BETTER FINANCE - European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users’ Post

DID YOU KNOW? Under a defined contribution plan (e.g. Tier 2 & Tier 3 Pension Schemes), benefits are paid based on the accumulated contributions made and the unitized return on the said contribution._ _It is therefore in the interest of contributors to Master Trust Schemes and Employer Sponsored Schemes to be very particular about the pedigree of the Fund Administrators, Trustees and Fund Managers they conduct pension business with._ Here Are Some Factors To Consider 1. Registration status with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA). 2. Yearly Return on Investments as a percentage of Assets under Management 3. Diversification of Assets. 4. Benefit payment history of the scheme. 5. Credentials of the Board of Trustees (Independent Trustee and Members). 6. Ease of access to information of Trustee. 7. Age and Risk Appetite.

Pensions, like sovereign-wealth funds, university endowments and family offices, generally either buy properties outright or invest through private fund managers. Some analysts and pension advisers suspect those managers are themselves slow to report losses. Share prices of publicly traded real-estate investment trusts have generally fallen much further than private marks. #pensionfunds #multifamily

🎙️ Two of our BW colleagues will be sharing their expertise at the Professional Pensions Trustee Senate which takes place tomorrow and Friday!    📅 On Friday 11 October, Senior Investment Consultant Pratik Patel FIA will be a speaker during the plenary session: "Glass Half Full: Navigating The Future of Illiquids for Schemes".    Pratik will explore the evolving landscape of illiquid assets in pension schemes, addressing:  * Potential pitfalls and overlooked investment risks  * Lessons from the September 2022 Mini Budget  * Strategies for optimising portfolios and enhancing resilience    📅 Pratik will then be joined by his Investment Consultant colleague Umang Rajbhandari, CFA FIA for the boardroom session: "Private Matters: Embracing Private Markets in A New Financial Landscape".    This session will delve into:  * Pros and cons of private vs. public markets  * Allocating more to private markets: Should pension funds do it?  * How pension funds can access private markets is changing  * Responding to government initiatives on private asset investment    If you’re heading to the event at Wotton House, Dorking, don't miss these opportunities to gain valuable insights from our experts on these critical topics shaping the future of pension investments.    And please do speak to Pratik or Umang during the breaks if you’d like to discuss any of the topics in more detail.    #PensionInvestments #FinancialExpertise #ProfessionalPensionsTrusteeSenate 

How do #pension scheme trustees balance their fiduciary duties with investing in a sustainable and climate-friendly way? Burges Salmon LLP Pensions Director Kate Granville Smith and colleagues look at a helpful report by the Financial Markets Law Committee which considers the current legal position. #esg #esginvesting #trustees

Can pension trustees consider factors like sustainability and climate change whilst complying with their fiduciary duties? In this post, my colleagues Harrison Packer and Francesco Andres and I discuss the publication of a helpful report by the Financial Markets Law Committee which addresses the current legal position and some of the uncertainties. #pensions #esg

Everyone should have confidence that their pension money is invested in ways that serve their long-term best interests. Currently, 'fiduciary duty' (which sets out the responsibilities of those entrusted with investing your money) takes a very simplistic and narrow view of financial return. It prevents trustees from taking full account of the impact investments will have on their members, thereby undermining their ability to serve those members' interests over the long-term. This needs to change. We want the law to put pension savers first by empowering trustees to balance impacts alongside risk and return in their investment strategies. I'm therefore delighted to be appearing before the Work and Pensions Select Committee on behalf of ShareAction tomorrow for their hearing on the fiduciary duties of pension schemes. It is fantastic that MPs are taking this issue seriously - it goes right to the heart of making the system work for people. I will emphatically make the case for reform and urge the committee to write to the government calling for a change in the law. We'll appear alongside Make My Money Matter, Pensions for Purpose, and UKSIF. If you want pensions to work for savers, write to the committee and contact your MP calling for action too. Catherine Howarth OBE Fergus Moffatt Claire Brinn Stephen Timms Claire Jones https://lnkd.in/eu5GMw75

Just a couple of days to go until our PFIF Seminar this Thursday covering Consolidation Options – What next and Implications for Investment Strategies. These monthly meetings bring together pension fund representatives, both trustees and managers, with advisers and service providers, to drive robust and objective discussions.   With the plethora of consolidation options now available for pension schemes, whether DB, DC or Local Government Pension Schemes, what should schemes be doing now? Even if schemes do not wish to consolidate, just how should they be setting a robust investment strategy to reflect their overall objectives? We're very much looking forward to hearing from our speakers: Ralph McClelland, Partner, Sackers, on Consolidations Options and Legal Considerations for Schemes. David Barnett FIA, Partner & Senior Investment Consultant, Barnett Waddingham, on Consolidation Options & Investment Strategy Considerations. Richard J. Tomlinson, Chief Investment Officer, Local Pensions Partnership Investments, on LGPS Pooling and Setting Investment Strategy – Perspectives from LPPI. Chaired by James Duberly, Director of Pensions Investments, BBC Pension Trust Ltd. & Member of the PFIF Advisory Committee. PFIF Members - we look forward to seeing you at Barber-Surgeons' Hall! Not yet a member? Find out more: https://lnkd.in/emGxTjcw #pension #pensions #investmentstrategies #investment

We're so pleased to be shortlisted in the Best Climate Change Policy category in the Pensions for Purpose Pension Fund Awards 2024. Addressing climate-related risks and opportunities is central to achieving our responsible investment and organisational goals. #ClimateChange #ResponsibleInvestment #Awards

🎯 How to navigate the minefield of self-employed pensions? In yesterday’s Irish Independent, our Managing Director, David Kavanagh, provided some helpful insights into how self-employed professionals can navigate pension planning. With over 340,000 self-employed individuals in Ireland facing unique retirement challenges, it’s more important than ever for financial brokers to guide their clients through the complex world of pension planning. Many self-employed individuals put pensions on the back burner to focus on their business, often leaving themselves financially vulnerable in retirement. Whether they’re navigating Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs), understanding tax advantages, or evaluating self-directed options, your clients rely on you for expert advice. With contribution changes on the horizon and the Standard Fund Threshold (SFT) increasing from 2026, now’s the time to help them seize new opportunities. Take action to ensure your self-employed clients secure their futures. Read the full article for insights: https://lnkd.in/evG-ZBtu #ad #FinancialPlanning #SelfEmployed #Pensions #Retirement #SelfDirectedPensions #PRSAs

Corporate America really started to take notice of pensions in the wake of the dot-com crash, in 2000. Interest rates and stock prices both plummeted, which meant that the value of pension liabilities rose while the value of the assets held to meet them fell. A number of major firms in weak industries, notably steel and airlines, went bankrupt in large measure because of their inability to meet their obligations under defined-benefit pension plans. https://lnkd.in/eMWArRe8