Always a Pensions Angle

The popularity of liability-driven investment strategies among defined benefit pension funds has increased over the years. In 2017, the total notional value of liabilities hedged by LDI strategies continued to grow, rising to £965bn from £904bn, according to XPS Pensions research. In this episode, Nick Harvey, principal at XPS Pensions, discusses how scheme exposure to LDI has chang...

Last month, Pensions Expert reported that trustees of the Lloyds Bank Pension Scheme No.1 had overhauled the default offering for their DC members. In this episode, Lydia Fearn, head of DC and financial well-being at consultancy Redington, and Maria Nazarova-Doyle, senior investment consultant and head of DC investment consulting at JLT Employee Benefits, discuss the most important factors for tru...

Over the past few years, headlines highlighting several high-profile defined benefit pension cases have hammered home the importance of having a strong covenant. Mark Evans, director at Independent Trustee Services, and Adolfo Aponte, director at covenant specialists Lincoln Pensions, explain how trustees can keep tabs on their employer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...

An advisory group to the government review of the Financial Reporting Council  is considering the role of actuaries  and the extent to which actuaries should be subject to formal regulation in response to the pensions-related nature of recent corporate failures. Bob Scott, senior partner at actuarial consultancy LCP and immediate past chair of the Association of Consulting Actuaries...

Eighty per cent of people are not sure whether they are saving the right amount for retirement, according to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association. What can be done to help savers achieve a better income in retirement? In this episode, James Walsh, the PLSA’s policy lead on engagement, EU and regulation, discusses auto-enrolment minimum contribution increases, the self-employed, and confus...

Since the introduction of freedom and choice in 2015, more and more savers have showed an interest in defined benefit transfers. In this episode, Ben Roe, senior partner and head of member options at Aon, and Gary Evans,   board director at the Pensions and Administration Standards Association and chair of Pasa's Transfers Working Group, discuss the responsibilities of trustees and emplo...

The Pension Protection Fund's latest annual report shows it has weathered a record influx of defined benefit liabilities without much trouble. Chief financial officer Andy McKinnon discusses future challenges for the lifeboat amid a changing pensions landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, the Financial Conduct Authority released its long-awaited Retirement Outcomes Review. Daniela Silcock, head of policy research at the Pensions Policy Institute, and Nathan Long, senior pension analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, discuss the FCA's consultation, including its decision not to impose a charge cap for drawdown products. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Last month, chief executive of the Pensions Regulator Lesley Titcomb said she would be leaving the watchdog at the end of her contract in February 2019. The announcement came only a few months after the release of the government's defined benefit white paper, which outlined a vision for a stronger regulator with new powers. Sir Steve Webb, director of policy at pension and investment provider...

From the government's review of auto-enrolment, to the publication of its defined benefit white paper, the past 12 months have been a busy time regarding retirement saving. While a significant amount of progress has been made, plenty more is needed. In this podcast, Guy Opperman, minister for pensions and financial inclusion, discusses auto-enrolment, pensions for the self-employed and superfunds....

Under the Pensions Act 2004, at least one-third of a pension scheme’s trustees should be member-nominated. David Brooks, technical director at consultancy Broadstone, and Stephen Fallowell, former MNT at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group Pension Fund and committee member of the Association of Member Nominated Trustees, debate the merits of electing trustees versus selection by panel. Hosted on Acas...

As Local Government Pension Scheme pooling progresses, the £29bn Brunel Pension Partnership – which includes 10 LGPS funds, including the Environment Agency Pension Fund – has been one of the strongest advocates of responsible investing. In this podcast, Brunel’s chief executive officer, Dawn Turner, discusses how far institutional investors have come with sustainable investment, what progress nee...

In April, the Competition and Markets Authority published its working paper on trustee engagement with investment consultancy and fiduciary management. Caroline Escott, policy lead for investment and defined benefits at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, and Hugh Nolan, director at consultancy Spence & Partners, discuss the challenges faced by trustees engaging with these...

The UK's first superfund was announced in March, a day after the government encouraged the creation of commercial consolidators in its long-awaited white paper on the defined benefit sector. Alan Rubenstein, chief executive of the Pension SuperFund, explains how the vehicle will work, and when it might absorb its first DB scheme.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 26 2018: As the government edges closer towards allowing the introduction of collective defined contribution schemes, Kevin Wesbroom, senior partner at consultancy Aon, and Will Aitken, director at consultancy Deloitte, go head to head over CDC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 23 2018: While the government’s recently published white paper on protecting defined benefit pensions included a range of proposals, some issues are still subject to consultation. Gabrielle Holgate, partner at law firm Stevens & Bolton, and Martin Hunter, principal at consultancy Xafinity Punter Southall, talk about the impact of the proposals on schemes and employers.  Hosted on Ac...

March 14, 2018: There were no new pension announcements in this year's Spring Statement. Instead, Chancellor Philip Hammond focused on debt and growth forecasts, emphasising that there was “light at the end of the tunnel”. Lynda Whitney, partner at Aon, and Hugh Nolan, president of the Society of Pension Professionals and director of consultancy Spence & Partners, discuss the stateme...

November 24 2017: What will the Autumn Budget mean for the pensions industry? Ruth Bamforth, director at law firm Walker Morris, and David Brooks, pensions technical director at consultancy Broadstone Corporate Benefits discuss a pensions-light Budget and the chancellor's proposals for facilitating pension fund investment in patient capital. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...

October 31 2017: Cyber security has risen up the agenda for pension funds in recent years. In the wake of ransomware attacks affecting computer systems across the world, and with new data protection requirements on the horizon, Margaret Snowdon, chairman of the Pensions Administration Standards Association, and Dan Taylor, client director at third-party administrator Trafalgar House...

September 4 2017: How can trustees and employers provide support on members' financial decisions without being subject to regulation? Kate Smith, head of pensions at provider Aegon, and Mike Crowe, trustee representative at Dalriada Trustees, discuss the Financial Conduct Authority's employer and trustee factsheet and what can be done to improve members' financial wellbeing.  Hosted on A...

May 25 2017: From a double lock to a flexible state pension age, Malcolm McLean, senior consultant at Barnett Waddingham, and Edward Brown, partner at law firm Hogan Lovells, discuss the pension policies the political parties have proposed in their manifestos before the general election on June 8. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.