November 2024

UK. Industry calls for more flexibility around CDC regulation

There has been strong support for government proposals to introduce multi-employer CDCs, as the consultation on Occupational Pension Scheme regulations for these new arrangements comes to a close. However in their responses a number of consultancy firms said they want more information on how such schemes might work in practice.  Hymans Robertson partner Kathryn Fleming says: “This consultation is a welcome stepping stone towards CDC that offers great value for money.  We are hugely supportive of CDC at scale to deliver...

US. CalPERS affirms commitment to ESG amid changes coming to Washington

CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost affirmed the $522.4 billion pension fund’s commitment to environmental, social and governance investing in the face of expected federal policy changes stemming from the recent election. Election results make clear that change is coming, Frost told the board of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, Sacramento, at its Nov. 20 meeting. “We expect the year ahead will include new voices and viewpoints on several issues, including climate- focused investing, corporate governance and healthcare policy,” Frost said. “We welcome those...

Pension funds will have to invest more in UK assets under government plans

Pension funds will be ordered to invest more money into UK assets if changes announced last week by The Chancellor don’t see an increase in money flowing into Britain. Emma Reynolds, UK pensions minister, told the FT that while last week’s changes had avoided forcing pension funds to invest in British assets, such “mandation” would be considered if they don’t do enough. “We’re not talking about it for now, but let’s see where we get to,” Reynolds said, in an interview with...

UK. What will Rachel Reeves’s retirement scheme changes mean for pensions?

The chancellor has announced plans to merge local government retirement schemes into eight Canada-style ‘megafunds’ Rachel Reeves has announced plans to merge local government retirement schemes into eight Canada-style “megafunds” in what the Treasury claims will be part of the biggest reform of the UK pension market in decades. So what will the changes, announced as part of the chancellor’s inaugural Mansion House speech on Thursday, actually mean for UK pensions and what can they achieve? What is Reeves planning? The chancellor plans...

Reino Unido promoverá megafondos de pensiones para movilizar inversión en infraestructuras

La ministra británica de Economía, Rachel Reeves, anunciará el jueves una reforma del mercado de las pensiones en el Reino Unido a fin de promover su consolidación en megafondos que puedan movilizar más capital para la inversión en infraestructuras. Reeves detallará su propuesta en su primer discurso anual en el palacete de Mansion House ante representantes de la City (el distrito financiero de Londres), cuando afirmará que esa consolidación podría liberar unos 80.000 millones de libras (96.232 millones de euros,...

UK. Reeves in radical pension shake-up to boost growth

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is planning what she calls the "biggest pension reform in decades" in an attempt to boost economic growth. The government wants to merge the UK's 86 council pension schemes into a handful of "pension megafunds". It is hoped the changes will lead to billions of pounds being invested in the UK in areas such as energy infrastructure, tech start-ups and public services. Reeves told the BBC that UK public sector pension funds in their current form were not big...

UK. HMRC issues National Insurance act fast warning to boost State Pension before cut-off date

The deadline for those impacted by new State Pension transitional arrangements is fast approaching HM Revenue and Customs bosses have issued a message to people to act ahead of a looming deadline. HMRC officials have disclosed that more than 10,000 payments, amounting to £12.5 million, have been made through the new digital service to boost individuals' State Pensions since its launch in April. With less than six months left to address any National Insurance (NI) record gaps dating back to...

UK. Pensions to be key focus of Chancellor’s first Mansion House speech

Pensions are expected to be a key focus of Rachel Reeves’s first Mansion House Speech, due to be delivered this Thursday. Many in the industry are expecting the new Chancellor to set out bold pension reforms, setting out how DC and DB funds will be used to boost investment into UK infrastructure and private business over the next five years. This Mansion House speech is a key economic speech given by the Chancellor to senior City and banking representatives, outlining broad policy...

Gen X slip between DB and DC pension cracks

The tail-off in defined benefit (DB) pension provision around the millennium and a lack of compulsion around defined contribution (DC) saving until 2012 has had a lasting impact according to Standard Life’s Retirement Voice report. • Majority of Gen X (54%) are worried their finances won’t cover their retirement – compared to 31% among Baby Boomers • 45% Gen X expect their living standard to be worse in retirement compared to 29% of Millennials • Gen X most likely...

South Africa. How CDC may revolutionise the pension industry

A look at how collective defined contribution schemes differ from DB and DC schemes and why SA’s pension industry should note the shift in the UK. The local pension industry seems poised to embrace the collective defined contribution (CDC) model in the future despite their complexities. New administration systems to accommodate these types of structures will have to be designed as well as new regulations to govern them. An employer and member education drive to explain how these...