The answer to underfunding is a closer working relationship between actuaries and investment professionals in forecasting investment returns and setting lower discount rates, according to Karen Harris, vice-president in the capital markets research group at Callan Associates, who believes funds cannot rely on investment strategies alone to get them “out of this hole”.
Hybrid pension plans: history, economics, features
As the trend away from defined-benefit pension funds continues around the globe, this paper by Towers Watson examines the plan design of hybrid funds looking at the risks, funding volatility, cost control and lifetime income.
Norway’s SWF makes first property investment
Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the Norwegian $2,908 billion kroner ($500 billion) Government Pension Fund Global, has made its first property investment following approval by the Norwegian Government to invest in the asset class in March.
The impact of scale, complexity, and service on admin costs
Using data on 90 pension funds from 2004-2008 this paper examines the impact of scale, the complexity of pension plans, and service quality on the adminstrative costs of pension funds, and compares those costs across Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the US. It finds that, except for Canada, large unused economies-of-scale exist.
Rebalancing not so simple with diverse beta sources
Simple reblancing of portfolios back to strategic ranges after a market rise or fall is not as simple as you may think, according to a research note from brokers Morgan Stanley. The new investment required after a fall may be surprisingly large.
Major asset allocation review for $15b Thai fund
The $15 billion Thai Government Pension Fund is looking at a major asset allocation shift, having ridden out the financial crisis with a massive and fortuitous overweighting to bonds.
