All IPE articles in November 2009 (Online) – Page 2

  • News

    Personal accounts get support for alternative assets

    2009-11-25T15:25:00Z

    [16:25 CET 25-11] UK – The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA) has revealed that around 80% of pensions social partners support the use of alternative assets in the investment strategy of personal accounts, with property and commodities considered the most appropriate diversifiers.

  • News

    UK roundup - Essex, Strathclyde, Equitable Life and Telent

    2009-11-25T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CET 25-11] UK – Essex County Council is re-tendering the contract for investment consultants to its pension fund, while Strathclyde is tendering three property mandates.

  • News

    Definition crucial to French pensions review

    2009-11-25T14:45:00Z

    [15:45 CET 25-11] FRANCE – The French government has begun to assess its pensions regime ahead of an official review in 2010. But one pensions industry official involved in discussions says there can only be development of the pensions regime if the government can define what a pensions vehicle is.

  • News

    Aberdeen to take on Bramdean alternatives (amended)

    2009-11-25T12:30:00Z

    [13:30 CET 25-11] UK – The Hampshire local authority pension fund will see some of its alternative investment mandates managed by Aberdeen Asset Management in the near future, as former supplier Bramdean Alternatives has signed a deal to hand over control.

  • News

    TPR targets trustees with governance campaign

    2009-11-24T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CET 24-11] UK – The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has signalled it will increased focus on good governance and administration in the run-up to 2012 with the launch of a new campaign targeted at trustees.

  • News

    SRI is dying, claims PwC

    2009-11-24T15:50:00Z

    [16:50 CET 24-11] GLOBAL – The concept of socially-responsible investment (SRI) is dying, according to Jon Williams, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, although he admits the models of negative and positive screening and engagement could remain valuable for certain types of investors.

  • News

    Norway should resume full payment to Global Fund - IMF

    2009-11-24T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CET 24-11] NORWAY - The IMF has warned the Norwegian government that it should resume full payment of oil revenues to the Government Pension Fund - Global by reducing the country's non-oil budget deficit to 4% of the Global Fund's value, and within the three remaining years of its ...

  • News

    Active managers should be performing by now - Halbis

    2009-11-24T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CET 24-11] GLOBAL - Many active asset managers have underperformed the market this year despite almost perfect conditions, according to Ian Barnett, global head of investment risk at Halbis.

  • News

    Icelandic Investment Fund delayed

    2009-11-24T14:50:00Z

    [15:50 CET 24-11] ICELAND – The establishment of the Icelandic Investment Fund (IIF) has been delayed until next month to give pension funds more time to decide whether or not to join the venture.

  • News

    BPF Bouw restores indexation

    2009-11-24T14:30:00Z

    [15:30 CET 24-11] NETHERLANDS - The recovery of BPF Bouw, the €26bn pension fund for the Dutch building industry, has been so successful this year that it is now planning to grant all participants indexation of 1.45% from next year.

  • News

    Pension funds to up focus on 'creeping' climate change

    2009-11-23T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CET 23-11] EUROPE – A group of UK-based institutional investors, including the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), has urged investors to engage with companies and policymakers on the issue of climate change adaptation, and to incorporate the related risks into their analysis and decision-making.

  • News

    Weekly pension updates 'relax trustees' - BP

    2009-11-23T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CET 23-11] UK – Providing trustee boards with weekly updates on the financial position of the fund does not encourage investment short-termism but instead makes them more "relaxed" to market volatility, according to the chief executive of BP Trustees Limited.

  • News

    Pension funds rethink hidden investment risks

    2009-11-23T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CET 23-11] EUROPE – Pension fund officials say the unexpected investment risks suffered by many European pension funds in the last two years has forced many executive boards to completely rethink their priorities, the sources of their investments and the way they conduct business.

  • News

    PNO Media cover ratio edges upwards

    2009-11-23T14:00:00Z

    [15:00 CET 23-11] NETHERLANDS - The €2.8bn pension fund PNO Media saw its cover ratio rise to 100.9% during the third quarter of this year, thanks to a 10.1% return on investments.

  • News

    Institutional investors should be made to engage – Brady

    2009-11-23T13:00:00Z

    [14:00 CET 23-11] EUROPE – A proposal to issue binding guidelines for institutional investors on corporate governance was met with criticism at last week's CEIOPS conference.

  • News

    German employer contributions stabilise at 20%

    2009-11-23T12:30:00Z

    [13:30 CET 23-11] GERMANY – The German government’s pension report for 2009 has revealed that employer contributions to pensions will remain stable at 19.9 % until 2014, despite the current economic crisis.

  • News

    Pensions threatened by six-hour daily longevity increase

    2009-11-20T15:50:00Z

    GLOBAL - People are gaining on average six hours per day in life expectancy, which dramatically highlights the need for pensions solutions, delegates were told at an IPE Awards Seminar keynote speech on living with longevity.

  • News

    ASB maintains support for risk free discount rate

    2009-11-20T15:45:00Z

    [16:45 CET 20-11] UK – The Accounting Standards Board (ASB) has reiterated its view that pension fund accounting should use ‘risk free’ discount rates, as evidence suggests the UK AA corporate bond rate reduced the level of reported liabilities making schemes appear stronger than they were.

  • News

    PFA increases market share as it posts 5.1% return

    2009-11-20T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CET 20-11] DENMARK - PFA Pension saw its market share increase in the first nine months of the year despite reporting a fall in gross premium income.

  • News

    Ireland to target cross-border pensions - Cowen

    2009-11-20T15:00:00Z

    [16:00 CET 20-11] IRELAND – Brian Cowen, the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) says his country will maintain its position as a 'centre of excellence' in the management of European pension funds by targeting cross-border pension activity.