Defined Contribution

A large number of businesses have been forced to scrap restructuring plans because of the section 75 employer debt regime, delegates heard.

UK - Trustees and sponsor companies should look at the company's defined benefit scheme as if it were a subsidiary of the sponsor company, Watson Wyatt head of settlement solutions Michael Chatterton said.

AUSTRALIA - Australian superannuation provider AMP will increase the pension contributions it pays for its employees to 12% from the mandatory 9% by 2014.

The UK's combined defined contribution pension value has dropped by £18bn in one month, according to Aon Consulting.

Each month DC World asks readers for their views. This month we ask: should DC schemes focus on asset allocation rather than searching for skilled active managers?

Deciding to enter an occupational pension scheme is a big issue and many people feel that once they've started paying contributions then their retirement planning is done.

Panellists discuss how best to tackle the automatic increase of members' contributions

Professional Pensions senior correspondent Giovanni Legorano interviewed BT Pension Scheme pension director Kevin O'Boyle at the National Association of Pension Funds conference last month

US - The New York Times Co. will freeze its defined benefit plan for non-union employees and management at year-end in a move that will save the company over US$130m, the firm said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing yesterday.

It would be a "huge wasted opportunity" should the crumbling political consensus lead to the abandonment of the 2012 pension reforms, the EEF says.