Featured News and Research

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  UK Statistics - February 2012

  Statistics contains the recent history of past statistics as well as the new monthly figures.Continue reading...

• Enhanced annuity sales double 2008 levels to reach £3 billion in 2011

  UK enhanced annuity sales rose to £3.02 billion in 2011, an increase of 22 per cent over 2010, according to research by Towers Watson. Second half sales in 2011 were £1.59 billion.Continue reading...

• European Commission must take pensions impact assessment seriously

  Advice given to the European Commission by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) today marks another milestone for the development of Europe-wide solvency standards for pension schemes, according to Towers Watson.Continue reading...

• The future of UK and Ireland GAAP for insurers

  On 30 January 2012, the UK and Republic of Ireland’s Accounting Standards Board (ASB) published three Financial Reporting Exposure Drafts (FREDs) 46 to 48, setting out proposals for the future of UK GAAP in the UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI).
  Continue reading...

• Fund managers cautious about 2012

  Fund managers have turned significantly more cautious about the prospects for world growth and investment returns, according to a global survey of investment managers conducted by global professional services firm Towers Watson (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW). The findings are in contrast to last year’s survey when managers expected the recovery to remain on track and were bullish on public equities and emerging markets.Continue reading...

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  The future of workplace savings survey

  There has been much talk about the introduction of wealth management platforms or corporate wraps into the UK benefits marketplace. We have seen a flurry of launches of new products by providers and some advisors during the last two years.Continue reading...

• Towers Watson strengthens HR Technology team with four key appointments in EMEA

  Towers Watson has announced four significant appointments in its growing HR Technology business in EMEA, reflecting increased demand for the firm’s services across the region. Following the recent release of version 7.0 of the company’s Talent|REWARD software, Towers Watson is building a larger team to handle demand, drive further growth and deliver the increased number of implementation projects in EMEA.Continue reading...

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  Insights: Financial Modelling

  In this issue, we consider industrialisation of actuarial processes and look at whether it is time to change the way we work. We continue with an in-depth tutorial on using MoSes Excel reporting efficiently, and end with a round-up of news from the world of financial modelling.Continue reading...

• Executive Compensation Market Watch - January / February 2012

  In this Issue: Further insights on the UK Government’s initiatives, RREV voting advisory reports, Establishment of High Pay Centre, Government consultation on new below board disclosure rules for banks, FSA discussion paper on implementation of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive, Directors’ remuneration reports - voting recommendations, Disguised remuneration NICs: FAQs published, Towers Watson’s seminars: Getting Executive Pay Right, Director of Talent & Organisation in the UKContinue reading...

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  UK Statistics - January 2012

  Statistics contains the recent history of past statistics as well as the new monthly figures.Continue reading...

• Global Pension Fund Assets Hit Record High in 2011

  Global institutional pension fund assets in the 13 major markets grew by 4% during 2011 to reach a new high of US$28 trillion, up from US$26 trillion in 2010 according to Towers Watson’s Global Pension Assets Study released today. The growth is the continuation of a trend which started in 2009 when assets grew 17%, and in sharp contrast to a 21% fall during 2008 which took assets back to 2006 levels. Global pension fund assets have now grown at over 6% on average per annum (in USD) since 2001, when they were valued at US$15 trillion.Continue reading...

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  Finding your balance – top tips for successful HR delivery in multiple countries across Europe

  The complex European landscape can deter organisations from considering a multi-county HR service delivery model. Successful implementation of such a model can be challenging, however it is achievable if carefully planned, with key issues acknowledged and addressed at the outset.Continue reading...

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  Global Pensions Asset Study - 2012

  This is a study of the 13 largest pension markets in the world and accounts for more than 85% of global pension assets. The countries included are Australia, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the US.Continue reading...

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  Pensions Digest - January 2012

  Pensions Digest, Towers Watson’s monthly publication brings together recent developments for pensions professionals.Continue reading...

• Minimum pension contributions – just one more delay

  Today’s announcement on further delays to the Government’s workplace pension reforms means that minimum contributions will now be fully phased in almost 16 years after the Pensions Commission was asked to investigate under-saving for retirement, according to Towers Watson.Continue reading...

• Towers Watson hires Director of Talent & Organisation in the UK

  Towers Watson has appointed Arvinder Dhesi to lead its Talent & Organisation practice in the UK. Dhesi’s role is to manage and grow the company’s successful talent management consultancy practice by extending and strengthening the company’s relationships with a broad range of clients. Dhesi has over 20 years of industry experience in human resources and customer facing roles.Continue reading...

• Executive Compensation Market Watch - January 2012

  In this Issue: Government Consultations.Continue reading...

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  Thematic investing

  Why is this approach a good idea? Our paper highlights potential investment themes that we believe will be important in shaping future asset allocation and risk management strategies.Continue reading...

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  Expected property returns when government bond yields are rising

  Conventional wisdom says that property suffers when gilt yields rise. In this paper, we show that no obvious historical pattern exists between property returns and yield increases and summarise some previous research on this matter.Continue reading...

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  Is this the end of OTC derivatives for pension schemes?

  Over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives, such as interest rate and inflation swaps, have become standard tools for defined benefit pension schemes. However, the financial crisis and subsequent changes in regulation means it is likely that the way pension schemes will use such instruments will change.Continue reading...