News

Pensions Council

The Society of Actuaries in Ireland welcomes the Tánaiste’s announcement of the membership of the Pensions Council. 

The Council’s function is to advise the Minister for Social Protection on matters of pensions policy.  Including Brendan Kennedy, Chief Executive of the Pensions Authority, the twelve-person Council includes five of the Society’s Fellow members – the others being Roma Burke, Tony Gilhawley, Sandra Rockett and Dr Shane Whelan – each of whom has a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience to offer. 

The Society has today issued a press release welcoming the Government’s decision to establish an expert group to formulate plans for a universal retirement savings scheme for private-sector workers. 

The Society has responded to the Discussion Paper on Risk Appetite issued by the Central Bank of Ireland recently. 

At the request of the European Commission, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has issued a Report on the prudential regulations and consumer protection measures needed to create a single market for personal pensions.

EIOPA’s analysis has revealed that taxation, social law and difficulties in the area of harmonisation of contract law appear to be the most significant hurdles.

EIOPA has identified two main options for creating the single market for personal pensions.

EIOPA Press Release:

The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton T.D., has announced a number of regulatory changes to assist defined benefit schemes as they prepare their funding proposals before the Funding Standard deadline of 30th June 2013.  The regulations will reduce the level of risk reserve that the schemes are required to

The April 2013 issue of the IAA Newsletter is now available here https://web.actuaries.ie/press/iaa.

It features the following sections;

The April Issue of The European Actuary is now available here.

It features the following articles;
 
•    EIOPA calls for transparency to protect consumers.
•    The thorny issue of annuities
•    Mortgages: interesting asset class for pension funds?
•    Social Responsibility
•    Unintended Future Risk
•    What can actuaries add to the debate on environmental issues?

In its report on "Design and Delivery of Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Schemes - Policy Challenges and Recommendations", the OECD summarises the challenges policymakers face and recommends key improvements that can help to ensure DC delivers the incomes that individuals need.

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and the World Bank have signed an operational Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on developing the insurance sector.

This Memorandum will enable both organizations to collaborate on promoting a risk_based regulatory and supervisory framework in insurance, as well as the identification of systemic risk and the promotion of consumer protection.

More information is available here

The Groupe Consultatif has published a position paper on the draft Pensions Portability Directive which is presently under preparation in the EU. 

The objective of the paper is to set out for EU institutions and stakeholders the views of the actuarial profession on this subject.

Read the position paper

Issue four of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Longevity Bulletin explores the data that evidences that we are all living longer but questions how healthy we are during those extra years.

From Philip Scott, President of the Institute and Faculty:

"In the past longer life was generally driven by better health. However data collected over the last twenty years highlights that life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are not one and the same.