September 2022
01Sep

U.S. corporate pension buyouts hit record $12.3 billion in Q2 – LIMRA

U.S. corporate pension plan buyout sales totaled $12.31 billion in the quarter ended June 30, the highest volume for a second quarter ever recorded, a LIMRA survey found. The second-quarter total in buyout sales represented an increase of 148% from the year-over-year quarter, which saw a total of $4.97 billion in combined buyout and buy-in sales during the three months ended June 30, 2021. The exceptionally high volume in the second quarter of this year is especially significant since the vast...

September 1, 2022
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01Sep

UK. Pensions dashboards standards need ‘extensive user testing’

Respondents to the pensions dashboards standards consultation have warned that user testing and experience will be required before a full assessment can be provided. The Department for Work and Pensions intends for the dashboards’ legislative framework to come into force from April 2023. The Pensions Dashboards Programme’s consultation, launched on July 19, sought input from the pensions industry on areas including operational, security and design standards. The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association and the Society of Pension Professionals were among respondents...

September 1, 2022
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August 2022
26Aug

Mercer’s Asia Retirement Survey Report

By Mercer Conducted over 2019 to 2021, this series leverages our client base across Asia, and aims to bring together common issues in retirement security that Asia business leaders, HR and Finance partners can take action on. In combination, we have surveyed views from more than 700 employers from all industries, with responsibility for the well-being of over 120,000 employees. Get the report here

August 26, 2022
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26Aug

Climate Risk and Indian Pension Funds

Since Reserve Bank of India (RBI) published its discussion paper on climate risk for stakeholder consultation it is somewhat puzzling to notice that other financial regulators have not taken a similar approach to gauge the extent of climate risk in their respective domains. Climate risk, being a systemic risk, will impact the entire financial sector. Let us take the case of pension funds. Globally, since the signing of UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), major pension funds such as the Ontario...

August 26, 2022
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Liz Truss
22Aug

UK. Liz Truss eyes merger of regulators

Conservative party leadership candidate Liz Truss is eyeing up plans to merge three of the financial regulators, but advisers say her plans are destined to fail. Read also Renewable energy’s charm still growing for investors According to FTAdviser's sister title The Financial Times, Truss will launch an immediate review of the roles and responsibilities of the regulators if she wins her party's leadership election next month. It could see the Financial Conduct Authority, the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Payments Systems Regulator...

August 22, 2022
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16Aug

UK. Govt to change civil servants’ early pensions access

The government has proposed to change the rules around early access to pensions in the civil service, tracking 10 years behind state pension age, according to a new consultation over reforms to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. The Cabinet Office had launched a consultation to this effect in 2017, but on August 15 it published a new document with updated proposals to be discussed with trade unions as it considered that a long time has elapsed since the initial consultation,...

August 16, 2022
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12Aug

U.K. pension regulator calling on plan sponsors to support pension scam prevention strategy

The Pension Regulator, the U.K. government body that oversees defined benefit pension plans, is calling on plan sponsors to help advance a three-pronged strategy to fight pension fraud. “Over many years, we have worked to prevent savers’ losses and put fraudsters in prison: running large-scale public awareness campaigns, leading a multi-agency response to the threat through [the pension scams action group]. . . . But the truth is, we must all do more to combat pension scams,” said Nicola Parish,...

August 12, 2022
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11Aug

Jamaica. $70m in pension benefits heading to court

More than $70 million in pension benefits for 161 beneficiaries who are yet to be identified by the Financial Sector Adjustment Company Limited (FINSAC) could be handed over to the Supreme Court. In its 2021 annual report that was tabled in Parliament on Friday, the company said it placed advertisements in the press on March 14, 2021, in an attempt to locate beneficiaries of the Jamaica Mutual Life Assurance Society pension scheme. It said the March 14 advertisement was the fourth...

August 11, 2022
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11Aug

UK. TPR advises employers to shield schemes from refinancing costs

Companies and pension scheme trustees should take steps to protect their schemes and their employer covenant from the fallout of any refinancing that they have undertaken, according to David Fairs, the Pensions Regulator’s executive director of regulatory policy, analysis and advice. In a blog published on August 10, Fairs acknowledged the trend of employers seeking to boost their liquidity in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. This, he noted, would include the agreement of new borrowing facilities, or extension of...

August 11, 2022
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09Aug

Central Bank of Ireland launches climate change risk guidance for insurance sector

The Central Bank of Ireland has commenced a public consultation on proposals to introduce guidance on climate change risks for the insurance sector. The proposed guidance aims to clarify the Central Bank’s expectations on how (re)insurers address climate change risks in their business and to assist them in developing their governance and risk management frameworks to do this. The Central Bank has said that the increased frequency and severity of weather-related events linked to climate change are already having an impact...

August 9, 2022
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