Features
Taking the downs with the ups
As the waves of the US sub-prime lending crisis lap on Europe’s shores, how worried should Europe’s pension funds be? The credit crunch has affected banks and institutions that borrow on the capital markets, as liquidity has dried up. But how has this affected Europe’s pension schemes and their investments? The evidence is that pension funds are prepared to ride out market volatility without any significant change of course.
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Features
What makes good communication?
IPE asked three pension services – in Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Spain – the same question: ‘How and what do you communicate with your members?’ Here are their answers:
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Features
A consultant evolution
Consolidation in Germany’s actuarial and investment consulting market continues apace, notably with Watson Wyatt’s acquisition of the big hitter Heissmann. Pirkko Juntunen reports
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Features
Germany fund overview
n general there is an increase in the investment of institutional assets using mutual funds. The arguments in favour of this trend are the adoption of IFRS accounting standards by corporates, mutual funds’ higher liquidity and fungibility, and the corresponding supply of share classes orientated towards the pricing requirements of ...
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Features
Getting the right rate
There is increasing focus on how to select discount rates for international valuations of German retirement obligations. Udo Bauer, Raimund Rhiel, Friedemann Lucius and Alf Gohdes assess the options
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Features
Choice set to narrow as custodians merge
Has the recent spate of mergers in the global custody industry changed anything for custody clients? Ross Whitehill, chief operating officer at Thomas Murray, a London-based custody and capital market infrastructure ratings company, says yes. Clients have less choice each time there is M&A activity, he says, although it is ...
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Features
Retiring later and living longer
Orla Gough examines the likely impact of a raising of the retirement age in the UK and how this will affect trustees’ decision making
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Features
Holding up in the face of competition
Luxembourg overhauled its law on specialist investment funds in February this year, presenting competition for German Spezialfonds.Luxembourg SIFs are less regulated than their German cousins, but it remains to be seen to what extent they will attract the interest of German investors. The year 2006 saw a reduction in the numbers of Spezialfonds-KAGs. But growth in Spezialfonds assets was still in double digits even if this was less than 2005. Till Entzian presents his annual survey of the market
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Features
Germany's wise man of pensions
Prof Bert Rürup is a well-known figure in Germany and has played an important role in recent years in the formation of public pension policy. He spoke to Liam Kennedy about reform and the future
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Features
Trying to stay ahead of the pack
Switzerland’s fiercely competitive asset management landscape has nevertheless provided opportunities for foreign asset managers, particularly in niche areas. Nina Röhrbein finds Swiss investment players optimistic about their prospects as pension funds continue to diversify
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Features
Assessing the strategy
What is fuelling the rash of 130/30 products? And are they a legitimate relaxation of unnecessary constraints or a pernicious hybrid that combines the worst aspects of long-only managers’ asset-gathering philosophy and hedge fund-style fees? Joseph Mariathasan examines the drivers and drawbacks of 130/30 strategies
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Features
The great debate
Quant or fundamental? Which type of manager has the right stuff to manage 130/30 strategies? Lynn Strongin Dodds examines the pros and cons
