Pension System – Page 309

  • News

    Positive Q2 pushes NPRF above €19bn

    2009-07-23T15:15:00Z

    [16:15 CEST 23-07] IRELAND – The National Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF) has grown in value by almost €4bn as it posted a second quarter investment return of 9.4%.

  • News

    Irish pensions paybill to hit €2bn in 2009

    2009-07-14T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CEST 14-09] IRELAND – The net cost of pensions to the Irish Exchequer increased by 56.5% between 2004 and 2009 to reach almost €2bn, figures from the department of finance have revealed.

  • Ireland may be better off with first pillar
    News

    Ireland may be better off with first pillar

    2009-07-10T15:55:00Z

    [16:55 CEST 10-07] IRELAND - The collapse in asset values of Irish pension funds has strengthened the arguments for pay-as-you-go (PAYG) financed pensions rather than funded ones, according to a senior finance lecturer at Dublin’s Trinity College.

  • News

    Judges allow Foster Wheeler appeal

    2009-07-08T16:05:00Z

    [17:05 CEST 08-07] UK – Foster Wheeler has been allowed an appeal by the UK Court of Appeal against an earlier High Court judgment, which allowed members of its pension scheme with mixed Normal Retirement Dates (NRDs) to take all pension benefits at the earlier age without an actuarial reduction.

  • News

    Gov't Finance Bill amendments not enough

    2009-07-06T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 CEST 06-07] UK – Government amendments to anti-forestalling proposals ahead of the restriction of higher rate tax relief in 2011 have addressed some concerns held by pensions experts, though officials warn yet more needs to be done.

  • News

    Irish investment strategy 'too risky'

    2009-07-06T13:15:00Z

    [14:15 CEST 06-07] IRELAND – The investment strategy of many Irish pension funds was "too risky" and is why around 90% of schemes failed to meet the funding standard last year, the Pensions Board has claimed, and why some are unable to meet liabilities of existing pensioners if the scheme ...

  • News

    Irish managed funds post fourth consecutive gain

    2009-07-02T16:05:00Z

    [17:05 CEST 02-07] IRELAND – Irish managed pension funds returned an average of 0.5% in June, resulting in an overall positive six months for the sector, Hewitt Associates has revealed.

  • News

    Unpaid employer contributions almost double

    2009-07-01T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CEST 01-07] UK – The UK's Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) has reported a "worrying increase" in the number of enquiries to its helpline about the non-payment of pension contributions by employers.

  • News

    Employer DC cuts puts more pressure on individuals

    2009-06-30T16:00:00Z

    [17:00 CEST 30-06] UK – Almost three-quarters of occupational defined contribution (DC) members are saving "adequately", according to UK insurer Scottish Widows, however employers are gradually reducing their contributions and leaving employees to make up the shortfall.

  • News

    DC recovery needs another nine months – Aon

    2009-06-25T15:30:00Z

    [16:30 CEST 25-06] UK – Investments in defined contribution pension funds may have seen positive returns for three months in a row but it will take at least another nine months of similar returns to pull assets back to 2007 levels, according to analysis by Aon Consulting.

  • News

    Budget cuts blamed for fall in pensions motivation

    2009-06-24T15:40:00Z

    [16:40 CEST 24-06] UK – Over three-quarters of UK companies believe the plan to reduce higher rate tax relief on pensions has reduced motivation to provide both defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) schemes, research by PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) has revealed.

  • News

    Eq Life ex-gratia office appoints actuary

    2009-06-22T15:50:00Z

    [16:50 CEST 22-06] UK – Towers Perrin has been appointed as actuarial advisers to the office of Sir John Chadwick, which was established as an independent government adviser on the development of an ex-gratia payment scheme for Equitable Life policyholders.

  • News

    DWP rejects calls for further FAS funding

    2009-06-22T15:40:00Z

    [16:40 CEST 22-06] UK – The government has rejected suggestions that it should increase funding to the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and allow it to cover all lost benefits when a scheme has wound up, by arguing that the FAS was never intended to replicate each pension fund's structure of ...

  • MEPs launch legal challenge over reforms
    News

    MEPs launch legal challenge over reforms

    2009-06-16T16:05:00Z

    [17:10 CEST 16-06] EUROPE – Members of the ABSL voluntary pension fund for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have launched a legal action against the European Parliament over changes to the pension scheme.

  • News

    Latvia to tackle budget deficit with pension cuts

    2009-06-16T15:00:00Z

    LATVIA – The Latvian government is planning to reduce its budget deficit for 2009 by LVL500m (€714.3m) but intends to do so, among other routes, through a major cut in pension payouts.

  • Tories table pension tax relief amendments
    News

    Tories table pension tax relief amendments

    2009-06-15T16:10:00Z

    [17:10 CEST 15-06] UK – Proposed amendments to the Finance Bill 2009 to limit the impact of anti-forestalling measures ahead of the reduction of higher rate tax relief on pension contributions from 2011 have been introduced by Conservative MPs.

  • News

    Lower predicted pension returns would reflect investment risk - OECD

    2009-06-15T16:00:00Z

    [16:00 CEST 15-06] GLOBAL – The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has published fresh evidence suggesting long-term investment returns will have to be revised downwards, as equally weighted portfolios can only 9% returns in jut 10% of cases.

  • Strathclyde deficit hits £2.6bn
    News

    Strathclyde deficit hits £2.6bn

    2009-06-12T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CEST 12-06] UK – Strathclyde Pension Fund is moving forward with changes to its investment strategy, with the appointment of two absolute return bond managers and a tender search for a transition manager, as its deficit hits £2.6bn (€3.04bn).

  • Scots gov't to pay for backdated police pensions
    News

    Scots gov't to pay for backdated police pensions

    2009-06-12T16:15:00Z

    [17:15 CEST 12-06] UK – The Scottish government has confirmed it will pay an additional £20m (€23.4m) to fund the cost of backdating police pension commutation arrangements to 1 December 2006 following the results of a judicial review.

  • News

    Romanian second pillar back on schedule

    2009-06-11T16:15:00Z

    ROMANIA – The IMF has agreed a financial aid package with Romania which will ensure, that the country can return to its original schedule for changes to second pillar contributions and in turn will put in place reforms.