Jonathan Stapleton
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Government infrastructure bank to partner with pension funds to support investment
The government will set up an infrastructure bank to support investment and to co-invest alongside investors including pension funds.
PMI revamps board with four appointments
The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has appointed three non-executive directors and an executive director to its board.
TPR expands Determinations Panel with appointment of new chair and four members
Former Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner Antony Townsend is to become chair of an expanded Determinations Panel at The Pensions Regulator (TPR).
TPR posts sharp increase in use of frontline powers against schemes
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has substantially increased the usage of its powers against trustees – posting a sharp rise in the use of formal information gathering powers and High Court production orders during the three months to the end of September....
Pension Schemes Bill passes final stages of the House of Commons
The Pension Schemes Bill has completed its third reading, crossing its latest hurdle in the House of Commons.
Webinar: Engage or divest? How can the pension industry make a real ESG impact
Professional Pensions is holding a webinar on how the pensions industry can make a real impact when it comes to ESG – asking what is better, to engage or to divest.
PMI unveils competency framework
The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has launched a competency framework setting out the functional and technical competences needed to be effective in the industry at all career levels.
FRC urges improvements in corporate reporting following climate change review
Corporate reporting needs to improve to meet investor expectations on the issue of climate change, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) says.
Why simpler annual statements could mark the start of better member engagement
Jonathan Stapleton says that, while the production of two-page simpler annual statements is no panacea for member engagement, it is a welcome step in the right direction.
Ruston Smith: Working together to solve the industry's challenges
Ruston Smith talks about how collaboration can help the industry solve the challenges it faces
'Wake-up call' to fiduciary managers as one-third of schemes switch providers following retender
Just over one-third (36%) of schemes retendering for full fiduciary management services are switching providers, latest analysis by Isio reveals.
Buck acquires Concert Consulting
Buck has announced its acquisition of pensions and employee benefits communications firm Concert Consulting in a bid to expand its member engagement offering.
Timeline for pensions dashboards announced - Data standards due in December but consumer offering not available until at least 2023
The Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) has published its second progress update report – setting out a timeline for the development of the project.
Punter Southall launches DB scheme consolidator called Stoneport Pensions
Punter Southall has launched a defined benefit (DB) scheme consolidator in a bid to allow small schemes to cut their running costs, reduce risk and improve benefit security and governance.
London CIV partners with MSIM to launch global equity core fund
London CIV and Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) have announced the launch of a global equity core fund.
UPDATED: DWP to mandate use of simpler annual statements for auto-enrolment DC schemes
The Department for Work and Pensions is to make it mandatory for auto-enrolment defined contribution (DC) schemes to use simpler annual statements.
Clara Pensions adds Wilton Re as additional capital partner
Wilton Re has made an investment in Clara Pensions to support the consolidator’s growth and development.
WSB Awards 2020 - The Winners
Here they are - the winners of the Workplace Savings and Benefits Awards 2020...
LGIM integrates ESG and climate impact pledge into DC defaults
Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) has incorporated ESG considerations as well as its climate impact pledge into the default funds for the 3.3 million members in its master trust and contract-based schemes.
Register now: How is Covid-19 disruption driving digital transformation in pensions?
Schemes and their administrators have rightly received much praise for ensuring that pensions have continued to be paid in full and on time during an unprecedented period of disruption.
What did someone with 13 million subscribers tell the pensions industry about engagement?
Martin Lewis founded Money Saving Expert, a website that has since built up an email following of 13 million people, after investing just £100 in a website at the beginning of the millennium. But how has Lewis achieved such cracking engagement? And what...
Bank of England move to negative rates would have limited impact on schemes
Any move by the Bank of England (BoE) to cut interest rates to zero or move them into negative territory would have a limited impact on well-hedged schemes, the industry says.
Morgan Stanley to buy Eaton Vance for $7bn
Morgan Stanley has agreed to buy Eaton Vance for $7bn (£5.4bn) – a move that will nearly double the size of its investment management business.
2020 volatility would not have led to CDC benefit cuts, Aon says
UK collective defined contribution (CDC) schemes would have weathered 2020 market volatility and would not have needed to cut member benefits, Aon says.
PRAG updates guidance on cybercrime protection as 43 pension organisations report breaches to ICO over past two years
The Pensions Research Accountants Group (PRAG) has published updated guidance to help trustees protect their schemes from cybercrime.
CDC pensions could be 70% higher than DC and 40% more than DB, says WTW
Typical collective defined contribution (CDC) pensions would be expected to average 70% higher than either individual DC insured annuities, or 40% higher than pensions provided on average in defined benefit (DB) schemes, analysis from Willis Towers Watson...
EY expands UK actuarial team with launch of new interdisciplinary structure
EY has appointed Gareth Mee as UK actuarial leader to head up an expanded interdisciplinary team at the firm.
Scottish Widows completes master trust board
The Scottish Widows Master Trust board has completed its line-up with the appointment of Cheryl Black.
How the coronavirus pandemic is affecting retirement plans for older workers
One in eight older workers have changed their retirement plans as a result of Covid-19, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says
Mark Calnan: Looking to the horizon
Jonathan Stapleton speaks to Willis Towers Watson EMEA head of investments Mark Calnan about how diversification, ESG and risk management remain key for schemes in aftermath of Covid-19
Government rules out review into impact of pension tax relief
The Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) should conduct a review into the impact of pensions tax relief has been ruled out by government.
Hargreaves Lansdown appoints three IGC members
Hargreaves Lansdown has appointed three new members to its independent governance committee (IGC).
Premier Pensions' Alastair Aird: Our focus is on people, technology and data
Professional Pensions spoke to Premier Pensions chief executive Alastair Aird as part of an exclusive series of interviews with the leaders of some of the UK’s leading pension consulting firms. This is what he had to say…
Stuart Heatley appointed as managing director of Capita Pensions
Capita has appointed Stuart Heatley as the managing director of its pensions business to succeed Nigel Purveur.
Nest Insight and DWP to investigate impact of Covid-19 on savings behaviour of self-employed
Nest Insight and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are set to conduct research to examine the financial impact of Covid-19 on self-employed people.
Industry raises significant concerns over FCA consultation on advising on pension transfers
The industry has raised serious concerns that Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) transfer advice proposals on illustrative figures could hamper schemes’ ability to help members to understand their retirement options and force many to take full regulated...
Schemes in 'denial' over dependence on 'once-a-century' equity performance to close funding gaps
Underfunded defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the UK are over-dependent on historically improbable equity returns, analysis by Willis Towers Watson reveals.
UK investment consultants form joint working group on sustainability
A dozen UK investment consulting firms have established a group aiming to improve sustainable investment practices across the investment industry.
PMI reports itself to ICO after hacker attack leads to data breach
The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has reported itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office following a cyber-attack which resulted in hackers gaining access to the names and email addresses of around 1,700 people.
Salvus Master Trust launches pension sharing order product
Salvus Master Trust has launched a product that will accept cash equivalent transfer values (CETVs) from a final salary scheme granted as part of a Pension Sharing Order (PSO).
PP Webinar: The outlook for alternatives
Professional Pensions is holding a webinar on the future of alternatives on 8 September at 3pm.
UKSIF appoints James Alexander as chief executive
The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) has appointed James Alexander as its chief executive officer (CEO).
Is history repeating itself with the Pension Schemes Bill and introduction of new DB funding code?
Jonathan Stapleton says the Pension Schemes Bill is the latest in a long line of well-meaning legislation that makes it more difficult for employers to offer good schemes to their staff
PIC invests £130m in central Manchester build to rent housing regeneration project
Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has acquired a prime city-centre site in Manchester as the location for its first build to rent (BTR) project, investing £130m to fund the construction of 520 residential apartments, over 6,000 square feet of commercial...
Industry backs climate risk disclosure proposals but raises implementation concerns
The industry has broadly backed proposals to require the largest schemes to publish climate risk disclosures but raised concerns about the workload of implementation as well as how to standardise the methodology used.
PPI report flags concerns over financial sustainability of master trusts
The master trust industry is unlikely to breakeven on costs until around 2025, with the big four providers having already spent £1bn on setting up their offerings, research by the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) finds.
Government consults on proposals to force largest schemes to publish climate risk disclosures
The government has put forward proposals to require the 100 largest occupational pension schemes – those with £5bn or more in assets and all authorised master trusts – to publish climate risk disclosures by the end of 2022.