April 2025
29Apr

UK pension system is at a tipping point

The UK faces a pensions time bomb that could detonate within a generation. Unlike all good suspense movies, there is not going to be a cutting of the red or blue wire in the final seconds of a digital countdown; solutions are complex, multi-faceted and wide reaching. For decades, the UK pension system has been regarded as a stable safety net, ensuring workers can retire with dignity. But beneath this illusion of security lies a crisis in the making. The combined pressures of...

April 29, 2025
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25Apr

The role of CEOs in the sustainability of defined benefit pension plans

By Joanne Horton, Paraskevi Vicky Kiosse, Maria Koumenta & Evisa Mitrou The future of defined benefit (DB) pensions is a hotly debated topic in reward management. Drawing on agency and managerial power theories, the conditions under which CEOs can affect their sustainability have been examined. We show that when the CEO is a member of the same DB plan as their employees or when the CEO is both a member and a trustee of the plan, this affects the agency and power...

April 25, 2025
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25Apr

US Labor Department considers overturning pension fund ESG rule

The US Department of Labor has requested that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals suspend litigation over a Biden-era rule that allows pension funds to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. With federal agencies now operating under the Trump administration, a number of states have attempted to overturn the Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights rule, which enables retirement fund managers to take ESG factors into account in the case of a tiebreaker between two financially...

April 25, 2025
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25Apr

UK. Bill for underpaid state pensions set to hit £1 billion

New figures from DWP suggest that the total amount of state pension arrears to be paid out by the Government because of multiple errors is set to pass the £1 billion mark this year. Following the government's plans to consolidate small pension pots, it has also published the latest update of how much has been underpaid in state pensions to date. There are two separate correction exercises currently underway. The initial correction exercise which started in January 2021 and is nearing conclusion relates...

April 25, 2025
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22Apr

‘Will Britain’s state pension still exist when I retire in 30 years?’

The debate over the state pension – such as what should happen to the triple lock – seems to entirely focus on people who are in receipt of it, or will be soon. However, it ignores people like me who are in their 30s and have no idea what it might be worth when we finally reach retirement, or when we might get it. Is there any certainty at all about whether the state pension will still exist in 30 years, or should...

April 22, 2025
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21Apr

UK. TPR turns to AI in effort to detect scammers but government can do more to help

Tom Selby, director of public policy at AJ Bell, comments on The Pensions Regulator (TPR) and Pension Scams Action Group (PSAG) adopting the use of AI to detect scam websites: “Stopping pension scammers is a perpetual game of whack-a-mole. Whenever one scam is shut down another soon starts up in its place. That means it is vital that regulators and bodies like Action Fraud use every tool at their disposal to fend off scams as they emerge, closing down fraudulent...

April 21, 2025
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10Apr

UK government urged to amend pension rules to support sustainable growth

Lack of clarity over fiduciary duty and a heavy sustainability reporting burden are key issues for the pensions industry, says UKSIF At a glance The UK government is planning an overhaul of the investment rules regulating the pensions sector in attempt to spur growth and stimulate investment in UK assets Simplifying sustainability rules should be part of the reform agenda, with a greater focus on transition planning rather than lengthy disclosures, says UKSIF The fiduciary duty of pension trustees with regards to climate...

April 10, 2025
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08Apr

EIOPA launches liquidity stress test of European pension funds

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has launched its fifth stress test of European occupational pension funds, assessing the impact of two adverse economic scenarios on the liquidity position of IORPs and the overall sector. The two scenarios simulate sharp increases and declines in interest rates, respectively. “In the ‘yield curve up’ scenario, EU interest rates increase sharply as market participants anticipate economic developments related to the abrupt escalation of geopolitical tensions,” said EIOPA. “These geopolitical tensions cause disruptions in...

April 8, 2025
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01Apr

Seven trends shaping UK employment, incentives and pensions in 2025

As these plans evolve, their ripple effects will be felt into 2025 and beyond. Global forces add further pressure. Regulatory developments in the EU, US and beyond will demand UK employers’ attention as they adapt to the shifting landscape. We’ve identified seven key trends that will define 2025. Employers can use these insights to prioritise their strategies and stay ahead. 1. Employee litigation on the rise—new rights, new risks: The Employment Rights Bill’s sweeping reforms could trigger a surge in claims,...

April 1, 2025
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March 2025
28Mar

Considerations on ESG Investment Implementation

By Laura T. Starks Although interest in investing according to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) standards is widespread, investment managers face a number of basic considerations with their portfolio choices. In this article, I give a high-level overview of these considerations within the context of the investor motivation: ESG values, ESG value, or both. These considerations include whether investors should exclude certain firms or use a positive tilt; how they could integrate ESG into an investment approach; the role...

March 28, 2025
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