Monday quiz

Kickstart the week with a quick test of your investment knowledge--this week's focus is on pensions

Holly Cook | 29-06-09 | E-mail Article

1. Most UK pension funds are mainly invested in:
a) Gilts

b) Equity

c) Derivatives

d) UK Corporate Bonds

2. The manager of a pension fund, in considering possible investments in the UK equity sector, will need to be most concerned about:
a) Capital Gains Tax

b) Income Tax

c) The transaction costs of buying and selling shares

d) Corporation tax

3. Which of the following is likely to cause a pension fund manager to increase the proportion of equities in their portfolio?
I. An increase in the trustees' tolerance of risk
II. An increase in the average age of contributors to the fund
III. An increase in expected inflation
a). I and III

b) II and III

c) III only

d) All of them

Answers
1. b) Equities. European pension funds, on the other hand, are mainly invested in fixed income securities.

2. c) The transaction costs of buying and selling shares as pension funds do not pay income, capital gains or corporation tax.

3. a) An increased tolerance for risk permits a greater allocation to equity and its higher long-run expected return. Inflation erodes the nominal value of bonds whereas shares are more likely to see their prices rise with inflation.Option II is incorrect because an increase in the average age of contributors would cause a shift into bonds rather than equities.

Holly Cook is Site Editor of Morningstar.co.uk and Hemscott.com. She would like to hear from you but cannot give financial advice. You can contact the author via this feedback form.
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