1. BUDGET 2017
Budget 2017 was announced on 11 October 2016 and the implementing Finance Bill was published on 18 October 2016. Together, they contained two pensions-related initiatives.
Benefits for Pensioners Increase
There will be a 5 per week increase in the State pension with effect from 1 March 2017. The timing of the increase will mean that schemes which operate State pension offsets based on the State pension amount in January of a given year will not see a change to the deduction until January 2018.
1. POLICY UPDATE
1.1 Access to ARF option for holders of Buy-Out Bonds originating in DB Schemes
A change to the Revenue Commissioner's administrative procedures, effective from 22 June 2016, means that former defined benefit scheme members whose benefits were transferred to a buy-out bond may now access an Approved Retirement Fund ("ARF") rather than being restricted to the purchase of an annuity.
Because no recent opinions have been published by the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, I wanted to touch on a subject that is vital in nearly every preference or fraudulent transfer case: The Statute of Limitations For A Preference Claim
A. Statute of Limitations
– But they weren’t as oppressive as my subject line may imply.
In a 13 page decision, released April 22, 2016, Judge Gross of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court granted a motion to dismiss an adversary proceeding and sanctioned the Plaintiff – disallowing any further litigation against the defendants in the Bankruptcy Court. Judge Gross’ opinion is available here (the “Opinion”).
Introduction
In the recent High Court decision in Bilta (UK) Ltd (In liquidation) and others v Nazir and others [2012] EWHC (Ch), the court considered the application of the legal doctrine of ‘ex turpi causa non oritur actio’ in the context of fraud.
Summary
Summary
In a 17 page decision entered March 9, 2012, Judge Carey of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court granted a motion for relief from the Bankruptcy Code’s automatic stay to allow an undersecured creditor to exercise its remedies against a debtor’s collateral. A copy of Judge Carey's opinion is available here (the "Opinion"). The Opinion was issued in a case nearly identical to that discussed in this post:
Summary
Summary
In a 32 page decision signed January 3, 2012, Judge Walrath of the Delaware Bankruptcy Court ruled that holders of litigation tracking warrants that would be paid out in stock of the debtor were equity instruments, and would be paid out at the same priority as common equity under the bankruptcy plan. Judge Walrath’s opinion is available here (the “Opinion”).
Background