Pensions Buzz

More than half of Buzz respondents said The Pensions Regulator's new objective to consider employers' growth prospects would result in lower contributions to schemes. But the majority of these respondents said this would only be the case for a minority...

The vast majority of respondents supported the prospect of asset managers disclosing total annual costs to institutional investors. Fewer than one in 20 rejected the idea.

Contributors were split fairly evenly over whether the National Association of Pension Funds offered good value for members. Trustees were divided 50:50 on the question while three out of five scheme managers said the organisation was value for money....

Pensions Buzz respondents were sceptical as to whether schemes could benefit from stepping into the role of lending directly to businesses.

The majority of contributors were satisfied that defined contribution investment strategies adequately reflected the differing risks associating with people of different ages. But a third of respondents said there was room for improvement.

Most contributors thought the failure of the Wheels test case would not have a big impact in schemes. The bid to secure tax relief on VAT paid on investment management charges was rejected by the European Courts of Justice earlier this month.

Buzz contributors believe co-operation between government and the industry is the best way to deliver future pensions benefits, although a third think it is down to the industry alone. A jaded one in five thought neither could be trusted, while a mere...

There was no clear preference among contributors as to what the Bank of England's role should be, but the most popular option was to give it a dual mandate to target inflation and employment.

Pensions Buzz is a weekly survey of the pensions industry. Today respondents reveal what they want to see in next week's Budget.

Pensions Buzz contributors were split over what the master trust market will look like in ten years time, or whether it would still exist.