All articles by George Coats – Page 2
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FeaturesPutting off mañana
Although the leading political parties agree they should revisit the Toledo pact that is the basic text of Spain’s pensions reform, they have yet to agree when. And pensions are just not on the current government’s agenda, writes George Coats
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Country Report
Taking the hit
Domestic asset managers were sheltered by pension funds’ local bias, although international players were making inroads. George Coats samples opinions on a possible post-crisis landscape in asset managemenmt
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Country Report
Shelved, not forgotten
The Green Paper on pensions was supposed to play a key role in the evolution of Irish pensions policy but the market and economic crises have seen it drop off the government’s agenda. George Coats assesses whether it still has any relevance in the new situation
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Country Report
Putting the focus on regulation
Regulation was one the main issues mentioned in responses to the government’s Green Paper on Pensions, with many submissions focusing on the funding standard for DC pension schemes. “There were always potential problems around the issue of the funding standard and it has become a lot more real now,” says ...
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Country ReportLocal bias extracts a price
When the Irish stock exchange was booming, domestic equities were the place to be. But many pension funds were slow to diversify and this is reflected in their returns, finds George Coats
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Country Report
State eyes on the piggy bank
Ireland’s pensions reserve fund was seen as a success but now the government wants to raid its assets to refinance troubled banks, finds George Coats
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Special ReportGetting the correct balance
Javier Aibar Bernard is the general director of the Social Security Treasury, which oversees Spain’s €55.9m Reserve Fund, the Fondo de Reserva de la Seguridad Social (FRSS). He explains to George Coats how the fund is run and discusses its ability to fulfil its role
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News
Lithuania overrides veto on contribution cut
[13:00 CET 22-01] LITHUANIA – The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has overruled a presidential veto of a law that cuts contributions to second pillar pension funds to 3% of a salary from the 5.5% to be paid in 2009 and 2010.
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Country ReportA system under attack
While for investors market risk is a clear and present danger, political risk appears easy to overlook. But it can be just as corrosive, finds George Coats
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News
Presidential veto overruled
POLAND – An alliance between the Polish right of centre coalition government and the left of centre opposition party has overturned a presidential veto on legislation to create so-called bridge pensions and replace early retirement benefits.
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News
Lithuania to cut private pension contributions
[17:20 CET 28-11] LITHUANIA - An economic crisis plan approved by Lithuania’s incoming government includes a proposal to reduce contributions to the second pillar pension system.
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FeaturesThe fetters come off
Until now, Sweden’s AP7 has not had the benefit of a level playing field. That is about to change, finds George Coats
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Features
Tempered optimism across Europe
IPE asked six pension organisations across Europe: ‘How have you been affected by the recent market turmoil?’ Interviews conducted by Nina Röhrbein/Liam Kennedy/George Coats
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FeaturesRiding out the tempest
Although small and new, SEB’s Lithuanian pension fund operation is confident that it will survive the turmoil that is convulsing the financial world. CIO Marijus Kalesinskas tells George Coats why
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Features
A gradual transformation
The arena for consultants looks much the same from one year to the next but it is changing, George Coats finds
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Special Report
The dog that didn’t bark
The failure of a court case arising from the collapse of a pension fund to result in any convictions aroused little interest among the general public, says George Coats
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Special ReportAllocation at a time of crisis
Iceland’s pension fund sector has undergone considerable consolidation over recent years. “The funds were formed at the insistence of the trade unions and initially there were nearly 100 of them as each union wanted to have its own fund,” says Hrafn Magnusson, (pictured right) managing director of National Association of ...
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FeaturesFunds keep their heads above the water
Norway’s financial sector has been buffeted but pension funds look to stay afloat, finds George Coats
