The debate over whether lifestyling is a more effective investment and derisking tool than target-dated funds continues to divide industry opinion.

After months of pressure, Gordon Brown has decided to lead by example with public sector pension reforms by ordering a review of MPs’ benefits

Low earners could lose out on potential savings when auto-enrolment is introduced in 2012, according to several industry experts.

Business and pensions groups are calling for action to abolish the indexation of defined benefit (DB) pensions, to help companies avoid insolvency during the recession.

The corporate benefit landscape will experience rapid change as workplace wrap platforms are implemented, according to the participants of a Pensions Management roundtable (see p32).

UK gilts had their lowest yield in 60 years in 2008, according to Barclays Capital’s 2009 Equity Gilt Study.

John Redwood has warned trustees to avoid being seduced by investment advisers offering protection from future interest rates.

Demand for shareholder engagement services have soared over concerns that organisations such as the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) did not do enough to prevent corporate excess.

The prospects for the global economy are increasingly bleak. Recent figures suggest the downturn is now synchronised across the globe to a much larger extent than previous recessions. High levels of debt and low savings in key sectors suggest deleveraging has much further to run, while rising unemployment, weak investment and deteriorating consumer and commercial balance sheets look set to remain a feature for some time.

Buy-in deals are set to eclipse buyout deals in 2009, industry experts have predicted, though uncertainty still surrounds compensation in the event of insurer defaults.

Scottish Widows has boosted its corporate pensions proposition with the addition of a salary exchange tool and a self-investment option.

The government is facing a fresh call to reduce or temporarily suspend Pension Protection Fund (PPF) levies for companies in financial distress.

The Pensions Regulator has approved the financial support arrangements for the two Sea Containers pension schemes to reduce their funding deficits.

BT has set a minimum annual employer contribution of £1,250 for members of its new group self-invested personal pension.

Investors affected by the drop in value in Standard Life’s sterling fund have voiced concerns about its long-term stability.

The unpopularity of with-profits annuities has led providers to shun the term in preference of less specific titles.

For more than seven years, the concept of corporate wrap or more appropriately corporate platform has been discussed and debated by employers, employee benefit consultants and financial services entities alike in the United Kingdom. The ability to deliver pension and non-pension solutions using payroll and flexible benefit interfaces will see the employer becoming a facilitator of diverse financial services solutions in the future.

This timely publication from The Actuarial Profession chronicles the

Sustainability just became more interesting. We’ve heard the word repeatedly from governments over the past few years. What it often refers to is maintaining the status quo or practices that will preserve economic and environmental health. Now it is being linked to ethics in a direct challenge to the pensions industry.

Trustees faced with making difficult portfolio decisions will need help and guidance if they choose to follow actuarial advice and invest more heavily in bonds

I’ve just been reading about a new film that’s out called The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It’s a weird film and is apparently based on a short story by F Scott Fitzgerald. The story is about a guy, Benjamin Button, whose life sort of runs in reverse; he’s born as a wrinkled 80-year-old man with the mind of an infant and, after getting ever more physically younger throughout his life, eventually dies as an infant with a mind confused through dementia. As I said, it’s pretty weird.

In the latest cabinet reshuffle, the weighty responsibility of the pensions post fell to Rosie Winterton. And she is looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead, she tells Tom Willetts

Christian Zimmermann, manager of Pioneer’s global ecology fund, explains to Owen Walker why there’s much more to investing in positive ESG companies than solar panels and wind turbines

It appears some institutions have axed their environmental initiatives to cut costs, but responsible investing should be seen as more than just an optional extra

Aston Goodey is relishing the opportunity to make his mark at a smaller company, where he is keen to ensure products are matched to individual requirements, he tells Owen Walker

Though specialised in nature, TII is likely to become more important for all trustees if their schemes face failure

How would you define workplace, or corporate wrap, platforms?

Default funds form the backbone of DC provision, but the industry has finally woken up to the need for a new approach. Pádraig Floyd reveals the latest thinking

No country is exempt from the effects of the recent downturn, and Australia too must learn to adapt to survive market volatility

During difficult markets, investors are eager to maximise any benefits, and Sipp tax advantages make it a product impossible to ignore

Far from lacking in importance, an efficient and transparent accounting function is essential for any pension scheme to run smoothly and avoid problems at year end

The downturn may have delayed schemes’ decisions to offload liabilities via buyout, but the market is ripe for development in 2009

With volatility proving that no asset class is completely safe, many investors are recognising the potential of alternatives like high yield bonds, both as a generator of returns and as a diversifier

Vanguard has appointed two new staff as it launches its UK business.

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has announced it is to replace chief executive Partha Dasgupta with former Lehman Brothers managing director Alan Rubenstein.

The Pensions Regulator has reappointed two non-executive directors (NEDs).