More comment – Page 63
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Opinion Pieces
Letter from the US: MAP-21 skirts IASB
Under the seemingly innocuous Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (or MAP-21 for short), new accounting rules have been approved in the US that will affect their private pension funds. But will it be for better or for worse?
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NewsRunning through all scenarios
BlackRock's head of institutional business explains the importance of considering all variables.
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NewsStandardise reporting to achieve financial literacy
Governments must put all financial reporting on even footing to foster understanding.
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NewsThe flaws of asset liability management
What passes for meeting pensions liabilities today is a fiction, says Ashmore's Jerome Booth.
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NewsThe Kay Report: What is meant by 'fiduciary duty'?
Narrow interpretations of the law could damage the very interests fiduciary duties exist to protect.
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NewsThe great pension fees debate: No need to sensationalise
The fees debate is too important to be sensationalised, says Martin Steward.
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NewsDealing effectively with stagnation
BlackRock's Charles Prideaux outlines three scenarios for the global economy.
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NewsHow we can mend LIBOR
SECOR's Scott Peng outlines how the inter-bank lending rate mechanism might be reformed.
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NewsBeware the path of financial repression
The path leading to financial repression might seem attractive, but it's not without its costs.
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NewsQE: The emperor's new monetary policy
Quantitative easing doesn't lower rates, generate credit growth or create new money.
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NewsAlarm call: Ultra-low interest rates
Persistently low rates are taking their toll on pension funding levels throughout Europe.
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NewsMartin Steward: Have bond markets become myopic?
China's economic slowdown and the shale gas revolution could shift our entire macro framework.
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Opinion Pieces
Long-term Matters: Starting in their back yards
Foundations often exist to do public good. Their mission should be both to invest and provide grants. Protecting capital should be a priority; foundations do not need to be liability driven, have no reason to herd, and could use their long-term nature as a source of competitive advantage.
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Opinion Pieces
Chris Sutton, Towers Watson
Pension funds find themselves between a rock and the hard place as they struggle to provide for ageing populations in a tough investment climate. As a result of this, and of an inheritance of under-funding, retirement savings continue to attract media and public policy attention. Will pension funds be overcome by looming threats or seize the opportunity for change?
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Opinion Pieces
Letter from Brussels: A welcome day
You can almost hear the sound of satisfied occupational pension fund representatives rubbing their hands together at the news that the IORP II Directive has been postponement.
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Opinion Pieces
Letter from the US: Taft-Hartley blues
Labour unions are not having the best time. Last month they suffered a major setback in Wisconsin, where Governor Walker won a recall election against union members and Democrats, who were protesting against his law removing most collective-bargaining rights from public employees. One reason why the unions lost is that those rights had assured very generous pension benefits to unionised public employees.
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NewsWhat protection does the AIFMD really provide?
The directive's goals are laudable, but the legislation misses the mark, says Michelle Carroll.
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NewsShareholder Spring? Not exactly
The 'Shareholder Spring' is welcome, but it's still only a minority of funds that are brave enough.
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NewsLess is more: A counter-intuitive take on manager diversification
Sometimes having fewer managers can actually improve risk/return alignment, says Patrick Rudden.
