December 2022

Inflation, war, rising interest rates posed steep challenges for investors in 2022

An inflationary environment that is anything but transitory, the volatility arising from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and other geopolitical crises, and a bevy of controversies surrounding ESG investing dominated headlines this year, while the fall of Allianz Global Investors and an exceptionally busy regulatory year were also among Pensions & Investments' top 10 stories of 2022. The top story this year was inflation and the Federal Reserve's aggressive actions to curb it through multiple interest rate hikes. After more than...

DWP confirms 2023 State Pension 10.1% rise with some eligible for more than £815 a month

State Pension pay rates are set to increase in the new year. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement protected the Triple Lock Rule once again. Anyone who receives Basic and New State Pension payments should expect to see their monthly income increase from April 2023. For the 12.5 million older people across the UK claiming the pension amount, this means an increase of 10.1% from spring next year, North Wales Live reports.. There are 10.1 million people currently receiving Basic State Pension...

New FCA nudges for better long-term outcomes in non-workplace pensions

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published new rules for providers of non-workplace pensions. The intervention was prompted by FCA findings that suggested that, like in defined contribution workplace pensions, the non-workplace pension sector suffered from low consumer engagement combined with complex and confusing products and charges. The regulator said the issue had caused a lack of competitive pressure to drive better value for consumers. It also found that non‑advised customers often may end up investing in products that...

UK. Pensions regulator unveils consultation on defined benefit funding

A draft funding code of conduct and consultation on defined benefit (DB) pension schemes has been unveiled by The Pensions Regulator, requiring trustees to think carefully about risk management to improve security for their members. Under the draft code and consultation, schemes will be expected to set a long-term objective and a “journey plan” for achieving it. The regulator expects schemes will reduce their reliance on sponsoring employers as they reach maturity. The consultation requires trustees to raise the bar...

UK. Early retirement and our ageing population are causing labour shortages, says Lords report

Economic inactivity has increased by 565,000 people since the start of the pandemic - a stark reversal of what was happening before 2020. The biggest contributor to this change has been an increase in early retirement, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee concluded today in its report “Where have all the workers gone?” Background Earlier retirement is the biggest of four factors that have made it harder to fill jobs. Increasing sickness; changes in the structure of migration; and an...

UK. State pension: ‘60,000’ veterans set to miss out on 10.1% boost next year

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed there will be a 10.1 percent rise to the state pension from April 2023, as the triple lock returns. The news has been welcomed by many older Britons, but not all state pensioners can expect to obtain the increase. The UK European Economic Area (EEA) Gibraltar Switzerland Countries with a social security agreement with the UK (but not Canada or New Zealand). Those who live outside of these countries will not get a yearly increase, and...

UK. British Airways signs agreement under New Airways Pension Scheme

British Airways has signed an agreement with the trustee of its New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS) on the scheme's triennial valuation, the airline's owner IAG said on Thursday. The valuation, based on the scheme's funding position as of March 31, 2021, shows an agreed technical provisions deficit of 1.65 billion pounds ($2.01 billion), compared with a deficit of 2.4 billion pounds as of March 31, 2018. Under the terms of the agreement, British Airways will not pay a dividend in 2022...

Regulators set sights on hedge funds after UK pension crisis

Britain's markets watchdog is working with overseas regulators to look at other stresses in the global financial system, such as leveraged hedge funds, its chief executive said on Wednesday, following a pensions crisis in late September. A radical tax-cutting budget in September by former Prime Minister Liz Truss's government triggered a jump in British government bond yields, which forced defined benefit, or final salary pension schemes to raise cash quickly to meet margin calls on liability-driven investment (LDI) derivatives positions....

Banco de Inglaterra examinará solidez de entidades financieras no bancarias

El Banco de Inglaterra someterá en 2023 a pruebas de resistencia a las entidades financieras no bancarias que operan en el Reino Unido, tras detectar un riesgo de volatilidad en ese sector, ha indicado este martes en su informe periódico sobre la estabilidad del sistema financiero. El banco central británico pide además a la comunidad internacional “una actuación urgente” para reducir los riesgos que pueden presentar ese tipo de empresas, que son variadas y operan desde muchos países. “Hoy en día,...

UK. BoE to stress test non-banks for first time after pensions turmoil

Investment funds and other non-bank financial institutions face their first 'stress test' next year to apply lessons from the near-meltdown in Britain's pension fund sector, the Bank of England (BoE) said on Tuesday. The BoE had to step in from September to buy 19.3 billion pounds ($23.75 billion) of government bonds to stabilise markets after turmoil caused by the fiscal plans of Liz Truss's short-lived government. Liability-driven investment (LDI) funds, used by pension funds to ensure their long-term payouts, struggled to...