Latest – Page 238

  • Pension funds 'should rethink allocation strategy as a priority'
    News

    Pension funds 'should rethink allocation strategy as a priority'

    2009-11-17T12:30:00Z

    [13:30 CET 17-11] UK – The economic downturn has caused pension trustees to gain a “full appreciation of the risks out there”, and led to a renewed focus on planning for the time when markets recover and forced pensions officials to rethink allocation strategy, claim consultants.

  • PensionsFirst adapts to launch 24-hour valuations
    News

    PensionsFirst adapts to launch 24-hour valuations

    2009-11-16T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CET 16-11] UK – PensionsFirst, which was launched in 2007 to assist pension funds manage long-term liabilities through pensions buyouts, has shifted its business direction and unveiled the first known technology system to deliver actuarial valuations within 24 hours.

  • Germany's MetallRente to target 80% equities
    News

    Germany's MetallRente to target 80% equities

    2009-11-13T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 13-11] GERMANY – MetallRente, the pension group for the German metal industry, now has a target allocation of 80% equities in its Pensionsfonds - a pensions vehicle that it believes is most appropriate for young people.

  • News

    Finnish railways pension follows outsourcing track

    2009-11-12T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 12-11] FINLAND – The VR Pension Fund, which covers the employees of the Finnish State Railways, has announced it will transfer its statutory pension liabilities to Varma, the €28.3bn mutual pension insurance company, by the end of year.

  • News

    Progress' member council loses indexation case

    2009-11-11T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CET 11-11] NETHERLANDS - The participants’ council of Unilever’s Dutch pension fund, Progress, has lost a legal case against the scheme concerning indexation.

  • News

    Move to DC led by costs calculability – AllianzGI

    2009-11-11T11:00:00Z

    [12:00 CET 11-11] EUROPE - Pensions analysts in key western European regions believe the move to defined contribution (DC) pension plans is largely being driven by the ability to better calculate costs, according to research.

  • News

    Dutch workers warm to part-time retirement

    2009-11-11T10:00:00Z

    [11:00 CET 11-11] NETHERLANDS - Nearly six out of 10 workers in The Netherlands would consider taking a part-time pension in the final years of their working life, according to a study commissioned by pension provider Aegon.

  • News

    Pensions security overrides Swiss diversification – study

    2009-11-10T15:50:00Z

    [16:50 CET 10-11] SWITZERLAND – Credit Suisse has conducted a study on the efficiency of Swiss Pensionskassen’s asset allocation, which indicates the strategies applied by schemes are “relatively efficient” but have room for improvement in terms of diversification.

  • News

    IBM trustees seek legal clarity on UK DB closure

    2009-11-10T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CET 10-11] UK – Trustees of IBM's £4.36bn (€4.87bn) UK defined benefit (DB) pension schemes have told members they plan to seek legal approval for the proposed changes to the schemes before they amend the trust deed and rules.

  • News

    Schemes' investments based on active members - DNB study

    2009-11-10T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 10-11] NETHERLANDS - Dutch pension funds focus their strategic asset allocation on active participants rather than taking the interests of all participants into account in equal measure, according to research commissioned by pension regulator De Nederlandsche Bank.

  • News

    Consultancy LCP encourages return to UK property

    2009-11-09T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CET 09-11] UK – Consulting firm Lane, Clark & Peacock is advising its pension fund clients to move back into investing in UK property, following recently improved sentiment towards the UK commercial sector.

  • News

    Study uncovers 'unfathomed' liquidity risks

    2009-11-09T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 09-11] GERMANY – A study conducted by Union Investment has claimed methods for measuring portfolio liquidity risks are insufficient. It also suggests German institutional investors are already less concerned about this risk measure, despite the recent crisis.

  • News

    UK roundup: mandates and scheme closures

    2009-11-09T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CET 09-11] UK – Several UK pension funds are searching for managers to handle asset allocation mandates or have made appointments, while two defined benefit funds have announced they intend to close schemes to future accrual.

  • News

    PIMCO put on watch as PPF's LDI strategy drives return

    2009-11-06T16:05:00Z

    [17:05 CET 06-11] UK – The UK Pension Protection Fund (PPF) reported a return of 13.4% in the year to March 2009, although this was primarily driven by the success of its swap portfolio overlay.

  • News

    Lambeth tenders bulk of pension in strategy overhaul

    2009-11-06T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CET 06-11] UK – The London Borough of Lambeth is tendering seven investment mandates for its £700m (€781m) pension fund as it has overhauled its strategy to include new investment classes such as fund of hedge funds and active currency.

  • News

    Poland plans cut to role of pension funds

    2009-11-05T15:15:00Z

    POLAND – The Polish social insurance body ZUS may be granted the right, from next summer, to manage the money that pension fund companies have to invest in government bonds.

  • News

    OECD calls on Ireland to shift public sector pensions to DC

    2009-11-05T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 05-11] IRELAND – Ireland could reduce its budget deficit by introducing a combination of “major reforms” to public sector pensions, according to the OECD. These could include moving new entrants to a defined contribution (DC) scheme rather than adding them to existing defined benefit plans.

  • News

    RiskMetrics acquires KLD

    2009-11-04T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CET 04-11] GLOBAL - Risk management and corporate governance services provider RiskMetrics has announced its acquisition of KLD Research & Analytics, a provider of environmental, social and governance (ESG) research and indexes for institutional investors.

  • News

    AP7 to launch new products following overhaul

    2009-11-04T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CET 04-11] SWEDEN - The Seventh Swedish National Pension Fund (AP7) will take a new shape after May 2010 and management is currently ironing out details for the launch of its new equity and fixed-income funds.

  • News

    Better data can help annuity pricing – DC experts

    2009-11-04T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CET 04-11] EUROPE – Policymakers can help DC scheme members by providing better data on longevity to ensure fair annuity pricing, says a report by the DC working group of the Groupe Consultatif, the European umbrella organisation of national actuarial associations.