Coronavirus

The technological developments arising out of the pandemic will change the pensions industry forever, says Darren Philp.

UK GDP was 1.2% higher in December 2020 as eased lockdown restrictions for the month helped to bring total growth for the fourth quarter of the year to 1% overall, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

Retail and hotels have taken the brunt of lockdowns, while logistics and residential have fared much better. Even when Covid-19 is bought under control, the path of recovery is far from straightforward, writes Stephanie Baxter

Defined contribution (DC) contributions were scaled back by 11% in the second quarter of 2020 as the impact of the pandemic set in, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Michael Bushnell looks at the continuing impact of the pandemic on employer covenant and ESG risks, and how schemes can plan ahead.

Deaths in England and Wales were 51% higher in week 52 of 2020 than the corresponding period of 2019, although partly inflated by bank holidays, according to the Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI).

Tim Shepherd and Beth Brown look at the legal implications of working from home and how pension professionals can mitigate the risks.

Companies could be overstating their pension liabilities by up to £60bn due to their life expectancy assumptions, according to XPS Pensions Group.

Trustees must know the signs of sponsor distress and be prepared to act quickly as the “first line of defence” for savers, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has warned.

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted unanimously to increase its purchase of UK government bonds by £150bn and to maintain rates at 0.1%, shunning rumours of a move towards negative interest rates.