quantitative easing
How loose money hits pension schemes
Taha Lokhandwala explores investors’ views on the impact of global loose monetary policy
BoE: No case for more QE
Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said the UK economy is recovering and does not need a further expansion of the quantitative easing (QE) programme.
UK deficits up £50bn as yields reverse
Gilt yields buck the trend of previous months and fall during July increasing UK corporate deficits by £50bn, research from Xafinity finds.
FCA probes claims of gilt auction-rigging
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is looking into claims traders intentionally pushed up the price of government bonds before attempting to sell them to the Bank of England (BoE) in 2011.
Hints on QE end push liabilities down £31bn as yields rise
FTSE350 companies' defined benefit (DB) deficits fell as bond yields rose on hints of an end to quantitative easing (QE), research from Mercer shows.
Annuity rates drop 29% since Bank of England began QE
Annuity rates have declined by 29% since the introduction of the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme, AXA Life Europe has found.
Final year results re-ignite smoothing debate
The latest set of financial results from FTSE companies has re-ignited the debate over smoothing discount rates as strong asset returns were wiped out due to falls in discount rates.
Bank of England votes against further QE
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has again voted against an extension of its quantitative easing programme.
Easing into the future
Taha Lokhandwala looks at the likely effects of the end of quantitative easing
Scheme deficits hamper investment
The majority of financial directors and senior leaders say scheme deficits are hampering their business investments, research shows.
Lord Turner hints at writing off QE debt
Financial Services Authority chairman Lord Turner hinted yesterday that the Bank of England should consider writing off some of the £375bn gilt holdings purchased under quantitative easing.
Economy needs £50bn more QE - MPC member
The Bank of England should pump £50bn more into the "stalled" economy to kick-start the recovery, economist David Miles says.
MPC overrules King to hold QE at £325bn
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted five to four to maintain quantitative easing at £325bn this month, overruling the governor and three colleagues who called for further expansion.
Bank holds interest rates and keeps QE on ice
The Bank of England's monetary policy committee has resisted calls for further quantitative easing and has left its programme of stimulus unchanged, while holding rates.
UK scheme returns in the black for third year in a row
UK schemes achieved an average return of 4.3% on investments last year led by gilt returns of more than 20%, a study shows.
King: QE has not led to the demise of DB
The Governor of the Bank of England has denied quantitative easing has accelerated the decline of defined benefit provision.
BoE claims QE boost to equities offsets annuity rate fall
The government's use of quantitative easing has given pension funds a boost, Bank of England economist David Miles claims.
£50bn QE3 to prolong scheme funding torture for further 12 months
The Bank of England's move to increase quantitative easing by £50bn will prolong low gilt yields for a further 12 months, adding further strains on pension funding positions, experts say.
Top 10 features of 2011
In the first part of our run-down of the most read Professional Pensions Online articles in 2011, we look at the top 10 features during the year.
Further QE 'strong medicine with serious side-effects' for schemes
The Bank of England yesterday signalled it was ready to pursue more quantitative easing after plunging inflation forecasts, raising further spiralling deficit concerns for schemes.
NAPF: Why QE is so bad for pensions schemes
NAPF chairman Lindsay Tomlinson explains why quantitative easing is so bad for UK pension schemes...
NAPF urges TPR to extend recovery periods following emergency QE meeting
The National Association of Pension Funds has called on The Pensions Regulator to consider a range of options to help pension funds struggling to deal with the impact of quantitative easing.
BoE baulks at QE gilt buybacks as traders drive up prices
The Bank of England has refused to buy a tranche of bonds under its quantitative easing buyback programme after traders drove up prices yesterday.
Round up - 7 October
QE2 will damage pensions by pushing inflation up and interest rates down; Hopes raised for deal to avert major strikes; News Corp investors call for James Murdoch's head; Can we be persuaded to make sacrifices now for benefits later?; University lecturers...
