Featured News and Research

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - December 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of December 2011.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - November 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of November 2011.Continue reading...

• Budget 2012 - Towers Watson Ireland Budget Briefing

  In a welcome move, the Minister for Finance avoided the big ticket pension items that had been expected to be on his budgetary radar this year. While pensions did not escape entirely unscathed, the anticipated reduction in the Standard Fund Threshold did not materialise, nor did the reductions in reliefs on employee contributions that had formed part of the EU/IMF agreement and the programme for Government.Continue reading...

• Retirement savings could collapse should the Government further reduce pension savings relief

  Last year’s Budget saw employee PRSI relief on pension contributions abolished, employer PRSI relief halved and the Universal Social Charge being applied to pension contributions. These measures in themselves have introduced greater uncertainty in terms of long term savings and resulted in a reduction in employee contributions and lower engagement in planning for RetirementContinue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - October 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of October 2011.Continue reading...

• Fundamental changes introduced for Defined Benefit pension schemes

  Minister Burton has now announced the long-awaited changes to the Funding Standard and signalled that, by the end of this year, a revised funding regime will be introduced for Defined Benefit pension schemes. Until much of the finer detail is available it will be difficult for Sponsoring Employers and Trustees to fully assess the impact of the proposed changes. The removal of some of the uncertainty is welcome as it has been difficult for all parties involved to address their pension funding issues given the uncertainty over future cash funding requirements.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - September 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of September 2011.Continue reading...

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  Corporate pensions – issues for 2012

  Key issues for businesses with Irish pension arrangements as we approach 2012 centre around funding, pensions accounting, benefit design and risk management.Continue reading...

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  Engagement in Action - IBEC Engagement paper

  At the recent IBEC HR leadership summit 2011, Towers Watson launched our joint research on engagement trends in Ireland, ‘Engagement in Action’. The research demonstrates that employee engagement – in particular sustainable engagement - has an important role to play in Ireland’s economic recovery.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - August 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of August 2011.Continue reading...

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  Pensions accounting developments: IAS19

  Our latest corporate briefing looks at the effect of the IASB’s changes to IAS19.Continue reading...

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  Investment Quarterly - Summer 2011

  The summer 2011 edition of Investment Quarterly looks at how emerging markets continue to drive world growth and how we are still observing a gradual recovery from the financial crisis.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - July 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of July 2011.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - June 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of June 2011.Continue reading...

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  Global Alternatives Survey 2011

  The Global Alternatives Survey aims to track the movements of alternative assets managed on behalf of pension funds by the world’s largest alternative investment managers and to produce authoritative rankings. Continue reading...

• International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) - latest news

  In a further step in the evolution of the accounting for retirement benefits, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued an amendment to IAS 19, Employee Benefits.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - May 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of May 2011.Continue reading...

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  Investment Quarterly - Spring 2011

  The spring 2011 edition of Investment Quarterly looks at how emerging markets continue to underpin world growth as well as an update on global market data for the fourth quarter of 2010.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - April 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of April 2011.Continue reading...

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  Performance Statistics Monthly

  Ireland - March 2011
  Performance Statistics Monthly is a regular publication from Towers Watson, giving monthly updated statistics on Irish funds suitable for pension investors. This update will cover the performance of all Irish managed and consensus funds, as well as the standard global equity, Eurozone equity and fixed interest funds offered by Irish fund managers. All figures are to the end of March 2011.Continue reading...