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FIS Amsterdam 2013

Hybrids win governance race: Wisconsin research findings

Hybrid pension schemes, combining both defined contribution and defined benefit characteristics, are best for governance because they align interest of both employees and sponsors argue David Villa, chief investment officer of the $91-billion State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) and Sorina Zahan, partner and chief investment officer of Chicago-based Core Capital Management, speaking at Conexus […]
Sarah RundellOctober 22, 2013
WPF Risk Summit

Hybrids: best of both worlds

The funding levels of US public pension funds, falling from 100 per cent in 2001 to 77 per cent now, is the result of bad governance, according to David Villa, chief investment officer of the $91 billion State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB). He says irrational governance and imprudent management has resulted in the funding […]
Amanda WhiteAugust 27, 2013
Uncategorised posts

Cass creates principles
for DC model

As almost every market in the world looks to move from defined benefit to some sort of defined contribution model, academics at the Pensions Institute of the Cass Business School, City University London have developed a set of 15 principles for designing a defined contribution model. The principles, consistent with the recently published OECD guidelines, are based […]
Amanda WhiteMarch 27, 2013
Uncategorised posts

DB plans continue to slide

The funded status of US defined-benefit corporate-pension plans continued to worsen last year, despite plan sponsors increasing contributions by $70 billion, a new Mercer study reveals. Mercer found funding levels have slipped to 2009 levels, with the outlook for 2012 likely to extend the bleak news for plan sponsors. The funded status of pension plans […]
SAM RILEYAugust 29, 2012
Uncategorised posts

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 […]
SAM RILEYJuly 6, 2012
Uncategorised posts

The spectre of defined-benefit plans

The recent sharp growth in US corporate defined-benefit-plan liabilities, coupled with concerns that interest rates will start to rise from current historical lows, is slowing the push to de-risk plans, Wilshire Consulting’s head of investment research, Steven Foresti says. The latest Wilshire Consulting research into defined-benefit (DB) plans at S&P 500 companies reveals that aggregate […]
SAM RILEYApril 13, 2012
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