Pension funds to maintainpreference for bonds

Many in the pensions industry fear that proposals set out in the Government's pensions Green Paper may encourage pension funds to favour equities over gilts but actuarial consultants do not think this is likely to happen

In its proposals for the reform of UK occupational pensions issued on 11 June, the Department for Work and Pensions aims to simplify occupational pensions in the UK and protect the benefits of both existing pensioners and those who are still accruing benefits. However, changes to pensions legislation can often have a significant impact on investment returns over the medium term if pension funds respond by changing their investment policies. Various claims were made relating to the impact of the proposals on investments following the Government's announcement. Perhaps the main one was th...