Cash availability in the downturn – what trustees need to consider
Two of the most important aspects a trustee needs to understand during the downturn are an employer’s covenant strength and cash availability. In this article, Alan Higham puts himself in the shoes
Issue: August 2009 Author: Alan Higham

The future looks bright for pensions lawyers
The UK’s pension system is too complicated and worsening The Treasury and accounting standards must share the blame The Association of Pension Lawyers has more than 1,000 members and provides
Issue: August 2009 Author: Robin Ellison

The role of corporate bonds – return seeking or matching asset?
Corporate bonds are generally not sufficiently long-dated or inflation sensitive to accurately match liabilities and they introduce credit and liquidity risk to a liability-hedging
Issue: August 2009 Author: Brigid Jackson

Recovery plans - round two
Schemes with 2009 valuations will have to contend not only with bigger deficits but also with an evolving regulatory landscape The Pensions Regulator insists that funding targets should not be
Issue: August 2009 Author: Ian Banks

Is the ‘war for talent’ still raging in the pensions industry?
In 1997 McKinsey coined the phrase ‘war for talent’ having studied 77 companies, interviewing almost 6,000 managers and executives. From this study it emerged that the most important corporate
Issue: August 2009 Author: Paul Battye

What’s the future of the occupational pensions industry?
Brian Critchell, retiring Vice President of the PMI, reflects on two lifetimes in the pensions
Issue: August 2009 Author: Brian Critchell

Secretary to Trustees Seminars – update
Huge demand for the new technical seminar – ‘Best Practice for Secretary to the Trustees’ A more advanced ‘Masterclass - 1’ planned for 3 December 2009 Possible development of an online study
Issue: August 2009 Author: Bob Richardson

Evolving our approach in a changing pensions landscape
The UK pensions landscape is always evolving and there has been a long-term shift from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) provision. This movement has been accelerated by the
Issue: August 2009 Author: Tony Hobman

Ask the Expert - Administration
We understand that our administrators operate a workflow system which drives the information provided on their achievement of Standards of Performance. Is it good practice for this to exclude the
Issue: August 2009 Author: Nigel Clarkson

Actuarial and Investment Matters
“Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death”. While the US Statesman James F Byrnes was speaking to a different audience in an earlier
Issue: August 2009 Author: Richard Akroyd

Legal Update
The Pensions Act 2008 gave the Pensions Regulator new powers to issue a contribution notice. The regulator can now issue a contribution notice to certain persons who have been party to an act which
Issue: August 2009 Author: Simon Tyler

Consultancy and Administration Issues
Even in the best run pension schemes, trustees may sometimes have to deal with an overpayment of pension, for example as a result of late notification of a member’s death, or through an
Issue: August 2009 Author: Robert Fairhall