News

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published today a potential macroprudential approach to the low interest rate environment in the Solvency II context.
The aim of this publication is to contribute to the discussion on the possible need to develop a macroprudential framework in the insurance sector to promote financial stability in a Solvency II environment.
 
The following three objectives to be targeted by supervisory authorities in the current low interest rate environment are addressed:

The Society of Actuaries in Ireland has published a research report on the Financial Sustainability of the State Pension in Ireland.  The report, produced by Milliman, was commissioned by the Society and PublicPolicy.ie, with a view to informing debate and public policy decisions.

Key findings:

The OECD has published Pensions at a Glance 2015. The paper highlights the pension reforms undertaken by OECD and G20 countries over the last two years. It provides an in depth review of the first layer of protection of the elderly, first-tier pension schemes across countries and assesses the impact of short or interrupted careers, due to late entry into employment, childcare or unemployment, on pension entitlements. The paper also analyses the sensitivity of long-term pension replacement rates to parametric changes.

On the 6th of October, the Pensions Authority published a synopsis of the main points made in submissions it received in response to its consultation paper on draft codes of governance for defined contribution schemes.

The Central Bank of Ireland has published a feedback statement on Consultation Paper 92 Domestic Actuarial Regime and related Governance Requirements under Solvency II.

The consultation period closed on 29 May 2015.

In 2013, the Pensions Authority commenced the DC consultation process that set out the Authority’s views on the future of DC provision and sought responses to specific questions including minimum standards for trustee knowledge, understanding and behaviour.

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published a Good Practices Report on transferability of supplementary pension rights. With this Report, EIOPA identifies the main impediments to cross-border and national transfers as well as a number of good practices to overcome these. This would create more transparency in the interest of consumers and facilitate the internal market for supplementary pension rights.

EIOPA outlines three key areas which – if addressed – could significantly facilitate the transferability of supplementary pension rights:

The Demography Committee has prepared a report and recommendations following a review of the mortality assumptions used in converting a retirement fund into an annuity as prescribed in the following Actuarial Standards of Practice:

The DC consultation process conducted by the Pensions Authority in late 2013 set out the Authority’s views on the future of DC provision and sought responses to specific questions raised. In relation to pension scheme governance the Authority indicated that it would publish a code of governance that would provide trustees with a central reference point for the key areas of a DC scheme.

The International Actuarial Association (IAA) is pleased to announce the publication of the paper “Deriving Value from ORSA - Board Perspective” developed by the Joint ORSA Subcommittee of the IAA’s Insurance Regulation and Enterprise and Financial Risk Committees.

On 22nd May 2015, the Pensions Authority published financial management guidelines for defined benefit schemes.
The guidelines set out what the Authority sees as good practice for trustees to follow in order to understand and manage the funding and investment of their defined benefit scheme
The provisions are divided into four parts:

1. Data about the scheme that the trustees should have available to them
2. Governance practices relevant to financial management
3. Processes that the trustees should follow
4. Analysis that the trustees should undertake