PensionsOct 16 2014

Napf launches ‘made simple’ investment guides

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The National Association of Pension Funds has launched three new ‘made simple’ guides, designed to explain some of the most technical areas of investment and pensions management in accessible, jargon-free language.

The guides cover exchange traded funds, sponsored by iShares, smart beta, sponsored by HSBC Global Asset Management, and private equity, sponsored by the Venture Capital Association.

Joanne Segars, chief executive at the Napf, branded the guides as an “essential resource” for trustees, pension manages and anyone involved in pensions who need to understand the most technical areas.

She said: “Each guide provides information on a specific area in straightforward terms − no jargon, no business speak and no technical talk.”

Mark Johnson, head of pension sales for EMEA at iShares, said: “ETFs are fast becoming a key exposure tool for pension funds. We hope the ‘made simple’ guides will bring their benefits of transparency, low cost and liquidity to more trustees and their advisers.”

Stuart White, head of institutional for the UK at HSBC Global Asset Management, said: “We recognise that smart beta is gaining traction in the UK pension industry as an alternative investment approach to traditional cap-weighted indexation.

“There are, however, many interpretations of what smart beta actually means and why it makes sense, he added, stating that the guide should “go some way to providing more clarity and understanding.”

Tim Hames, director general of the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, stated: “Owing to its long-term, sustainable, high performance compared with public markets, pension fund managers, already significant backers of private equity, are increasingly viewing the asset class as both a profitable and responsible investment vehicle in which to allocate capital and to diversify their portfolio.”

ruth.gillbe@ft.com