Latest on Regulation & Reform – Page 389
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News
Irish gov't unveils public pension levy
[15:30 CET 04-02] IRELAND – The Irish government has unveiled plans to cut public spending by €2.1bn, and almost €1.4bn of this will be achieved by requiring public sector workers to pay a new pension 'levy' averaging 7.5% towards their pensions.
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News
Ombudsman may file further Eq Life report
[15:15 CET 04-02] UK – Ann Abrahams, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, is considering whether to submit a follow-up report on Equitable Life detailing why she finds the government response to her report "unsatisfactory", a committee of MPs has been told.
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News
EFRP supports Romanian funds
ROMANIA – The European Federation for Retirement Provision has labelled the Romanian government's decision to maintain second pillar contribution levels as being “of grave concern”.
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News
Compound rate big mistake for funds – Van Nunen
[16:50 CET 03-02] NETHERLANDS – Fiduciary management consultant Anton van Nunen has claimed the condition of pension funds is less severe than portrayed, and instead argues much of funds’ funding shortfalls can be attributed to the compound rate.
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News
BT takes sipp for new DC scheme
[16:00 CET 03-02] UK – BT, the telecoms giant, has appointed Standard Life to provide a new corporate self-invested personal pension (CSIPP) to replace its existing defined contribution (DC) schemes.
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FeaturesThe advantages of conservatism
Portuguese pension fund asset allocation has been criticised in the past for a traditional approach that lost out on potential gains. But George Coats finds that at a time of market crisis it may limit losses
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Special Report
A matter of survival
A deeper understanding of environmental, social and governance issues will allow you to make better-informed investment decisions
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Special ReportBest practice lies in the balance
Gail Moss assesses the recommendations on best practice for pension funds by UK pension fund trustee Brian Holden who was commissioned to write a report on governance
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FeaturesPension funds see crisis role
Europe’s mighty central banks are being stretched to their limits, not only in the range of problems they need to fix, but also in their financial firepower. In some countries, pension funds have stepped in as the new investors of last resort, transforming themselves almost overnight into Pension Fund plc ...
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FeaturesPutting off mañana
Although the leading political parties agree they should revisit the Toledo pact that is the basic text of Spain’s pensions reform, they have yet to agree when. And pensions are just not on the current government’s agenda, writes George Coats
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FeaturesMoves to maintain the balance
Spain’s €57bn reserve fund is intended to help plug the anticipated deficit in the social security budget. Diego Valero Carreras explains the background
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Features
Filling in the GAAP
Spain has introduced new accounting rules. Guillermo Ezcurra explains how the new regulation is organised and identifies which parts are relevant to pensions accounting
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Special ReportSupervision of Portugal’s market
New regulations came into force last year. Gert Verheij assesses their implementation at a challenging time for pension funds and their sponsors
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FeaturesPensions in Obama’s sights
When Barack Obama is inaugurated as president in January 2009, provisions affecting the pension fund industry could well be an important part of his intended new economic stimulus. But this follows little debate about the retirement system during the campaign, except when US employee’s losses in 401(k) individual accounts were ...
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FeaturesTaxing developments
Peter Schonewille reports on infringement procedures against 14 EU member states over withholding tax, on a recent opinion on Finnish dividend taxation and on real estate taxation
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FeaturesBeware Japanese proverbs
The experience of Japanese pension funds in the 1990s provides an interesting lesson for Western investors, finds David White
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Country Report
Putting the focus on regulation
Regulation was one the main issues mentioned in responses to the government’s Green Paper on Pensions, with many submissions focusing on the funding standard for DC pension schemes. “There were always potential problems around the issue of the funding standard and it has become a lot more real now,” says ...
