March 2012
Stewardship as a concept has been applied in a diversity of realms, from the religious and domestic (historically) to many other fields today. It embodies responsible planning and management of resources and is usually linked to the concept of sustainability. Read more >
March 2012
Longevity had not been an issue that had greatly troubled employees at Universal Exports (UK) Ltd – so a pension scheme had not featured amongst the company’s recruitment and retention tools. But as the Cold War receded from the corporate memory so M grew concerned about the consequences of twenty-first century spooks developing grey hair. Read more >
February 2012
As the UK private sector continues to abandon defined benefit pension provision and increasingly embraces defined contribution plans (and soon, auto enrolment), we should take the time to learn from our DB past to ensure robust governance of DC plans, both contract and trust based, for the future. Read more >
March 2011
A brief thought on faith, for trustees and DC members Read more >
September 2010
Many pension trustees find their role challenging, but rewarding. Some trustees however not only feel comfortable, but are also happy to chair the trustee board – a role that would be simply too daunting for many. Perhaps those who have the potential to chair a board successfully but lack a little confidence might be helped if more trustee boards were to define the role. Read more >
July 2010
Some very large pension schemes are now considering outsourcing administration to a third party administrator (TPA) where, five years ago, it would have been relatively uncommon. Read more >
March 2010
Relationships based mainly on performance driven SLAs are not enough; instead build your overall expectations into the contract and spend time on the whole of the relationship to make it work. Read more >
January 2010
Trustees are increasingly being offered more complex and complete solutions to meet the challenge of investment governance. While some propositions will suit some schemes, outsourcing is not necessarily a quick and easy fix to the problem of an overwhelming investment workload. Read more >
January 2010
Corporate takeovers may have become relatively scarce over the last two years, but they are returning as confidence in financial markets rebuilds. Read more >
January 2010
Performance management of professional advisers and service providers is an essential element of good pension fund governance. It should extend to all significant contracts and not be limited to investment managers who can conveniently demonstrate hard performance numbers. Read more >
December 2009
Muse Advisory responds to the Pensions Regulator's new campaign to improve pension scheme governance Read more >
December 2009
We live in the internet age. We bank, shop and entertain ourselves online and it’s all getting faster and hopefully safer. The pensions industry is catching up through the Straight Through Processing (STP) initiative. But what are the implications when it does? Read more >
September 2009
Web-enabled administration systems feature transparent access to information and services that is highly valued by members. But enhanced transparency introduces fresh challenges over and above those laid out by the Pensions Regulator. Read more >
June 2009
You can’t turn on the TV without stumbling across some reality programme offering one lucky person a life-changing career opportunity. To date this approach has not been used by Alan Sugar to recruit a new member onto his pension scheme trustee board (if he has one) – and let’s hope that never happens – but it is time to take a look at how trustee boards can attract the best talent for this demanding role. Read more >
May 2009
We need people who aren't afraid to ask the obvious questions. Read more >
December 2008
It was sometime around 1998. We were sat in a Trustee Board meeting, digesting lunch and deliberating on asset allocation. Read more >
October 2008
Can trustees be accused of sunning themselves abroad? Or have they stayed ‘at the coalface’ this year? Are you a trustee? If so, have you been on the front foot and asking questions of your advisers as the credit crunch has developed? Read more >
April 2008
There has been some debate recently on whether trustee boards should purchase governance software from one of their advisers, or seek an independent source. Similar arguments apply to the provision of trustee secretarial services. Read more >
February 2008
Many pension schemes think about planning for contingencies when reviewing internal controls and compiling risk registers, but should their planning extend further? Read more >
September 2007
What is the single largest factor contributing to the failure of outsourced administration? Read more >