Solvency II

Almost seven out of 10 contributors think the European Commission should rule out adding any solvency requirements to its overhauled pensions directive.

Pensions Buzz is a weekly survey of the industry.

Buzz respondents were not in any way convinced that solvency requirements from Europe are dead and buried; just under 60% thought the requirements will be back in one form or another.

Jack Jones looks at the jubilant reaction from the UK to the news that the European Commission is shelving plans to impose stringent solvency requirements on schemes

Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Treasury Committee, and Andrew Bailey, executive director of the new Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), have rounded on the European Union (EU) over its "shocking" implementation of Solvency II.

Last year's dip in the buy-in and buyout market was due to trustees focusing on triennial valuations and schemes being unprepared to transact, say insurers.

Jack Jones looks at the response the European Commission’s green paper on financing growth

Over a third of European defined benefit schemes feel they do not have access to portfolio data which helps them fulfil regulatory requirements, research from State Street reveals.

Taha Lokhandwala considers the gilts outlook.

Solvency II-style capital requirements for schemes could cost employers £350bn, cut 180,000 jobs from the economy and reduce the value of pensions warns the Confederation of British Industry.