liabilities

Standard Life Investments has set up a team to manage a proposition offering low risk growth alongside liability hedging for defined benefit (DB) schemes.

The Employer Covenant Working Group (ECWG) has announced its formal launch as it publishes a guide for advisers, trustees and sponsors of defined benefit (DB) schemes.

Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has concluded a £300m buy-in with the trustees of the VA Tech UK Pension Scheme, including a retrocession to Siemens' captive reinsurer.

The £2.7bn Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund (MNOPF) has improved its funding level to 79% after increasing its liability hedging ratio to 95% of assets.

The bulk annuity market had a record final quarter in 2015 as buy-in and buyout deals totalled £5.4bn, according to LCP.

Bulk annuity business in 2016 will outstrip last year's levels despite a slow start due to the introduction of Solvency II, according to Willis Towers Watson.

Ultra Electronics Holdings plans to close its £238m defined benefit (DB) pension scheme to future accrual from 5 April 2016.

Total funding levels of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes have improved since January despite volatile markets and low interest rates, according to JLT Employee Benefits.

Interest rate and inflation hedging levels rose during the last quarter of 2015 according to BMO Global Asset Management's Liability Driven Investment (LDI) survey.

As the EU referendum looms closer it is entirely possible the UK could end up leaving Europe. Kristian Brunt-Seymour finds a Brexit could be both good and bad for pensions.