All IPE articles in November 2005 (Magazine) – Page 3
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Features
System not right for everyone
The Dutch pension system is widely and properly recognised abroad as sound and robust, and indeed every citizen can rely on a state pension, the AOW, which is the same for all regardless of earned income in the active period. Such state provision is referred to as the ‘first pillar’ ...
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Features
The evergreen issue of funding
There has been significant progress made during the past 12 months, in legislative, both enacted and planned, in practical and in conceptual terms regarding pension funding. On the legislative front, the European pension fund directive was implemented into local German law in July of this year. The main changes made ...
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Features
Showing the way in Europe
Compared with institutional investors in other countries, Dutch institutions are very receptive to investing in private equity and the largest pension funds in the Netherlands have been investing in private equity for some time, with ABP and PPGM investing in the asset class since 1996 and 1990 respectively. ABP has ...
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Features
Eumedion widens its scope
The Dutch Foundation of Corporate Governance Research for Pension Funds, or SCGOP, has changed its name and plans to widen its membership. The newly named Eumedion will now be open to insurers and asset managers. There will also be a change of management. At a recent annual meeting, it was ...
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Features
ETFs find a ready home
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are currently enjoying a significant boom in the US. After the initial domination of the area by institutional investors, retail investors have now discovered the advantages of this product. In the US currently, 171 products with $243bn (e201bn) in assets under management are listed by eight ...
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Features
Reforms eluding Mañana market
Since joining the EU the Spanish economy has become one of the most dynamic in Europe. But as business flourishes in what was once a rather sleepy – not to mention sickly – backwater, old habits – and clichés – die hard as growth of the second pillar pensions system ...
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Special Report
Integrating 'extra financial' elements into portfo
Pioneer in Europe in the area of sustainable and responsible investment (SRI), Dexia Asset Management intends to best fulfil the demands of investors who are increasingly sensitive to the challenges of sustainable development. In this respect, the dedicated SRI team was recently strengthened significantly. Over the past 10 years, ...
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Features
Looking for the special effect
The development of the Euro-zone has led to the development of investment approaches that take a truly pan-European approach, ignoring country weightings in the search for the best opportunities in each sector. Small companies, however, are still more domestically focused and their behaviour tied more to the local index and ...
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Features
Earmarked for early retirement
The new Dutch ‘levensloop’, the new life course, scheme - designed to encourage later retirement - will probably have to be adjusted within five years. Too many workers want to use it for early retirement, instead of a sabbatical or care leave. Benne van Popta, chairman of the Association of ...
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Features
Unleashing Dutch dynamism
Unlike the Dutch landscape, private equity activity in the Netherlands has been anything but flat. According to the European Venture Capital Association (EVCA), in 2004 the level of investment in Dutch private equity and venture capital rose significantly. This is confirmed by Tjarda Molenaar, director of the Netherlands National Association ...
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Features
A new practical instrument for duration management
Over the last two years an enormous amount of papers, articles and views have been produced, ever since the plans for the new Dutch financial risk framework (nFTK) for pension funds were revealed. They have focussed on every imaginable aspect of the proposed new framework, from asset and liability management, ...
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Features
Innovation drives success
How does one manage an €18bn pension fund with only three staff? Most people would say the three staff have to work very hard. While that is correct, one then asks, how this fund manages to rank amonge the best returns within the industry with a strong funding position? The ...
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Features
Don't write Germany off
Speaking in Brussels in June, former German junior finance minister and World Bank managing director Caio Koch-Weser, admitted that the dream of bringing the financial centre of Europe to the economic centre was still just that. “Germany as a financial services location ‘Finanzstandort Deutschland’ is…still a long way from having ...
