Posted By Gbaf News
Posted on March 20, 2018
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has launched two new Made Simple guides on Impact Investing (written and sponsored by Hermes Investment Management) and Global Securities Fraud Litigation (written and sponsored by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP).
The topical new guides were launched at the PLSA Investment Conference in Edinburgh last week and complement the PLSA’s existing library of essential resources. The free guides are designed to help pension funds and others in the pensions industry understand the basics of a variety of topics associated with running a pension scheme.
Impact investing refers to a method of investing which aims to achieve positive social and environmental impacts resulting from investments alongside financial returns1.
Securities fraud litigation is the legal process that pension funds can pursue should they be the victims of securities fraud.
Commenting on the new Made Simple guides, Julian Mund, Chief Executive of the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, said:
“Pension fund trustees are likely to hear about impact investing and securities fraud litigation from their advisers but it’s not always clear what these terms mean. The purpose of the PLSA’s Made Simple guides is to explain these important and interesting subjects in plain English so that pension funds, and anyone interested in running a pension scheme, can understand the fundamentals.
“I’d like to thank Hermes Investment Management and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP for their indispensable contribution to the PLSA’s Made Simple series of guides.”
Andrew Parry, Head of Sustainable Investing at Hermes Investment Management, who wrote the Impact Investing Made Simple guide, commented:
“Impact investing is now the fastest-growing area of responsible investment. The World Economic Forum estimates that $1 trillion of assets will be committed to impact investing by 2020, which means the sector is forecasted to grow by $250 billion annually.
“So there is clearly an opportunity to make a positive impact on people and the planet through investment, while also generating healthy returns for pension savers. This Made Simple guide introduces this growing area, the relevant UK regulations and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) driving this growth, and outlines how trustees could consider incorporating impact investments into their strategy.”
Mark Solomon, Partner at the US law firm Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd, who wrote the Global Securities Fraud Litigation Made Simple guide, explained:
“The cost of financial misconduct can be significant to pension funds and ultimately their beneficiaries. Therefore it is important that schemes understand what securities fraud litigation is and how claims can be pursued, so that should they find themselves the victims of securities fraud they are in a position to make informed decisions on behalf of their members.
“The world’s most advanced legal systems and deepest capital markets increasingly provide avenues for compensation for defrauded investors via securities fraud litigation which often is led by proactive pension funds and sometimes, although rarely, by their managers. This Made Simple guide is designed to help pension funds get to grips with some of the essentials of this increasingly hot topic.”
PDF versions of these ‘Made Simple’ guides are available to download FREE from the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association website. Printed copies will also be available and can be ordered online at www.plsa.co.uk (£18 for members and £35 for non-members).
