IPE's Belgium Coverage – Page 9
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Country Report
Belgium: Working longer
An Van Damme analyses Belgium’s attempt to raise the age of retirement through incentives rather than legislative decree
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Country Report
Belgium: Clarity after deadlock
After more than a year of political deadlock, Belgium’s new government has pensions in its sights. Christine Senior reports
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Country Report
Belgium: KBC Pensioenfonds prepares for accounting rule changes
The pension fund of Belgian bank and insurance group KBC has returned to pre-crisis levels following 2010 returns of 9.42% for the DB and 6.52% for the DC scheme, leaving the scheme with a short-term, liquidation scenario funding level of 147% and a long-term funding level of 113%, up 8% ...
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Country Report
Belgium: Pension B looks to real estate and tactical asset allocation
Before the Vandenbroucke law came into force in 2004, the Belgian construction sector distributed some of its reserves to its retiring ex-workers. However, this practice did not conform to the new OFP (organisation for financing pensions) system, leading to the creation of the new sector pension fund, Pensio B, in ...
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Country Report
Belgium: Pensioenfonds UZ Gent: Diverse benchmarks
The UZ Gent pension fund, founded in 1995, is unique in Belgium in that it does not provide a second pillar supplementary pension, but replaces the legal first pillar pension for civil servants employed at the University Hospital Ghent. Employees with a normal labour agreement cannot join the scheme.
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Country Report
Belgium: GDF Suez/Belgian gas and electricity pension funds re-assess euro government bond exposure
These five pension funds – comprising a total of 20,000 members – cover GDF Suez Belgium, the Belgian entity of GDF Suez, a global independent power generating company, and other companies from the Belgian gas and electricity sector.
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Country Report
Belgium: On the road to insurance
As the cracks become more visible across the Belgian political landscape, Nina Roehrbein reports on how pension funds are dealing with their own volatility issues
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FeaturesBelgium: wait and see
Martin Delaney finds the Belgian pension fund industry waiting to find out if a new coalition government, when it is formed, will have the will to take bold decisions on retirement age
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News
TPR issues first contribution notice against Belgian firm
UK – The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has issued its first contribution notice, ordering Michel Van De Wiele NV (VDW) to pay £5m (€6.2m) into the Bonas Group Pension Scheme.
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News
Japanese equities help Belgian schemes post positive Q1 return
BELGIUM – Pension funds in Belgium delivered an average return of 4.4% in the first quarter of 2010, according to a study by Mercer.
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Country ReportBelgium: A time for courage and action
Karel Stroobants argues that doing nothing about the Belgian pension system is not an option if the country is to avoid collective impoverishment and generational conflict
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Country Report
Belgium: Prime location status proves an elusive goal
Astrid Pieron argues that a combination of strong competition and tax and legal discrimination is hampering Belgium as a destination for cross-border pension funds
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Country Report
Belgium: Keeping it safe and simple
Belgium’s pension funds are erring on the side of caution as they begin the process of re-examining their asset allocation strategies following the downturn. Nina Roehrbein reports
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NewsBelgium may benefit from US tax on TLP profits
BELGIUM – Policy Selection Limited (PSL), the fund management group behind the Assured Fund that invests in traded life policies, is to move the administration of the fund to Belgium to limit the impact of new withholding tax rules introduced by the US.
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News
Belgian pensions return 4.2% in H1
BELGIUM – Belgian pension funds produced an average weighted return of 4.21% in the first six months of 2009, figures from the Belgian Association of Pension Institutions (BVPI) have revealed.
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FeaturesBelgium: The challenge of small funds
Julie Henderson assesses Belgium’s pensions landscape and finds that with a large number of small funds, economies of scale may be needed
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NewsConsultant calls for longer Belgian recovery time
BELGIUM – A Belgian pensions consultant has warned local pension plans need more time to meet funding recovery plans, as the industry-standard short time frames are placing undue pressure on executives and company sponsors to meet full funding targets.
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News
Belgian pensions make Q2 comeback
BELGIUM – Belgian pension funds have pulled back some of the losses seen in the financial turbulence of last year, as a strong performance in all sectors lifted funds within the second quarter, suggests data from Mercer.
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Country ReportOpting not to rebalance
Pension funds see their key asset managers forced to ask for government bailouts and many funds are holding new contributions in cash, finds George Coats
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Country ReportRefocusing on the first pillar
Belgium’s new pensions minister has set up a National Pensions Conference to re-examine the whole issue. But she is not an admirer of the second pillar, finds George Coats
