News

Public sector pension schemes must ‘bite the bullet' on planned reform because the changes are necessary to ensure fairness to taxpayers, Lord Hutton told delegates.

Major changes to workplace pension provision due in the UK over the next two years are prompting schemes to overhaul their administration, Aon Hewitt says.

A majority of scheme managers believe giving members early access to their pension funds would not encourage greater levels of saving over the long term.

EUROPE - The European Central Bank's anticipated interest rate rise is a "largely symbolic" move to make it appear to be tackling inflation, Schroders head of European equities Rory Bateman believes.

Pension fund investors have not learnt the lessons of the financial crisis and are still failing to model asset risk properly, a fixed income manager says.

The £1.6bn Environment Agency Pension Fund has cut the environmental impact of its equity investments by almost a third while still exceeding its benchmark.

Schemes with equity holdings in oil giant BP should vote down a pay deal lined up for departing executive, Pensions & Investment Research Consultants urges.

The Insurance Society of Edinburgh has elected Paul Faulkner to serve as its president.

IRELAND/UK - IFG Group, which bought UK pension provider James Hay last year, wants to acquire other personal pension managers in Britain under pressure to boost capital, chief executive officer Mark Bourke said.

GLOBAL - Investor confidence rose 6.5 points in March, from February's revised reading of 91.8 to 98.3, State Street Global Markets said.