scholarly journals Pension fund finance and sponsoring companies

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. PHILIP DAVIS ◽  
LEO DE HAAN
Keyword(s):  
Capital Market ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Portfolio Allocation ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Capital Market Imperfections ◽  
Corporate Pension

AbstractWe present empirical evidence on the funding and portfolio allocation of around 200 Dutch corporate pension funds over the period 1996-2005, with a special focus on the influence of the sponsoring firm. We find that unprofitable and small firms contribute less to their pension funds than profitable and large firms, consistent with theories of capital market imperfections. Sponsor contributions are found to be positively correlated with leverage, suggesting that tax effects play a role. Defined benefit funds invest relatively more in equity and less in bonds than their defined contribution counterparts, which is in accordance with the risk shifting theory.

Pension fund governance: expertise and organizational form

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
GORDON L. CLARK
Keyword(s):  
Pension Fund ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Internal Governance ◽  
Codes Of Practice ◽  
Anglo American ◽  
Fund Governance ◽  
Equitable Treatment

Responsible for the welfare of beneficiaries, pension funds have many tasks and functions. Consequently, their governance and regulation are issues of public concern with direct bearing on the interests of stakeholders and ultimately the performance of Anglo-American financial markets. Subject to common law expectations regarding proper trustee behaviour, also important are statutory requirements regarding the equitable treatment of beneficiaries and the management of assets and liabilities. At one level, discretion is an essential attribute of the trust institution – trustees act on behalf of others not so well placed to manage their own long-term welfare because of lack of knowledge and/or ability. At another level, pension funds are presumably regulated by a well-defined purpose – the welfare of beneficiaries. In this paper, I look at the internal governance of pension funds emphasizing codes of practice, the rules and procedures for decision making, and trustee competence and expertise. While it is important to observe codes of conduct like those advocated by the OECD, there may be significant problems with any system of governance that relies upon rules and procedures. Inertia rather than innovation may be the net result. These issues are developed with reference to defined benefit and defined contribution schemes (and their variants). Ultimately, pension fund governance reflects, more often than not, its nineteenth-century antecedents rather than the financial imperatives of the twenty-first century.

scholarly journals PENSION FUND RESTORATION POLICY IN GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1785-1814
Author(s):  
Pim B. Kastelein ◽  
Ward E. Romp
Keyword(s):  
Risk Sharing ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
New Keynesian ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Keynesian Model ◽  
Intergenerational Risk Sharing ◽  
The Business Cycle

When the financial positions of pension funds worsen, regulations prescribe that pension funds reduce the gap between their assets (invested contributions) and their liabilities (accumulated pension promises). This paper quantifies the business cycle effects and distributional implications of various types of restoration policies. We extend a canonical New-Keynesian model with a tractable demographic structure and, as a novelty, a flexible pension fund framework. Fund participants accumulate inflation-indexed or non-indexed benefits and funding adequacy is restored by revaluing previously accumulated pension wealth (Defined Contribution (DC)) or changing the pension fund contribution rate on labor income (Defined Benefit (DB)). Economies with DC pension funds respond similarly to adverse capital quality shocks as economies without pension funds. DB pension funds, however, distort labor supply decisions and exacerbate economic fluctuations. While DB pension funds achieve intergenerational risk-sharing, welfare analyses indicate that the negative effects of the induced distortions are sizeable.

A Comprehensive Review of the Evolution of Accounting Standards for State and Local Government Pensions and Other Postemployment Benefits in The United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-77
Author(s):  
Dale L. Flesher ◽  
Craig Foltin ◽  
Gary John Previts ◽  
Mary S. Stone
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Defined Contribution Plans ◽  
State And Local Government ◽  
State And Local

ABSTRACT Both the business media and the popular press have emphasized the underfunding problems associated with pension funds that are set aside for state and local government workers, a group that also includes teachers and professors at state-affiliated colleges and universities. The realization that pension funds are typically underfunded stems from the fact that the accounting standards associated with state and local government employee pension funds have led to greater transparency since 2011. This paper examines, explains, and interprets the historical development over the last 70 years of accounting standards for state and local government pension funds in the United States. Changing accounting standards, along with economic and social change, have led to consequences such as employers transforming their pension programs to avoid substantial costs and significant liabilities, for example by changing from defined benefit to defined contribution plans.

Minimum funding ratios for defined-benefit pension funds

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARJEN SIEGMANN
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Expected Utility ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Equity Premium ◽  
Pension Scheme ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Intergenerational Solidarity ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Power Utility ◽  
Time Diversification

AbstractWe compute minimum nominal funding ratios for defined-benefit (DB) plans based on the expected utility that can be achieved in a defined-contribution (DC) pension scheme. Using Monte Carlo simulation, expected utility is computed for three different specifications of utility: power utility, mean-shortfall, and mean-downside deviation. Depending on risk aversion and the level of sophistication assumed for the DC scheme, minimum acceptable funding ratios are between 0.87 and 1.20 in nominal terms. For relative risk aversion of 5 and a DC scheme with a fixed-contribution setup, the minimum nominal funding ratio is between 0.87 and 0.98. The attractiveness of the DB plan increases with the expected equity premium and the fraction invested in stocks. We conclude that the expected value of intergenerational solidarity, providing time-diversification to its participants, can be large. Minimum funding ratios in real (inflation-adjusted) terms lie between 0.56 and 0.79. Given a DB pension fund with a funding ratio of 1.30, a participant in a DC plan has to pay a 2.7 to 6.1% point higher contribution on average to achieve equal expected utility.

scholarly journals South African pension fund conversions: Dealing with environmental change

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. T. George ◽  
R. J.O. Joubert
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
South African ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Value Analysis ◽  
Stakeholder Interests ◽  
Environmental Shock ◽  
Organisational Behaviour

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse South African pension fund conversions from defined benefit to defined contribution structures and to develop a model for dealing with environmental change. Design/Methodology/Approach: Qualitative research methodology was used. Industry experts were interviewed to obtain a macro view of the phenomenon and specific manifestations of the phenomenon were also considered in case studies.Feedback from semi-structured interviews was categorised into several emergent themes. Within-case and cross-case analyses were conducted. Findings: Results indicated that an environmental shock exerted a substantial influence on the course of events. Under these: Various factors combined to drive organisational evolution (i.e. adaptation to the environment). Adaptation speed was inappropriate and exceeded that which was required for sufficient thought. Uncertainty and vacuum circumstances arose leading to consequences that require redress. The relative power of the stakeholders changed and influenced the strategic outcome. An imbalance in stakeholder interests arose and ethical factors became consequential. Business acted to restore certainty for itself.Implications: This paper provides insight into organisational behaviour during periods of environmental shock. Environmental shock can be defined as "a condition that arises where business or societal rules are inadequate, or do not exist, to deal with unfolding events". An environmental shock has greater magnitude than a competitive shock, and can include several competitive shocks.Originality/Value: Analysis of pension fund conversions revealed organisational behaviour during periods of environmental shock and the emerging model can be applied in other instances of environmental shock, such as broad-based black economic empowerment (B-B BEE), land redistribution, sanctions and constitutional development.

scholarly journals Use of Advisors and Retirement Plan Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-356
Author(s):  
Rui Yao ◽  
Weipeng Wu ◽  
Cody Mendenhall
Keyword(s):  
Portfolio Allocation ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Retirement Savings ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Retirement Plans ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Retirement Plan ◽  
Research Gap

As defined contribution (DC) plans become more popular than defined benefit (DB) plans, American workers are increasingly responsible for their retirement savings. Because retirement plan participants' portfolio allocation is constrained by the available funds in the plan, the construction of a plan's investment menu has become extremely important. No research has evaluated fund selection in retirement plans or compared plans involving an advisor with self-directed plans. To fill this research gap, this study employs cross-sectional, nationwide data that include 5,570 retirement plans with 100 or more participants in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Results show that in most cases, using advisors is not related to plan performance. Plan sponsors should require advisors to periodically evaluate the performance of plans under their management using objective measures.

scholarly journals The problematic nature of UK pension fund regulation: Performing governance at the expense of innovation

2020 ◽  
pp. 102452942097460
Author(s):  
Gordon L. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Dead End ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Board Decision Making ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Pension Adequacy

At the heart of UK pension fund regulation are quasi-compulsory codes of practices and tests of pension fund trustees’ competence. This regime of ‘soft’ regulation focuses upon the ‘performance’ of governance and is intrusive in terms of expected behaviour and board decision-making. Framed by defined benefit pension obligations in the private sector, it lacks rigorous standards of value when applied to defined contribution pensions. As such, pension ‘adequacy’ is discounted by the premium placed on performing governance in the market for financial services. The UK pension regime has hit a dead-end being neither fit-for-purpose in a world of technological disruption and financial turmoil nor capable of empowering those funds willing and able to innovate in the best interests of participants.

scholarly journals Determinants of Pension Fund Investment in Nigeria: The Critical Factors

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeoti, Johnson Olabode ◽  
Gunu, Umar ◽  
Tsado, Emmanuel
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Retirement Benefits ◽  
Fund Investment

Pension fund is a pool of resources contributed by the employees with the aim of having enough resources to carter for their needs after retirement. Therefore, pension fund needs to be invested so as to meet the aim of the contributors. This study was carried out to evaluate the factors that determine investment of Pension Funds. The study used primary data, which were generated by the use of questionnaire. Respondents were selected from a sample of five PFAs in Nigeria using simple random sampling technique. A total of 125 questionnaires were administered on 18 items using likert scales. Data collected were analyzed using factor analysis by principal component. Economic, Risk and Security of real estate factors were identified as the major determinants of pension fund investment. The study concludes that variables such as interest rate, internal control system etc, are not critical in determining investment of pension funds in Nigeria. The study also recommends that pension fund managers should develop good systems of mitigating on the enormous risks they face in their duty as investment managers. Key words: Pension fund, Determinants, Defined contribution, Retirement benefits, Pension fund administrator

Entity-wide risk management for pension funds

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. D. Kemp ◽  
C. C. Patel
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Defined Benefit ◽  
Defined Contribution ◽  
Pension Fund Management ◽  
Enterprise Risk ◽  
New Business ◽  
Business Enterprises ◽  
Managing Risk

AbstractThis paper explores the application of ERM-style techniques to pension funds. It uses the term ‘entity-wide risk management’ rather than ‘enterprise risk management’, even though both have the same acronym (‘ERM’), because many pension funds do not view themselves as business ‘enterprises’ as such. Some of the techniques that business enterprises have for managing risk (e.g. raising new capital from shareholders or branching into new business areas if existing ones have unattractive risk-reward characteristics) may not be open to many pension funds. The paper argues that the holistic approach to risk management (and governance) that is a hallmark of ERM is as appropriate to pension funds as it is to any other type of entity. This is the case whether the fund is defined benefit or defined contribution in nature, or a hybrid. It is also the case whether the ‘entity’ is deemed to be the fund itself, the sponsor or the two combined. Indeed, there are aspects of pension arrangements, such as the relationship between the fund and its sponsor, that lend added impetus to the use of ERM-style techniques in practical pension fund management.

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