February 2023

The Future of Global Retirement 2023

By Smart As perceptions of retirement shift across the world, in line with emerging technology and reforms to legislation, the industry needs to keep up and remain one step ahead. At Smart, we’re continuing to lead the way in research and development in this space, and as part of our mission, we’ll continue to share some of the insights we gain around the needs of savers across the world. In 2021, we launched our first ‘Future of Global Retirement’ report, taking...

UK. Industry organisations call for ‘urgent’ clarity on pensions dashboards

Industry experts have argued that “regulatory certainty” around pensions dashboards is needed as quickly as possible, with concerns over the timing and implementation of pensions dashboards emerging ahead of the first scheme staging deadlines. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) recently held consultations to gather views on proposed design standards for pension dashboards, and the regulatory framework for operators, both of which closed today (16 February). However, whilst the consultations were broadly welcomed by industry experts, concerns...

Third of UK savers unaware of their retirement options

The firm's Future of Global Retirement report - which surveyed 8,000 savers across the UK, Australia, South Africa and the US - found the UK ranked lowest when it came to understanding of savers' options at retirement. The report - published today (16 February) - discovered with the increasing cost of living, a third (34%) of respondents are concerned they would be unable to afford their day-to-day living costs in retirement. The research revealed a gender discrepancy as 38% of...

Total U.K. pension fund surplus, funding ratio decrease slightly in January

The aggregate surplus of U.K. defined benefit funds covered by the PPF 7800 index decreased slightly in January, by 0.6% to £374.4 billion ($463.4 billion). The surplus more than doubled for the year ended Jan. 31, from £146.4 billion, according to a Tuesday update by the Pension Protection Fund, London. The PPF is the lifeboat fund for pension funds of U.K. insolvent companies. The aggregate funding ratio was 134.8% as of Jan. 31, compared with 136.5% as of Dec. 31. The...

UK. Mary Starks Leads Review of Pensions Regulator

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced the appointment of Mary Starks to lead a review of The Pensions Regulator (TPR). This is in line with the expectation that public bodies are reviewed each Parliament. The Minister for Pensions has asked Starks to aim to deliver the report in May 2023. Stark’s previous experience includes serving as executive member of the Board and Director of Competition and Chief Economist at the Financial Conduct Authority. She has also served as Executive...

UK. FCA places restrictions on IFA over misappropriation of client funds

The Financial Conduct Authority has placed a number of restrictions on an independent advice firm over concerns its sole director may have misappropriated 1 5mn of a client s funds Campbell & Associates, based in West Wellow, Romsey, had the restrictions imposed on it last week (February 9), and is now prevented from carrying out any regulated activity and cannot reduce the value of its assets without the FCA’s consent. Lisa Maureen Campbell is listed as the sole active director of...

UK. New Funding Code could affect how pension schemes are run

UK pension schemes are expecting the Defined Benefit (DB) Funding Code, currently in consultation, to affect the way they are run in the future, a recent poll by Aon has found. At a recent Aon webinar on the funding code consultation, almost 250 attendees were asked how material they thought the new funding regime would be to the way their schemes are run, with 42% of respondents indicating that they thought it would have either a moderate or a significant...

UK. Multiple Pensions Dashboards Already a Reality Says Moneyhub in FCA and PDP Consultation Response

Moneyhub, the award-winning Open Data platform and alpha partner to the Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) has highlighted the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) support for multiple pensions dashboards saying this is already a reality, in its response to the FCA and PDP’s consultations. Moneyhub has also called for a greater emphasis on taking action as part of its response. In its response to the consultations ahead of the 16th February deadline, Moneyhub welcomed the FCA’s and PDP’s proposals, focusing in particular on...

U.K. Regulators Are Urged to Address Pension Risks After Last Year’s Crisis

British regulators failed to properly monitor the risks created by the derivatives-based investment strategy that upended the U.K.’s pension sector last year, an investment approach that poses a continuing risk to companies if changes aren’t made, according to a U.K. legislative panel. Liability-driven investments, known as LDIs, invest in derivatives that are tied to U.K. government bonds known as gilts. They help pensions match long-term liabilities they have to retirees with less capital than they would need had they owned...

U.K. Department of Work and Pensions launches collective defined contribution consultation

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a public consultation on a policy framework for broadening collective defined contribution (CDC) provision in pension schemes. The consultation was launched to get views from the public on policy proposals for broadening CDC provision beyond single or connected employer schemes, to accommodate multi-employer schemes. It has also asked for opinions on the role of CDC in decumulation, including how products of this kind might work in practice, and whether there is a significant...