V-FM: The Pensions Podcast

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to the CEO of the Irish Association of Pension Funds, Jerry Moriarty. As well as finding out what value for money means to Jerry, we learn about the Irish pension system and the proposed introduction of auto enrolment. We talk about lessons from the UK experience of introducing auto enrolment and pick up on the question of the FCA's valu...

In this episode of V-FM the pensions podcast, Darren and Nico chat to the legend that is David Porter. David is now an independent investment consultant who helps schemes and providers implement new approaches. As well as talking about what value for money means to David, we also chat Royal Mail CDC, CDC more generally and Willis Towers Watson arguing that DC is 'broken', deaths outnumbering birth...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat with Morten Nilsson, CEO of Brightwell, about what value for money means to him. As we move to cover more than just defined contribution pensions we spend time talking about the challenges and rising costs of running defined benefit schemes, the impact and cost of advisers, and conflicts of interest within the pensions industry. We chat...

In this episode of V-FM, the Pensions Podcast, hosts Darren and Nico are joined by Jonathan Hawkins, Propositions Lead at Bravura, to dive deep into what Value for Money (VFM) means in the pensions world. As we navigate Pensions Dashboard Week, Jonathan shares insights on the challenges and opportunities that the industry faces as it prepares for one of the biggest transformations in recent times....

In this episode of V-FM Pensions hosts Darren and Nico chat to their former boss and Chief Executive of the People's Partnership Patrick Heath-Lay. Patrick has been at People's (formerly B&CE) for his whole career and has a remarkable story of joining the organisation to deliver the mail and then working his way up to become CEO of one of the largest pension schemes in the country. We, of cour...

In this episode of V-FM pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat about the Financial Conduct Authority's value for money consultation CP24-16. What do we like, what don't we like, what do we think will work, and where is there room for improvement? Listen to find out all this and more.

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to DC consultant extraordinaire LCP's Steve Budge. Steve has an amazing career in pensions consultancy and we tap into his significant insights and knowledge of DC pensions as we navigate some of the big issues at the front of the industry's minds. The podcast was recorded on the launch day of the latest Pension Attention campaign so we...

In this episode of V-FM pensions hosts Darren and Nico chat to the World Gold Council's Claire Lincoln. As well as having lots of experience in pensions and investments, Claire is an expert on wine... so, of course, alongside the usual V-FM chat we find out what vino for money means to her! A very wide ranging discussion this week where we cover the state of the economy and public finances, pensio...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Nico and Darren, talk to TOR's David Harris about planes, pensions, policy, and, of course, value for money. David has some amazing international pensions experience and his consultancy (celebrating its 20th year) is well know for creating international connections. He is also known for clocking up the air miles and spends more time in the air than on terra...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Nico and Darren chat to the PPI's current deputy director Sarah Luheshi. Sarah is retiring at the end of August after an amazing career in the financial services industry, culminating with a fantastic 9 years at the Pensions Policy Institute. In a jam-packed podcast, as well as chatting about the weekly staple of value for money, we talk about Labour's pensi...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to IFM's Executive Director of Public Affairs and former Shadow Pensions Minister Gregg McClymont. Gregg returns to the podcast after being one of our first guests (episode #5) so we take the opportunity to find out what Gregg's been up to and look to get underneath the skin of what's driving change in the pensions industry. We talk abou...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to BNY's Head of Retirement, Richard Parkin. Richard is an industry stalwart with over 30 years experience in the industry and describes himself as a "card-carrying pensions and retirement geek." Perhaps he should also add to that that he is the 'Daddy Cool' of pensions... In another wide ranging episode we chat Mansion House reforms, th...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, Darren and Nico are again joined by the self-styled Jasper boys, John Mitchem and Jorik van Zanden for a whistle stop tour and discussion of world pensions. This episode is very much a Jasper takeover with the co-hosts (Ed: would you believe??) struggling to get a word in edgeways while John and Jorik talk about the common retirement challenges faced by nations ar...

In this special episode of V-FM Pensions, co-hosts Darren and Nico chat about the Pensions Bill and the first phase of the new Government's pensions review. We discuss the Bill, including small pots consolidation, value for money and at retirement. We also chat about what might be in store from phase one of Labour's much trailed review of pensions, focusing on productive finance and what it might...

In this episode of V-FM pensions Nico and Darren chat to CEO and co-founder of Wayhome, Nigel Purves. Wayhome have got some big ideas looking at how to join up thinking around pensions and housing so it was great to have Nigel on to chat through the societal issues we face and how we can think differently to deliver better outcomes for people. In an episode recorded on Wednesday morning, we talk a...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to independent consultant and TPR non-exec director Alison Hatcher. In an episode that was recorded on the morning after England's win against the Netherlands we chat about the Euros, including a tweet from King Charles 'commanding' the nation to win against Spain on Sunday.  We talk about Taylor Swift causing the Bank of England an inte...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Nico and Darren chat to Jorik van Zanden and John Mitchem. During lockdown, Jorik and John founded the 'Jasper forum' - a community of like-minded international pensions and investment folk who regularly come together to discuss common issues and learnings. A great initiative! This is the first episode in a two part series. In this episode we do the traditio...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to Smart Pension's Director of Strategic Delivery Eve Read. Eve has seen it all when it coms to pensions having done every role going at Mercer, before joining NEST and now Smart Pension. A fantastic chat where we cover the Euros, fine wine, singing, renting in retirement, pension consolidation, transfers, conflicts of interest, politics...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions co-hosts Darren and Nico chat to Standard Life's Mike Ambery. Mike is a pensions industry stalwart who has recently joined Standard Life after a long and illustrious career at Hymans Robertson. Mike is an Arsenal fan (he promised Darren use of his season ticket...) so he slots straight in to a quality chat about Arsenal, even pondering how England hero Jude Belling...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Nico and Darren chat to fellow Gooner and editor of Pensions Expert Nick Reeve. Nick joins us supping water (not Pina Colada) from a pineapple shaped glass from sunny Barbados for a great chat about pensions, journalism and, of course, value for money. It was nice to turn the tables on Nick and be asking the questions, but he did manage to ask us a few searc...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions hosts Darren and Nico chat to pensions industry legend and all round PR and policy superstar Tom McPhail. Tom is Director of Public Affairs at the Langcat and also is an external adviser at Guiide.   This episode covers tax relief and the IFS proposals for the LTA, a good discussion about politics and pensions, fiduciary duty as a barrier to investing for the good...

In this episode of V-FM Pensions hosts Darren and Nico chat to the editor of Corporate Adviser, John Greenwood. John returns to the V-FM podcast to chat about Corporate Advisers' latest Master Trust and GPP defaults report - an amazing piece of annual research that looks at performance of default funds and picks up on some key industry trends. We also discuss what value for money means to John.

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Nico and Darren talk to Pangea founder Nick Stoop.  As well as the usual V-FM chat we talk about the election, shareholder resolutions, pensions regulation, and the recent IMF report on the UK economy. We have a great discussion about what Nick is trying to achieve with Pangea - a pension that considers everything through an impact lens.

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to the Labour MP for East Ham and Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee Stephen Timms. Stephen has been an MP for over 30 years and shares his experiences and views on pensions and a whole lot more. In a V-FM Podcast first, this episode was recorded with a live audience at the DG Publishing DC Strategic Summit. 

In this episode of V-FM: the pensions podcast, hosts Darren and Nico chat to Pentech guru Martin Freeman. Martin has seen it all when it comes to pensions technology and administration and has recently set up his own company to help schemes and providers deal with the considerable administration and systems challenges that the pensions industry faces.  We talk pension dashboards, pensions uprating...