Hope William-Smith
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Articles by Hope William-Smith
Further delays to sentencing of former trustee behind £250,000 scheme fraud
The sentencing of former Yateley Industries for the Disabled chief executive and chairman Patrick McLarry has been delayed again.
Purple Book reveals DB risk up but PPF 'bigger and stronger than ever'
Plenty of risk remains in the Pension Protection Fund's (PPF) universe but the outlook on funding levels is positive, the lifeboat says as it launches its 2019 Purple Book.
How schemes can help meet the climate change challenge
Pension schemes have been called on to play a central part in the government’s plans to meet climate change expectations. Hope William-Smith asks how this can be achieved
The Cheviot Trust appoints First Actuarial as scheme actuary
Defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) master trust The Cheviot Trust has selected First Actuarial to provide actuarial services for the scheme.
RPI reform consultation delayed until March
HM Treasury has confirmed the launch date of the upcoming joint consultation on changes to the Retail Prices Index (RPI) will be pushed back until Budget day.
Royal London signs UN Responsible Investment agreement
Royal London has signed up to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) as part of a streamlined ESG focus.
BAE Systems Pension Funds eyes burgeoning Indian real estate sector
BAE Systems Pension Funds Investment Management will be the cornerstone investor for alternative asset manager Investcorp’s push to provide last mile funding to the Indian market.
Budget to deliver government findings on tapered annual allowance
The government’s review of the tapered annual allowance is underway with findings expected to be announced in the 11 March Budget.
CDC success reliant on 'fairer' balance of priorities
Collective defined contribution (CDC) schemes will offer members and employers a more satisfactory balance between affordability and security if they can meet both parties’ needs, according to Unbiased.
National Grid agrees £185m renewables mandate with Octopus
Octopus Group clean energy investments arm Octopus Renewables has won a new UK corporate pension mandate with the National Grid UK Pension Scheme to invest £185m in national solar and onshore wind assets.
Institutional investors challenge Barclays over fossil fuel funding
A group of 11 pension and investment funds have filed a resolution calling for Barclays to stop offering loans to fossil fuels companies.
Border to Coast selects PIMCO for multi-asset credit fund management
The £46bn Border to Coast Pensions Partnership has appointed PIMCO as the core manager for its multi-asset credit fund.
Pension providers berated over lack of product innovation
The majority of employers in the UK do not believe pension providers are doing enough to offer progressive products for the modern workforce, according to Smarterly.
Nest investment subsidiary receives FCA authorisation
Nest Invest has been authorised as an occupational pension scheme (OPS) firm by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Recruitment agency and managing director fined £10,890 for avoiding workplace pension
A Hertfordshire-based recruitment agency and its managing director have been ordered to pay £10,890 after misleading The Pensions Regulator (TPR) over its workplace pension arrangements.
Unilever sets out plans to overhaul DB offering; Unions join forces to quash proposals
With one of Europe’s most well-known companies planning its most significant pension scheme overhaul to date, unions have stepped in to ensure workers are not short-changed. Hope William-Smith reports.
LGPS Scotland review reveals financial position of member funds
The first formal review of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) (LGPS) has revealed all 15 of its funds are in a strong financial position.
CMA fiduciary manager comparison metrics a win for sector transparency
Metrics that will allow pension funds to compare providers’ performance for the first time will provide a much-needed boost to transparency, according to Dalriada Trustees.
Sentencing of former trustee over £250,000 scheme fraud delayed
The case against the former trustee of a charity for the disabled who pleaded guilty to fraud has been adjourned.
DB trustees make moves to engage members with financial advice
Over a third of defined benefit (DB) trustees have helped their members source financial advice in the lead up to their retirement, research shows.
Pension funding levels on the up
Pensions schemes are better funded now than this time last year, according to PwC’s annual Pension Scheme Funding Survey.
Phoenix Group looks to acquire rival ReAssure for £3.2bn
Phoenix Group has laid down a proposal to acquire rival life insurer ReAssure Group in a £3.2bn cash and shares deal.
KPMG sells UK pensions practice to private equity house
KPMG has signed a conditional agreement to sell its UK pensions practice to private equity-backed firm NewCo.
Grant Stobart: The M&A market is 'luck and chemistry'
Pensions and actuarial consulting is an increasingly lucrative business. Hope William-Smith speaks to Grant Stobart about Broadstone’s growth plans and where the small player sits in a busy market.
Adapting pension fund portfolios to match ESG expectations
Most asset classes have a long way to go on meeting sustainability targets and the pressure to be environmentally compliant is increasing. Hope William-Smith reports
Unilever sets out plans to overhaul DB offering; Unions join forces to quash proposals
Unilever has set out plans to overhaul its defined benefit (DB) pension arrangements in a bid to manage costs.
UK Power Networks appoints BlackRock for £4bn fiduciary brief
BlackRock has been appointed as the fiduciary manager for the UK Power Networks Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme (ESPS).
Average DB scheme able to meet 94% of benefits
A typical defined benefit (DB) scheme was able to meet 93.7% of its accrued pension rights as of 30 September this year, according to Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM).
TPR publishes guidance on fiduciary manager selection
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has published guidance detailing how schemes that use fiduciary managers should run a competitive tender process when appointing a manager.
RPI changes will be 'punishment for the prudent'
People who have left risks unmanaged will be rewarded under the government’s proposals to reform the Retail Prices Index (RPI) while those in well-risk-managed schemes could lose out, says Barnett Waddingham.
Border to Coast Pensions launches private markets offerings
The £46bn Border to Coast Pensions Partnership has launched its private credit offering and announced its initial investments in private equity and infrastructure.
The People's Pension delays plans to cut fees for 4.7 million members
The People’s Pension’s (TPP) plans to overhaul its charging structure have been delayed following system testing issues.
Welsh LGPS pool funds debut combined responsible investment policy
The pooling entity for the eight Local Government Pension Scheme funds in Wales has announced a new responsible investment policy.
Children's nursery director fined over misleading TPR on AE failures
A Merseyside pre-school nursery and its director have been ordered to pay £8,200 after admitting failing to enrol members of staff into a workplace pension scheme.
Number of women without pensions almost doubles in two years
The number of women in the UK without any pension arrangements has almost doubled from 7% in 2017 to just over 13% in 2019, according to research from Aegon.
Greens pledge flat rate of tax relief and forced LGPS fossil fuel divestment
The Green party has outlined a range of pension and tax provisions in its election manifesto released today.
Children's nursery director admits to misleading TPR
The director of a Merseyside nursery has admitted to failing to comply with automatic enrolment (AE) responsibilities after setting up a pension scheme that was left empty.
LGPS Central private equity fund reaches fully-invested status
LGPS Central has fully invested its inaugural private equity fund eight months on from its launch.
Women saving for retirement cannot escape widening pensions gap
Most women are not saving enough for retirement and remain at risk of running out of money after they finish work, according to new analysis.
Former trustee admits £250,000 pension scheme fraud
The former trustee of a charity for the disabled has pleaded guilty to fraud after transferring more than £250,000 from the organisation’s pension scheme.
AE safety net for employed women leaves entrepreneurs to struggle
A third of female entrepreneurs in the UK are not saving any money towards their retirement, figures from Scottish Widows show.
Interest rates held ahead of general election
The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) has voted by a majority of 7-2 to maintain the interest rate at 0.75%.
RPMI Railpen boosts property investment with duo of development deals
RPMI Railpen will develop a newly purchased site with a speculative warehouse and logistics scheme in a bid to boost its property portfolio.
Scottish Friendly completes Canada Life pension book acquisition
Mutual Scottish Friendly has completed the acquisition of a back book of life and pension policies from financial services provider Canada Life.
Self-employed taking £115,000 workplace pensions shortfall
An individual who moves into self-employment after ten years work will miss out on an additional £115,300 in retirement funds after exiting their occupational pension scheme.
Trustees still unprotected and vulnerable to cyber risk
There is still no available guidance for trustees on how to incorporate cyber security risks in their investment and stewardship processes, according to NEST.
London CIV launches infrastructure fund
The £5.6bn London Collective Investment Vehicle (LCIV) has launched its first infrastructure fund which was seeded by six of the London Borough Pension Funds.