Pensions minister pledges additional funding for occupational schemes after the FSA’s assets review suggests alternative approaches to annuities

The bid to allow women to top up their state pension has been thrown out of the House of Commons, although new minister for pensions reform Mike O’Brien said the government would commit to providing an update on the issue in the pre-Budget report.

Peter Hain, secretary of state for work and pensions, has underlined his commitment to making the pensions system simpler and fairer and tackling the “massive problem of people not saving enough for retirement”.

Opposition leader David Cameron has appointed Chris Grayling, MP for Epsom & Ewell, as his new shadow secretary of state for work and pensions.

“The most important task for the new minister [Mike O’Brien] will be to avoid inflicting further harm on an occupational pension system that was once the envy of the world. Some would claim that the prime minister himself has been complicit in that decline because of the effects of his so-called tax raid on pension funds.”

Journalists at newspaper publisher Newsquest are up in arms against proposed changes to its pension scheme.

The Qualifications and Curri-culum Authority’s (QCA) announcement that more emphasis will be put on financial education in schools has received a mixed reception.

UK merger and acquisition (M&A) activity has soared in line with rising markets over the last four years thanks to several factors, including strong corporate balance sheets and deep private equity pockets.

Railpen Investments has formulated a corporate governance policy as a basis for its investments in Singapore companies.

Shareholder activism, once considered a pejorative term, is fast becoming an integral part of the fund management industry, according to research from the Investment Management Association (IMA).

Many long/short hedge fund managers are really “closet long-only managers” and lack the skills to make money from shorting, claimed Andrew Kelly, co-manager of the Cartesian UK equity long/short fund.

Aegon Asset Management has strengthened its property proposition with Philip Clark, Geraldine Davies and David Wise from Morley’s award-winning property team.

There have been some spectacular returns in many commodities over the last few years, but many investors might ask what the outlook is for the market and how they can gain access to it.

The Financial Services Auth-ority’s (FSA) Retail Distribution Review (RDR) has caused an argument in the adviser community about how ‘independence’ should be defined.

The Financial Services Authority’s (FSA) discussion paper on platforms has been broadly welcomed by the industry.

The pensions industry could be hit hard as life expectancy grows at a sharper rate than predicted, while actuaries have been warned they must use the best available data for mortality assumptions.

There are no significant difficulties in recruiting or retaining trustees, yet the Pensions Regulator and industry experts are still urging schemes to further improve their governance structures.

The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has claimed one of the staunchest critics of its new 7800 index has made a U-turn.

This summer has seen a flurry of mergers and acquisitions in the pensions industry.

I apologise in advance for making John Lawson even more grumpy (“Standard Life defends high Sipp charges”, PM July 2007) but I’m afraid he has missed the point. What Scottish Life has been highlighting to advisers are the Financial Services Authority’s (FSA’s) concerns that “some customers have been advised to join Sipps...who would be better suited to say a stakeholder pension or personal pension...which comes at a cheaper cost” (FSA – Financial Advisers’ Newsletter, March 2007).

Is there a pensions issue that’s winding you up or an article you’ve read in PM that’s made your blood boil? Perhaps more positively you think it’s really hit the nail on the head, then do get in touch by

although the government – in its response to the consultation in the December 2006 white paper – has clarified some detail in the design of personal accounts, some of the bigger questions remain unanswered. Aside from the question as to how the correct contributions are to be collected from employers on time and how the clearing house will work and be funded, the risks involved with personal accounts have not been addressed.

It seems that since the inception of pension provision the government has leapt from one unworkable system to another. Malcolm Deering argues it’s time for it to concede to those in the know

In May 1997 Harriet Harman became the first secretary of state for social security in the then new New Labour government. Frank Field was made minister of state for welfare reform and John Denham was under-secretary. Just over a year later, Alastair Darling replaced Harriet Harman as secretary of state for social security and John Denham got the new title of minister of pensions; while Frank Field’s role sort of disappeared. Six months later, in January 1999, Stephen Timms replaced John Denham as minister for pensions, a role he held until July of that year, when he was replaced by Jeff Rooker and the job was rebranded as pensions minister.

After nearly 20 years in the industry, Elaine Gordon finds herself focusing on client solutions, rather than dwelling on past problems. She talks to Antoinette Odoi about her experience to date

Ken Willis talks to Ruth Emery about his appetite for danger outside of work and his desire to help defined contribution members better understand and engage with investments

The pensions industry welcomed the regulator’s recent action against Sea Containers, but what does it mean for schemes’ bargaining powers?

Improvements in standards and accessibility to the emerging markets environment means taking advantage of the asset class is becoming much easier for investors

While the goverment’s provisions for personal accounts have largely been welcomed, the risk of competition with existing good pensions cannot be ignored

Many providers have seen their income drawdown sales rocket over the last year. Will the rapid growth continue, and what about these American insurers?

Despite simplification, the perception remains that pensions are complicated. But are products like drawdown really that difficult to understand?

A-day changes and product innovation have contributed to the success of the 13-year-old income drawdown market. But what does the current boom in the market mean for this product as it enters its teens?

• Bobby Riddaway - Senior investment consultant, Hewitt Associates
• Malcolm Jones - Head of bonds and LDI solutions, Standard Life Investments
• Robert Hayes - Global head of strategic advice services, BlackRock
• Arno Kitts - Head of European institutional business, Henderson
• Dominic Delaforce - Co-head of LDI, Aberdeen Asset Managers
• Paul Duncombe - Global head of strategic solutions, Schroders
• Steve Mingle - Reward and policy director, RHM Group

It is assumed the mushrooming of internet technology would by now have almost done away with paper communication in many industries – but in pensions, this is not the case

Employers burdened with defined benefit pension schemes are increasingly finding innovative ways of reducing liabilities

Peter Marber of HSBC extols the virtues of emerging market debt following the restructuring that distinguished the previous decade

Legislative changes within the EU have increased the workability of pan-European schemes, but do the advantages make it worthwhile?

The new buzzwords in pensions are ‘variable annuities’ and the ‘third way’, but what do they really mean and what is their relevance to the UK market?

The popularity of Sipps is continually increasing, but awareness among the affluent is still patchy. How will this affect future market trends?

Many people turn to their employers first to be enlightened about pensions, so delivering the right information in the right way is crucial

While most people would accept rules and regulations are a necessary entity, ‘defensive consultancy’ can sometimes be more of a hindrance

BlackRock has lured Emma Douglas from Threadneedle to take on the role of head of defined contribution (DC) sales.

Resolution Asset Management is partnering with Chris Ralph, Jason Collins and Simon Mungall, latterly of Fidelity International, in a joint venture to launch a multi-manager boutique.

Chris Sutton is joining Watson Wyatt’s global Thinking Ahead Group (TAG) under the leadership of Roger Urwin.