Articles by Professional Pensions
How DC investment strategy is evolving
Our panel discusses how DC investment will develop following AE implementation and the completion of master trust authorisation
Mark Versey: Assessing the benefits and challenges of real assets
In an exclusive Professional Pensions webinar, Aviva Investors chief investment officer of real assets Mark Versey talks about the benefits and challenges of real assets and some of the key issues for trustees and other investors to consider when making...
UK Pensions Awards 2020 - final day to enter
There are now just four days left to submit your entries for the UK Pensions Awards 2020…
DB funding - December 2019: Deficit halves as equities and gilts rally, says PPF
Every month, several firms issue trackers of the aggregate defined benefit (DB) scheme funding position. See here for the December 2019 estimates on the various measures…
Join us tomorrow for an exclusive live webinar on the latest PPF Purple Book
Professional Pensions is hosting the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) to exclusively launch the latest edition of the Purple Book through a live webinar.
Professional Pensions magazine goes monthly
Professional Pensions is set to change the frequency of its magazine from weekly to monthly in response to a change in its audience’s content needs.
DB funding - November 2019: 'Temporary respite' for DB schemes as deficit falls £33bn
Every month, several firms issue trackers of the aggregate defined benefit (DB) scheme funding position. See here for the November 2019 estimates on the various measures…
General Election 2019: The pensions manifesto pledges
All of the major political parties have now unveiled their policies on pensions ahead of the general election. Professional Pensions looks at what they have promised.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included KPMG selling its UK pensions practice to private equity-backed firm NewCo.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included the selection of BlackRock as fiduciary manager for the £4bn legacy Electricity Supply Pension Scheme.
ESG Focus: Register now
Professional Pensions is holding its ESG Focus on 3 December.
TPR master trust head quits to join LGIM
The Pensions Regulator’s head of master trust authorisation Kim Brown has left the watchdog to join Legal & General Investment Management and run the L&G Mastertrust and its IGC.
UK Pensions Awards 2020 - Registration opens
Registration for the UK Pensions Awards 2020 is now open…
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included Aon telling the industry there was no excuse for stalling implementation of GMP equalisation, despite further guidance being needed on tax.
PMI Student Essay Competition: What the dashboard can learn from open banking, Midata and Fitbit
LCP’s Ella Purkiss was the winner of the PMI's second student essay competition. In her paper, she sets out her ideas as to what the industry can learn from other sectors when designing and delivering the pensions dashboard.
PP Rising Star Awards 2020: Initial nominee list revealed!
Here it is… The list of all the individuals, teams and organisations that have been nominated so far for the PP Rising Star Awards 2020.
DB funding - October 2019: PPF 7800 index sees liabilities fall as gilt yields increase
Every month, several firms issue trackers of the aggregate defined benefit (DB) scheme funding position. See here for the October 2019 estimates on the various measures…
Time to get serious on defeating scams
With the law not adequately protecting savers from scams, the pensions industry must be more direct with members about the risks of transfers, says Margaret Snowdon.
Sailing the Strait of Hormuz
Without proper support from pension professionals, savers are left vulnerable to attacks on all sides, says Henry Tapper.
PP Investment Awards 2019 - The winners
Here they are…the winners of the annual Professional Pensions Investment Awards for 2019.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included British Airways agreeing an accelerated recovery plan for its New Airways Pension Scheme, and the general election causing a delay to the pension schemes bill.
Government must get moving on removing AE earnings triggers
Waiting for the mid-2020s to allow AE members to save from the first pound means they will miss out on big boosts to retirement pots, says Nigel Stanley.
The rise and fall of pension fund consulting
Consolidation is ongoing in the pensions advisory world, with no signs of abating. Jonathan Stapleton asks whether now will be seen as the high point for pensions consulting.
Tinker, failure, closure, grief
A pensions commission would provide an opportunity to get past short-termist thinking in a political world dominated and saturated by Brexit, says Rory Murphy.
Correction: Lothian Pension Fund admin and payroll tender
Yesterday (28 October), Professional Pensions reported that the Lothian Pension Fund had discontinued a tender process for admin and payroll software.
PP Investment Conference - Last chance to register
There are only a few days left to register for this year’s PP Investment Conference, which will be held on Tuesday 5 November at London’s America Square Conference Centre.
Pensions bill lite misses obvious opportunity for AE reform
Failure to include auto-enrolment reforms in the Queen’s Speech and the pension schemes bill will make big problems even bigger, says Jack Jones.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included KPMG confirming it was in talks to sell its pensions advisory business to Exponent Private Equity.
Private credit and the new benchmark for DC schemes
While private credit mandates may not be straightforward to set up, they are a reliable source of income with lower default risk, says Mark Fawcett.
Tumbling bulk annuity records should ring alarm bells for small schemes
Mega-deals have dominated the buy-in and buyout market this year, limiting insurer appetite for smaller transactions. John Breedon looks at how small schemes can get ahead for next year.
Pensions minister tells schemes to 'act now' on GMP equalisation
Schemes must “act now” to equalise guaranteed minimum pensions (GMPs), pensions and financial inclusion minister Guy Opperman says.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories include the outcome of the Queen’s Speech, and HM Revenue and Customs calculation that pensions tax relief will cost the government £40bn this year.
Guy Opperman: The pension schemes bill will bring the industry into the 21st Century
With a raft of changes mapped out for the industry, pensions minister Guy Opperman says reforms will place customers at their core.
Why good governance is more important than engagement
The industry constantly talks about the need to engage members. Gregg McClymont says a more important priority is how to ensure all schemes are governed well.
Latest issue - 17 October 2019
This week's edition of Professional Pensions is out now.
Retirement living standards will help savers picture their future
The retirement living standards must be widely adopted by schemes to help millions of savers truly understand how to achieve the retirement lifestyle they desire, says Nigel Peaple.
Are we heading for a capacity crisis in admin - or are we already there?
With schemes facing more administration tasks than ever, it is important the industry attracts new talent to help with potential capacity problems, says Kim Gubler.
A closer look at flexible apportionment arrangements
Flexible apportionment arrangements have become a commonly used tool for employers but, as Andy Lewis says, there can be issues for the unwary.
MNTs must not be overlooked in governance drive
Regulatory efforts to drive up the standards of trustees must not forget the unique skills and understanding of members that MNTs can provide, says David Weeks
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included B&CE entering into a redundancy consultation with staff, and the National Grid UK Pension Scheme completing a £2.8bn buy-in.
Third of pension schemes 'appointed or considering appointing an IFA'
More than a third of pension schemes have appointed or are considering appointing an IFA to support their members, XPS Pensions Group research has found.
Latest issue - 10 October 2019
This week's edition of Professional Pensions is out now.
Why pensions considerations are moving up the management agenda
The collapse of Thomas Cook shows how company boards must give greater attention to how pay and dividends contrast to pension scheme contributions, says Stephen Richards .
Harnessing the power of credit to boost responsible investment
While equities are often considered the best weapon to wield in ESG-related engagement, pension schemes also have huge power through their bond allocations, says Mitch Reznick
DB funding - September 2019: Equities hide impact of stagnant gilts as PPF 7800 deficit falls
Every month, several firms issue trackers of the aggregate defined benefit (DB) scheme funding position. See here for the September 2019 estimates on the various measures…
The past, present and future of fiduciary management fees
As the CMA’s remedies for the fiduciary management market bed in, schemes should be thinking more about how fees are structured, says David Hickey
The next frontier for responsible investment in pensions
While the pensions industry’s approach to ESG has changed considerably since three years ago, there are still opportunities for schemes to take advantage of, says Lauren Peacock.