Kim Kaveh
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Articles by Kim Kaveh
What pensions restructuring challenges have arisen over the past year?
Taylor Wessing has published a report gauging industry views on challenges associated with pensions restructuring. Kim Kaveh explores the findings
Buck wins 36 UK business clients after independent launch
Since launching as an independent business in August last year, pensions and employee benefits consultancy Buck has won 36 additional client contracts.
AE 'failing construction workers' as just one in four in a workplace scheme
Just 23% of blue collar construction workers are saving into a workplace pension, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Unite has revealed.
PIC invests £250m in City of London Corporation
Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has invested £250m in debt issued by the City of London Corporation for a series of development projects in the capital.
FTSE 350 DB spending drops £4bn in largest year-on-year fall in a decade
Aggregate spending on defined benefit (DB) pensions has dropped from £19bn to £15bn in 12 months, according to Hymans Robertson.
Exclusive: Evolve Pensions overhauls online offering with additional tools and access
Evolve Pensions has launched a new member website called Evolink for its Crystal master trust, which includes additional online functionality to its previous system.
Climate action from transport firms 'not fast enough', say pension funds
Pension funds have expressed concerns that the transport industry is lagging behind on helping to tackle climate change in line with international expectations.
Metropolitan Thames Valley to open DC arrangement and appoint master trust
Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) is planning to set up a defined contribution (DC) pension arrangement to provide future benefits for current employees and new joiners through auto-enrolment (AE).
PIC invests £195m in Glasgow city properties
Pensions Insurance Corporation (PIC) has invested £195m of debt finance in Glasgow City Council Group subsidiary, City Property Glasgow.
How much have Freedom and Choice solutions evolved?
The DCIF has published a report looking into how providers and members are responding to Freedom and Choice nearly five years on. Kim Kaveh explores the findings.
L&G launches annuity comparison service
Legal & General (L&G) has launched an online annuity searching tool, allowing consumers to compare rates across six leading providers.
Labour and Lib Dems unveil election manifestos
The Labour party and the Liberal Democrats have published their 2019 election manifestos, with little similarities in proposals for the future of pensions policy.
Grant Thornton launches DB risk management tool
Grant Thornton has launched an integrated risk management (IRM) software tool to support clients in better understanding defined benefit (DB) scheme funding options and their associated risks.
PP Rising Star Awards 2020: Last chance to nominate!
Today is your last chance to nominate for the Professional Pensions Rising Star Awards... Put forward your favourites by 5pm!
BT Pension Scheme awards $1bn private equity mandate to Hermes GPE
The BT Pension Scheme (BSPS) has awarded a $1bn (£777bn) private equity mandate to Hermes GPE, to invest globally.
TPR updates DB transfer guidance for trustees
Defined benefit (DB) trustees are now required to contact financial advice firms to ensure staff providing advice to a members are compliant under new adviser rules before carrying out a transfer exercise.
General election 2019: the pensions manifesto the industry wants to see
With political parties drawing up their manifestos for next month’s general election, Kim Kaveh explores the industry’s ambitions for future pensions policy.
Beyond authorisation: What lies ahead for master trusts?
Now authorisation has ended for existing schemes, Kim Kaveh reflects on the process and asks what the future holds for ongoing supervision.
Recruitment agency admits misleading TPR and avoiding AE duties
A recruitment agency and its managing director have pleaded guilty to misleading The Pensions Regulator (TPR) by falsely claiming staff had been put into a workplace pension.
Industry calls for simpler pensions tax system
The government should review pension tax rules and simplify the system, according to AJ Bell and the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA).
UK CPI inflation falls to lowest level in two years at 1.5%
The UK’s consumer prices index (CPI) has fallen to its lowest level since November 2016, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Smart Pension enters strategic partnership with Australian administrator
Smart Pension and Australian administrator Link Group have entered a strategic global partnership to take their “combined expertise” into new markets in the UK and globally.
Master trusts slash prices to 'attract new business' after authorisation
Cost savings of up to 20% could be made by pension schemes if they move to a defined contribution (DC) master trust, according to Hymans Robertson analysis.
Employers engaging gig economy workers with pension savings despite AE rules
Over half (52%) of employers engage their gig economy workers for whom no pension provision is required to be made under UK law, according to the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA).
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories include SuperTrust UK’s exit from the master trust market, just one day before The Pensions Regulator announced all existing master trusts had been authorised.
Andy Briggs named Phoenix chief exec as Clive Bannister exits
Phoenix Group chief executive Clive Bannister is to leave the business and be replaced by ex-Aviva boss Andy Briggs next March.
Pension scam victims 'lose 22 years of savings in 24 hours'
Pension scam victims could lose an average of 22 years of savings in 24 hours, according to research by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR).
Member engagement must be 'urgently addressed' as a quarter never review their pension
Just under a quarter (24%) of employees never review their pension which shows a lack of engagement when it comes to retirement is a “real issue”, according to Close Brothers.
Contingent charging ban proposal gets mixed responses in FCA consultation
The FCA’s consultation on banning contingent charging on DB transfer advice has closed. Kim Kaveh looks at the industry’s responses.
Combined Nuclear Pension Plan appoints Aon for DB investment advice
The Combined Nuclear Pension Plan (CNPP) has appointed Aon Hewitt as an investment adviser for its defined benefit (DB) section, replacing Hymans Robertson.
PLSA appointed to TCFD industry working group
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has been appointed to the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures’ (TCFD) pensions industry working group.
TPR market update: 16 million members saving into a master trust as authorisation concludes
The master trust market now represents 16 million memberships and holds more than £36bn in assets, The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) final master trust market update reveals.
All existing master trusts now authorised by TPR as Salvus and FCA receive approval
Salvus Master Trust and the Financial Conduct Authority Pension Plan have been approved by The Pensions Regulator (TPR), concluding the master trust authorisation regime for existing schemes.
NEST members' panel calls on government to reduce AE earnings threshold
The NEST members’ panel is calling on the government to start reducing the £10,000 auto-enrolment (AE) earnings threshold, before the move to start contributions from the first pound earned.
DB consolidation: Weighing up the options
A panel of experts have shared their views on how DB schemes can make good consolidation decisions. Kim Kaveh reports from the PLSA’s annual conference .
Buck launches DB investment governance service
Buck has launched an investment governance service which aims to help defined benefit (DB) schemes prepare for their endgame.
Pension freedom withdrawals reach £30bn
Over £30bn has been withdrawn from pension pots since Freedom and Choice was introduced in 2015 for those aged over 55, according to latest data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
AMNT urges FCA to respond to its investment stewardship complaint
The Association of Member Nominated Trustees (AMNT) has called on the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to respond to a complaint it made in May regarding investment stewardship.
Combined Nuclear Pension Plan appoints Redington for DC investment advice
The Combined Nuclear Pension Plan (CNPP) has dropped Hymans Robertson as an investment adviser for its defined contribution (DC) master trust and appointed Redington as a replacement.
TPR action improves Barnet LGPS governance
The London Borough of Barnet Superannuation Fund is now being run more effectively following intervention action taken by The Pensions Regulator (TPR).
November Budget cancelled to 'get Brexit done', chancellor says
The government has scrapped plans to go ahead with an Autumn Budget on 6 November as prime minister Boris Johnson continues to push for a general election before the end of the year.
Aviva completes £1.7bn buy-in with its staff pension scheme
Aviva Life and Pensions UK has completed a £1.7bn bulk annuity buy-in with the Aviva Staff Pension Scheme.
Manchester Airport Group members to be transferred to L&G master trust
Manchester Airport Group (MAG) has selected Legal and General (L&G) to run a master trust scheme for its employees after a review of its defined contribution arrangement, PP has learned.
Pension funds eye up increasing investment in real assets
Some 37% of pension fund investors expect to increase allocations to real assets over the next 12 months, according to Aviva Investors.
Industry welcomes pensions bill
Most of this week's 94 Pensions Buzz respondents agreed the bill is good for pensions if it gets through parliament.
Combined Nuclear Pension Plan authorised by TPR leaving four waiting for approval
The Combined Nuclear Pension Plan (CNPP) is the latest master trust to have been granted authorisation by The Pensions Regulator (TPR).
DWP proposes levy hike as funded bodies see 'continuing change and growth'
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has proposed increasing the general levy on occupational and personal pension schemes from 1 April 2020.
NEST grows membership by nearly 30% in one year
The number of members to have ever used NEST rose by 28% over the 2018/19 fiscal year to 31 March, according to its research arm, NEST Insight.