Towers Watson

Hannah Brenton examines the asset allocation trends in this year’s Purple Book

Towers Watson has appointed benefits financing specialist Lisa Stay to its International Consulting Group.

Increased retirement flexibility, changes to tax rules and falling numbers of individuals staying with one employer are making it difficult to track pensions, Towers Watson have said.

The impact of quantitative easing on scheme funding levels has been exaggerated and should not be used as an excuse to delay de-risking, Towers Watson says.

Schemes should turn to inflation-linked assets such as long-lease property and mature infrastructure to cope with an insufficient supply of index-linked gilts, say consultants.

Lynn Strongin Dodds looks at a joint government initiative to encourage UK pension schemes to invest in infrastructure.

The £1.5bn Willis Pension Scheme has chosen Towers Watson to manage a large part of its hedge fund portfolio.

Rachel Dalton looks at whether NEST is delivering competition in the auto-enrolment market.

Mercer has confirmed its UK chief executive Alan Whalley has retired from the company, leaving a gap in its senior team.

The biggest barrier to companies using the National Employment Savings Trust is the perception that it will be difficult to brand as a "valuable employee benefit", says Towers Watson.