Industry
Two-thirds of pension firms cut gender pay gaps
Asset managers have made considerable improvements in their gender pay gaps, with an average narrowing of 2.6 percentage points, Professional Pensions analysis finds.
APPT to offer provisional trustee accreditation amid Covid-19 delays
The Association of Professional Pension Trustees (APPT) has announced it will allow professional trustees to become provisionally accredited in light of delays caused by Covid-19.
Where now for the pensions dashboard?
Enormous amounts of work are still required in order to deliver the pensions dashboard. Ros Altmann looks at the issues involved and urges politicians not to abandon the idea of an independent public dashboard.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included figures from Aon showing the actuarial valuations of at least a quarter of defined benefit schemes are likely to have been badly impact by Covid-19. Also, The Pensions Regulator issued further guidance for employers with...
PMI announces first professional trustee accreditation
The Pensions Management Institute (PMI) has announced that CBC Pension Services director Michael Clark has become the first fully-accredited professional trustee in the UK.
NFP buys Johnson Fleming to expand UK business
NFP – a US-headquartered, private equity-owned insurance broker and consultant – has bought Johnson Fleming in a bid to expand its international offering.
Deaths 77% higher than in 2019, says CMI
The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending Friday 10 April (week 15) was 77% higher than expected if using the same standardised mortality rates as 2019, says the Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI).
Keep calm and avoid getting scammed, says government amid coronavirus chaos
Savers should not rush into making rash changes to their pensions, the government has warned as the Covid-19 crisis continues to hit financial markets.
Pulling together will get us through
Julian Mund says the pensions industry, regulators and government are all working together to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on savers.
Gareth Tancred: Enhancing the PMI's presence and value proposition
PMI chief executive Gareth Tancred tells James Phillips about progressing its five-year plan and redesigning the organisation amid the Covid-19 challenge
Scottish Widows doubles time to complete annuity purchases
Scottish Widows has temporarily extended its quote guarantee period for annuity applications in a bid to support advisers and customers during the Covid-19 crisis.
PP publisher Incisive Media acquires reviews site
Professional Pensions’ publisher, Incisive Media, has agreed to acquire the highly-regarded reviews platform Trusted Reviews, www.trustedreviews.com, from TI Media.
Freedom and Choice not designed for rash coronavirus-motivated withdrawals
Using the flexibility offered by pension freedoms to access pensions early without considering long-term consequences will leave savers struggling to make ends meet, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has warned.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included the Smurfit Kappa UK Pension Fund’s completion of a £1.2bn fiduciary and liability-driven investment deal with River and Mercantile, and figures showing pension transfer activity has dropped to its lowest level since 2014....
Could coronavirus infect the Consumer Prices Index?
Covid-19 has presented the ONS with significant problems calculating inflation during lockdown. Latest Institute for Fiscal Studies research examines the challenges faced.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week’s top stories included the Financial Conduct Authority saying there is a “significant risk of harm” in the long-term savings market caused by pension freedoms, and Standard Life and Zurich publishing their latest independent governance committee...
Quantuma launches pensions advisory service with hire of Darren Mason
Business advisory firm Quantuma has appointed Darren Mason as a partner at the firm’s head office in London to set up and lead a pensions advisory team.
PLSA urges schemes to hold company directors to account over Covid-19 decisions
Pension schemes should take note of how the companies in which they invest respond to the ongoing threat of coronavirus and be prepared to speak up if the actions taken do not align with their long-term investment prospects, the Pensions and Lifetime...
Maps flags Covid-19 implications for pensions dashboard launch
The Money and Pensions Service (Maps) has published its first full report on progress on the pensions dashboard so far and has flagged “significant” delivery challenges in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Video: The unintended consequences of the CMA's review of fiduciary management tenders
As schemes grapple with the new regulations - in some cases without external advice - Professional Pensions asked Trustees for their views on the remedies, comparing the behaviour of small schemes with their larger peers.
Time to tackle the nation's financial ills?
Now might be the opportunity to really tackle the five financial wellbeing issues identified by the Money and Pensions Service earlier this year, says Jon Dean.
Jonathan Reynolds named shadow work and pensions secretary; pledges 'serious long-term thinking' on pensions
The shadow economic secretary Jonathan Reynolds has been named as shadow secretary for work and pensions under new Labour leader, Keir Starmer.
