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Latest news and analysis
DB surplus release rules need refinement, industry tells government
With the government’s consultation on draft rules closing next week, providers and trade bodies have been forthright in their views on the plans, with many changes urged to ensure fairness and mitigate conflicts of interest.
Scale test could ‘paralyse’ industry and hamper innovation, government warned
“Waiting until late 2027 for draft regulations leaves the industry in limbo, threatening to stall vital investment and stifle innovation at a time when providers should be preparing for 2030,” says the SPP’s Chris Austin.
How is AI being used across pension schemes’ supply chains?
Pension schemes need a clearer picture of where artificial intelligence is being used across their operations and supply chains as adoption accelerates, according to technology firm Penfold.
Unions take Civil Service pension insourcing campaign to Downing Street
The Prospect and Public and Commercial Services unions are petitioning the government to name a responsible minister and bring the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in-house.
SPP calls for surplus rules to support regular payments from DB schemes
The current wording of draft rules is skewed towards one-off payments and could make it difficult for schemes that want to ‘run on’ and make regular payouts, according to the SPP.
Appointments: Dalriada, Cleveland & Co, Broadstone, Aptia, Standard Life
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 21 August 2026.
Standard Life secures £2bn capital backing to expand bulk annuity business
Standard Life is targeting larger bulk annuity deals with £2bn of expanded capacity through a partnership deal with several major financial services groups.
Isio acquires Trafalgar House to expand core admin functions
The significant acquisition is due to complete at the end of August, with Trafalgar House’s administration team joining the existing function led by Kevin Howard.
Your views needed: DC and private markets survey
Pensions Expert has teamed up with leading custodian CACEIS to explore how DC schemes are investing in private markets. Take part in our research and be in with a chance of winning a £100 M&S voucher by clicking here and filling in a short survey.
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Comment
ABI: Pension saving must keep pace with our changing society
Roberto Marrocco of the Association of British Insurers looks at the easy wins for the Pensions Commission and the harder questions it faces.
AMNT: Why lateral thinking is an important trustee skill
Should we challenge accepted wisdom? Lewis Brown of the Association of Member Nominated Trustees asks whether recent geopolitical upheavals should lead more trustees to question long-held investment beliefs.
Railpen: The UK has the ideas, now it has the capital to back UK scale-up businesses
Railpen’s Anna Rule explains how the industry-wide pension scheme and other institutions plan to invest in UK scale-up businesses following the announcement of a dedicated fund backed by the British Business Bank.
Logged in, checked out: The user experience problem pensions won’t face
The average pension app is a decade behind the average banking app. Until that changes, engagement is structurally impossible, argues PensionPay’s Archie Pritchett.
Latest features
Sizing up the challenge: Managing the transition from buy-in to buyout
Insurers and consultants are confident about their ability to handle the high volume of bulk annuity deals, but juggling demand for resources as schemes transition from buy-in to buyout could be tricky, as Bradley Gerrard reports.
Climate, liquidity, AI: What investment committees should be thinking about
With two-thirds of 2026 behind us, Pensions Expert asks investment consultants for the key risks and opportunities that should be on trustees’ agendas going into the autumn.
Inside the deal: How collaboration helped Mercer’s master trust seal a triple buy-in
As the derisking options for small defined benefit pension schemes increase, experts from Stephenson Harwood and Mercer share insights on how pooled arrangements have been able to secure insurance deals for some of the smallest clients.
CDC: Pensions industry showing cautious interest in new model, polls show
As legislation facilitating collective defined contribution pension schemes edges closer, professionals are eager to discover what the new model could bring. However, the consensus is not universal, as Sara Benwell and Nick Reeve report.
Now Pensions on social housing and private markets investing
Martyn James, director of investment at Now Pensions, explains how the £7.1bn master trust is allocating to affordable and social housing as part of its private markets strategy.
Sizing up the challenge: Managing the transition from buy-in to buyout
Climate, liquidity, AI: What investment committees should be thinking about
Inside the deal: How collaboration helped Mercer’s master trust seal a triple buy-in
CDC: Pensions industry showing cautious interest in new model, polls show
Now Pensions on social housing and private markets investing
Latest on Defined Benefit
DB surplus release rules need refinement, industry tells government
With the government’s consultation on draft rules closing next week, providers and trade bodies have been forthright in their views on the plans, with many changes urged to ensure fairness and mitigate conflicts of interest.
How is AI being used across pension schemes’ supply chains?
Pension schemes need a clearer picture of where artificial intelligence is being used across their operations and supply chains as adoption accelerates, according to technology firm Penfold.
Unions take Civil Service pension insourcing campaign to Downing Street
The Prospect and Public and Commercial Services unions are petitioning the government to name a responsible minister and bring the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in-house.
SPP calls for surplus rules to support regular payments from DB schemes
The current wording of draft rules is skewed towards one-off payments and could make it difficult for schemes that want to ‘run on’ and make regular payouts, according to the SPP.
People news
Appointments: Dalriada, Cleveland & Co, Broadstone, Aptia, Standard Life
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 21 August 2026.
Appointments: First Actuarial, Dalriada, Zedra, M&G, EQ Retirement Solutions
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 14 August 2026.
Appointments: TfL pension chief joins Railpen board; BA trustees re-elected
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 7 August 2026.
Appointments: Aviva, PPF, TPT, Aptia, Shoosmiths
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 31 July 2026.
Latest videos from Pensions Expert
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Latest on Defined Contribution
Scale test could ‘paralyse’ industry and hamper innovation, government warned
“Waiting until late 2027 for draft regulations leaves the industry in limbo, threatening to stall vital investment and stifle innovation at a time when providers should be preparing for 2030,” says the SPP’s Chris Austin.
How is AI being used across pension schemes’ supply chains?
Pension schemes need a clearer picture of where artificial intelligence is being used across their operations and supply chains as adoption accelerates, according to technology firm Penfold.
Isio acquires Trafalgar House to expand core admin functions
The significant acquisition is due to complete at the end of August, with Trafalgar House’s administration team joining the existing function led by Kevin Howard.
Single pensioners drive rise in retirement poverty, LCP finds
Pensioner poverty has risen steadily since 2012-13, driven largely by worsening outcomes among single retirees, with women making up two-thirds of single pensioners in poverty, according to LCP.
Latest on Dashboards
‘Life moments’ are key engagement points for employers, says WTW
Trustees and scheme managers expect members to use dashboards primarily around retirement and job changes rather than checking them regularly, according to the consultancy giant.
Bell says dashboard ‘has improved data quality’ as launch confirmed for 2027
The DWP has confirmed that 85% of schemes have connected to the dashboard ecosystem, with all in-scope schemes expected to meet the 31 October statutory connection deadline.
Always A Pensions Angle: Fit for the Future, Dashboards, and Retirement Living Standards
This week sees the podcast team looking at the LGPS, which has a little more time to get Fit for the Future as some important deadlines have been extended. There are also updates on dashboards, AI, and Retirement Living Standards.
Major master trusts collaborate to cut pension transfer times
Providers including Nest, the People’s Pension, Smart Pension, and Now Pension have established Pathfinder, a working group that will explore “practical ways to improve pension transfers”.
