Laws add to
de-risking push

Recent legal changes governing how US corporate pension plans calculate their funding liabilities could increase moves to de-risk pension plans, particularly through lump sum payments to participants, says Matt Herrmann a retirement risk expert at asset consultant Towers Watson. Herrmann, leader of Towers Watson’s retirement-risk-management group, says the legislative changes that passed through both houses … Read more

Longevity is key to Dutch pension reforms

As the well-respected Dutch pension system sits in a state of reform limbo, long-time trustee and MKB-Nederland representative in the recent round of negotiations on pension reform, Benne van Popta, has particular ideas on how to improve the system. The combination of low interest rates, an ageing population and increasing life expectancy has prompted a … Read more

Tail risk and hedge fund returns

This paper by academics at Erasmus University and the University of Chicago shows that hedge funds exhibit persistent exposures to extreme downside risk, and that tail risk is an important determinant of the time-series and cross-section variation of hedge fund returns. Further it concludes that these results are consistent with the notion that a significant … Read more

NYCRS CIO focuses on the achievable

Reducing equities, expanding the resources and changing the RFP process are on the agenda of New York City Retirement System (NYCRS) chief investment officer, Larry Schloss, as he makes structural and investment changes to turn the $123-billion fund around. Two and a half years in to what is most likely only a four-year tenure – … Read more