Marks and Spencer
M&S completes £750m buy-ins with Aviva and Phoenix
The Marks and Spencer (M&S) Pension Scheme has completed two buy-ins with Aviva and Phoenix, insuring a total of £750m of benefits.
Five stories you may have missed this week
This week's top stories included The Pensions Regulator criticising Sir Philip Green's latest plans for the Arcadia pension schemes.
Law Debenture appoints trustee director
Brian Kilpatrick has been appointed as a trustee director at Law Debenture, in a bid to expand its trustee team.
M&S completes buy-ins totalling £1.4bn with Aviva and Phoenix Group
The Marks and Spencer (M&S) Pension Scheme has insured around 15% of its pensioner liabilities through two bulk annuity insurance policies with Aviva and Phoenix Group.
The financial risks schemes need to prepare for
Various risks can have significant effects on DB scheme liabilities, but what should schemes prepare for? James Phillips reports on four investors' views on the biggest looming risks.
M&S confirms DB will close to future accrual
Marks and Spencer (M&S) has confirmed it will close its defined benefit (DB) scheme to future accrual in April 2017, following a three month consultation.
Just 5% of FTSE 250 firms still run large DB schemes
Only 11 companies in the FTSE 250 provide defined benefit (DB) pensions for a significant number of employees, according to JLT Employee Benefits.
What were the top five pension stories this week?
The top stories this week were a decision from the Ombudsman, trustees at BHS and M&S announcing proposals to close its DB scheme to future accrual
M&S reveals plans to close DB to future accrual
Marks and Spencer (M&S) has announced proposals to close its UK defined benefit (DB) scheme to future accrual as it sets out a turnaround plan for the business.
M&S agrees with trustees to raise DB contributions for future service
Marks and Spencer has reached an agreement with the trustees of its defined benefit (DB) pension scheme to increase annual cash contributions for future service by £15m.
Stranded carbon, productivity & working conditions 'pose significant financial risks'
Stranded carbon assets, poor staff management and concerns over working conditions pose significant financial risks to companies, Standard Life Investments (SLI) warns.
Desmond & Sons application for TPR judicial review thrown out
The High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland has thrown out an application for judicial review of The Pensions Regulator (TPR) brought by the directors of Desmond & Sons.
Loan notes find favour as asset-backed funding
Loan notes are becoming popular in asset-backed funding as pension schemes and sponsors increasingly use special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to reduce scheme deficits, lawyers say.
The master trust plan
PP Scheme Excellence interviews: Jonathan Stapleton talks to Marks & Spencer’s Julie Parker-Welch about its AE master trust
Counsell interview: auto-enrolment compliance
Hannah Brenton meets Charles Counsell, the regulator charged with keeping employers in line with auto-enrolment.
Auto-enrolment brings new focus for trustees
Andrew Short explains what trustees will have to concentrate on to manage auto-enrolment.
AE admin nightmare for large employers
Administering auto-enrolment is an "absolute nightmare" for large employers, according to Marks & Spencer.
Round up - 5 September
Retailers watch M&S's plans for auto enrolment; ‘Wait till you are 35 to save'; Young workers are the losers in pensions politics; Do advisers put commission before clients?; Directors' pay: shareholders suffer while fat cats grab the cream; New company...
