Returns – Page 152
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NewsUK government to tackle Royal Mail pensions deficit
UK – The Royal Mail defined benefit (DB) pension deficit is one of the areas that will be tackled by the Conservative-Liberal coalition government in a new Postal Services Bill announced in the Queen's Speech.
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NewsLump sum payments could help Dutch pension funds
NETHERLANDS - Introducing a lump sum payment as part of pension benefits could decrease the risks for Dutch pension funds, Hewitt Associates has suggested.
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Austrian funds increase equity allocation in Q1
AUSTRIA – Official figures for the first quarter performance show a significant increase in the equity holdings of Austrian pensionskassen, which are the subject of further reform proposals.
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NewsInflation fears sustain large FTSE350 deficits
UK – Growing long-term inflation expectations have offset the effects of equity market gains, causing the aggregated pension deficit of FTSE350 companies to be valued at £160bn (€187bn) at the end of March 2010.
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NewsUnited Utilities slashes deficit with DB changes
UK – United Utilities claims it reduced its pension deficit by approximately £90m (€104m) through a number of changes to its defined benefit (DB) schemes.
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NewsDWP to face a £535m spending cut ahead of new Pensions Bill
UK – The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be expected to make savings of more than half a billion pounds this financial year, according to HM Treasury.
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NewsRisk, not returns, drives German sustainable investments
GERMANY – The need to optimise risk management, rather than to boost investment returns, is the main reason German institutional investors consider sustainable investments, according to a study by Union Investments.
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Industriens gains 15.4% on stocks but uncertainty looms
DENMARK – Industriens Pension, the pension fund for the industrial sector in Denmark, benefited from a 15.4% return on Danish stocks in the first quarter of 2010, with its global equities portfolio delivering half that (7.7%) in total.
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Romanian austerity measures threaten second pillar
ROMANIA – The Romanian finance ministry is seeking to cut the contribution rate to the second pillar from 2.5% to 0.5%, but is facing opposition from the country’s pensions industry.
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Cover ratio of Dutch funds recovers to 109% – DNB
NETHERLANDS – Dutch pension funds’ nominal cover ratio has improved from 95% to 109% on average in 2009, while their combined assets have increased by €86bn to €663bn, according to pensions supervisor De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB).
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UK roundup: Hewitt Associates, DWP statistics, CIPFA
UK – Hewitt Associates has estimated a £1.2trn personal pension shortfall in individual retirement income, while the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed occupational pension benefits made up a quarter of UK pensioners' income in 2008-09, and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has warned ...
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Swiss AHV reviews asset allocation ahead of split
SWITZERLAND – The CHF26.7bn (€19bn) Swiss Federal Social Security Fund (AHV/AVS) will split into three from 2011 following 63 years running as a single entity.
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LGPS must adapt to avoid spending cuts – Mayer
UK – Public sector pension schemes will have to accept changes if they are to survive potential funding cuts, the London Pension Fund Authority (LPFA) has warned.
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Swiss funds shying from their core business – Profond
SWITZERLAND – Swiss Pensionskassen are shying away from longevity risk by outsourcing pensioners and switching to DC, a trend criticised by Herbert Brändli, head of the multi-employer fund Profond.
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Minister defends lower FTK parameters
NETHERLANDS – Dutch pension contributions can remain at the same level for the short term for most funds following a decrease in the upper limits for forecast returns, according to social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner.
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Only 1 in 10 Swiss funds has sufficient buffer – Swisscanto
SWITZERLAND – The majority of Swiss pensions funds have recovered to full funding levels, but only 10% have repaired their buffers, according to Swisscanto.
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Overseas equities drive up Icelandic pension assets
ICELAND – Net pension fund assets at the end of March increased by approximately ISK44bn to ISK1.846trn (€11.3bn) as the value of foreign equity investments increased, figures from the Central Bank of Iceland have revealed.
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Japanese equities help Belgian schemes post positive Q1 return
BELGIUM – Pension funds in Belgium delivered an average return of 4.4% in the first quarter of 2010, according to a study by Mercer.
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Swedish roundup: KPA, Folksam, Länsförsäkringar, SIFA
SWEDEN - Swedish pension providers have continued to show positive numbers for the first quarter.
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German employers propose simplified solvency levy
GERMANY – The German federation of employer representatives (BDA) is suggesting a simplified alternative to its proposal for a risk-based levy to the German pension insolvency fund PSV.
