Mercer

Defined benefit schemes are taking fresh approaches to liability-matching and repositioning their return-seeking investments, says Alastair O'Dell.

The combined pension deficit of FTSE 350 companies grew by £9bn in December 2017 to £41bn one year later on an accounting basis, according to Mercer's funding tracker.

Defined benefit (DB) schemes are set to shear themselves of over £300bn of liabilities between 2019 and 2021 as they continue to mature, Mercer predicts.

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) final report on the investment consultant market has been celebrated as having "real teeth" to produce better outcomes for members.

Some 87% of master trusts support future collaborative efforts to overcome barriers to good service delivery, the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) says.

KPMG has announced three senior hires in its investment advisory team as the firm sets up an investment advisory practice in Bristol.

Aon, Mercer and Willis Towers Watson have renewed criticism of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over its analysis of the benefits of tendering for fiduciary management contracts.

The UK must do more to address its ageing demographics, says Mercer, as its global pension index shows the country static in its rankings.

Capital Cranfield has hired Peter Thompson and Fiona Stark as professional trustees in response to strong demand from pension funds.

Investment consultants including the 'big three' have all agreed to participate in discussions to develop a strategy to demonstrate whether they provide value for money to pension fund clients.