August
2003
to
return to past news list click here
for
latest news click here
|
Executives
hit by DB closures
The
shift away from Defined Benefit (DB) to Defined Contribution
(DC) schemes, which has been so prevalent among mainstream
employees, is now being mirrored at executive level, according
to a survey by consultants Towers Perrin |
29/08/03 |
New
fund links from GE Life
GE
Life has added a number of new managers to its range of external
fund links for retail pension clients |
27/08/03 |
Savers
abandon pensions for property
It's
no wonder stakeholder pension sales are so low – 55% of
25-34 year-olds are planning to fund their retirement through
investment in property, not pensions, according to a new report
from Prudential, Safe as Houses |
27/08/03 |
Perceived
risk hampers alternative investment
Investors see hedge funds and private equity as a means of spreading
risk and enhancing returns, but “perceived risk” is
stopping assets being allocated to them, according to a new
study by JPMorgan Fleming (JPMF) |
27/08/03 |
With-profits
critics "misguided"
Recent
criticism of with-profits investments is misguided and could
lead to investors making rash decisions, according to consultancy
firm Tillinghast-Towers Perrin (TTP) |
27/08/03 |
Pensions
almost double fat cat salaries
Pension
benefits contribute £450,000 to the average boss's pay
packet, according to research by Mercer Human Resource Consulting
|
26/08/03 |
Hewitt
Bacon and Woodrow cements Irish presence
In an effort
to expand its presence in Ireland, HR firm Hewitt Bacon and
Woodrow (HB&W) has acquired Becketts, a specialist Irish
employee benefits consultancy |
26/08/03 |
Act
on stakeholder, ABI tells Government
The
Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called on the Government
to take the lead in promoting workplace stakeholder pension
schemes |
26/08/03 |
Compulsion
would create job losses, warns SPC
Compulsion
should not be introduced as it would inevitably lead to job
losses, the Society of Pension Consultants has warned |
22/08/03 |
Stockmarket
volatility delaying retirement plans
Decline
in the stockmarket is causing a quarter of workers approaching
retirement age to stop work later than they had planned, according
to a new study by consultants Watson Wyatt |
21/08/03 |
BBH
to establish direct custody facility
Specialist service provider, Brown Brothers Harriman Investor
Services, has announced its intention to establish a direct
custody facility in the UK |
20/08/03 |
Opra
winding-up guide receives mixed response
The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority’s (Opra)
new update on winding up a pension scheme has been found by
some to be lacking in the area of guaranteed minimum pension
equalisation |
18/08/03 |
| Tube
workers demand better pension
Tensions
between union leaders and the London Underground (LU) have
continued to rise amid calls for a dramatic improvement in
employees' pension scheme |
15/08/03 |
| Workers
in strike over pension scheme closure
More
than 600 workers at chemical factories across the UK are set
to strike today over fears that their pension scheme is about
to close |
15/08/03 |
| Pension
complaints higher than ever
A
record number of complaints were brought to the Pensions Ombudsman
in the last financial year and his office is having difficulty
coping, according to the Pensions Ombudsman David Laverick's
annual report for 2002-2003 |
15/08/03 |
| There's
more to life than DC
Not
as many companies are closing their final salary pension schemes
to new members as was previously believed, according to research
carried out by global consulting firm, Watson Wyatt |
14/08/03 |
| Clerical
Medical targets pension transfer market
Clerical
Medical has launched a new bulk buy-out plan in response to
the high number of occupational pension schemes that are currently
in wind-up |
14/08/03 |
| Women
failing to prepare for pensionable age
Women
may be the most at risk of pensioner poverty but more than
half don't save more into their pensions because they just
haven't got the spare cash, according to new ICM research
published by Age Concern and the Fawcett Society |
13/08/03 |
| Industry
urged to rethink benchmarks
In
a market where FTSE 100 concentration levels are at a record
level, there must be a radical rethink on benchmarking, according
to ISIS Asset Management |
13/08/03 |
| Rising
costs threaten future of healthcare benefits
More
than 40% of companies will cut eligibility for healthcare
benefits if costs continue to rise, according to a new survey
published by Mercer Human Resource Consulting |
12/08/03 |
| Employers
against pension planning "day off"
Most
businesses would not be willing to give their employees a
day off to get to grips with their pensions, according to
a survey carried out by business information provider, Croner |
12/08/03 |
| Scottish
Water caught up in fat cat row
Scottish
Water has come in for a fierce attack following the revelation
that it has awarded its chief executive a substantial pension
top-up, as well as a major lump sum when he reaches the age
of 62 |
11/08/03 |
Protection
fund will lead to scheme closure – CBI
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned the Government
that its plan to introduce a new pensions protection fund will
backfire |
07/08/03 |
Gaping
hole revealed in FTSE pension schemes
FTSE 100 companies suffer from a pension scheme deficit totalling
6% of the index's market capitalisation |
06/08/03 |
| Opra
lifts transfer ban
The
Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra) has lifted
its temporary ban on transfers out of defined benefit occupational
pension schemes |
05/08/03 |
| Institutional
investors collaborate on CSR
A
pilot programme has been launched which will see eight major
players in the institutional investment market taking a collaborative
approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) |
05/08/03 |
| Drawdown
tool goes online
Winterthur
Life is making its income drawdown illustration tool available
on its website. The tool, which can now be accessed on the
company's secure site by IFAs, determines the level of income
that can be sustained, at a specified growth rate, both before
and after annuity purchase |
05/08/03 |
| New
practice targets HR technology
A
consultancy practice aimed at helping companies improve the
technology within their HR departments, for example by bringing
their employee benefits services online, has been launched
by consultancy firm Mercer |
04/08/03 |
| Ex-pats
petition House of Lords
The
case against the UK Government's refusal to uprate state pensions
for expatriates living in several countries has moved on to
the House of Lords |
04/08/03 |
