All articles by Barbara Ottawa – Page 55
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NewsGerman institutional investors stick with equities, but worry about double dip
GERMANY – More than 60% of German institutional investors believe equities will generate returns over the coming year, yet 51% fear there will be a double dip in the markets, according to a poll conducted by German asset manager Union Investment.
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NewsSwiss pensions authority should focus on solvency, communication, academics say
SWITZERLAND – The new Swiss supervisory authority and its regional subsidiaries will have to focus on solvency questions and ensure good communication among all market players, according to researchers at the University of St. Gallen.
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NewsContributions to German Pensionsfonds rebound, treble in 2009 - Towers Watson
GERMANY – After a major drop in contributions to Pensionsfonds in 2008, Germany's newest occupational retirement scheme is back in favour with companies –with Towers Watson predicting growth to continue.
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NewsZurich canton rules against BVK outsourcing
SWITZERLAND – The Zurich Canton administration has dismissed a motion to outsource the asset management of the scandal-ridden BVK Pensionskasse from the financial department.
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NewsDAX pension returns eclipsed by steeper liability increase, says Towers Watson
GERMANY – German companies in the DAX stock exchange index reported an average 2.6% return on their pension plans for the third quarter 2010 but this was offset by a 4.4% rise in liabilities, according to consultancy Towers Watson.
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NewsEven re-insured companies must pay insolvency levy, German court rules
GERMANY – A German court has ruled that companies must pay a levy to the insolvency fund PSV even if they re-insure their pension schemes.
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NewsGerman provinces consider suspending pension fund contributions
GERMANY – The German province of Bavaria and its northern neighbour Thuringia want to halt contributions to their civil servants pension funds to save money.
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NewsGerman pension insolvency fund slashes levy
GERMANY – The German Pensions-Sicherungs-Verein (PSV), which takes on insolvent companies' pension liabilities, has set its 2010 levy at 1.9/m.
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NewsCzech Republic facing EU penalty over IORP
EUROPE – The European Commission has rapped the Czech government for failing to comply with a court ruling from January on the implementation of the IORP pension fund directive.
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NewsGerman investors targeting 'risk-less returns', says Complementa
GERMANY – Risk management in Germany has improved in the wake of the financial crisis, and institutional investors are now focusing on 'risk-less returns', according to consultancy Complementa.
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NewsGerman institutional investors 'unaware' they are under-diversified
GERMANY – Only 19% of institutional investors have a broad enough diversification across asset classes to mitigate risks, according to a risk management study commissioned by Union Investment.
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NewsSwiss roundup: SAP fund, funding levels, PKZH
SWITZERLAND – The Swiss subsidiary of SAP Group is reducing the buffers in its Pensionskasse and will allow its members participate directly in capital markets.
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NewsAustrian pension funds question value of master KAGs
EUROPE – Austrian pension funds APK and Bonus have questioned the benefits of using external providers and said they found it hard to trust them with risk reporting and other services.
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NewsBulgaria abandons plan to nationalise pension system
BULGARIA – The Bulgarian government has said it will abandon its plans to redirect funds from 'professional' pension funds into the first pillar, but it will withdraw some money for early retirees.
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NewsLiechtenstein establishes first pension fund association
LIECHTENSTEIN – The small principality of Liechtenstein, lodged between Switzerland and Austria, has created its first pension fund association, the Liechtensteinischer Pensionskassenverband.
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NewsIASB failing to prioritise IAS19, says International Actuarial Association
GLOBAL – IAS19 standards on pension fund accounting are not a top priority for the IASB at the moment, according to Paul Thornton, head of the International Actuarial Association (IAA).
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Features
German education funds a no-brainer
Germany has jumped on the bandwagon of education funds, with pension funds sensing an opportunity for uncorrelated returns above bond yields with an altruistic benefit. On average, a German student wanting to graduate from a private university needs €25-30,000, of which only a small proportion is covered by grants.
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NewsGerman roundup: Auxilion on second-pillar interest, Union Investment on Riester contracts
GERMANY – Pension agents in small and medium-sized enterprise are not doing enough to pique interest in second-pillar pension schemes and need expert advice, according to HR representatives.
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NewsSwiss roundup: Swisscanto, Credit Suisse, Melbourne Mercer
SWITZERLAND – Funding at Swiss Pensionskassen has returned to levels seen at the end of last year, according to a survey by Swisscanto.
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NewsGerman pension system falls short on sustainability, integrity
GERMANY – The German pension system is particularly lacking in the areas of sustainability and member communication, according to Mercer Germany.
