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In Depth: Inside the government’s pensions policy bonanza
From Value for Money to surplus release via scale and consolidation discussions and levy arguments, Monday’s roadmap announcement has given the pensions industry a lot to think about.
Pension transfer reform needs rethink to ensure consistency, industry says
Respondents to a government consultation have warned that some elements need more work, including a requirement for ceding schemes to assess the appropriateness of a receiving arrangement.
Smiths Group secures £760m bulk annuity deal with M&G
The FTSE 100-listed engineering company has now insured its entire defined benefit pension scheme through a series of transactions over the past few years.
Six in 10 pensions professionals doubt CDC will gain traction
Explaining how CDC works could be a major obstacle to the model’s success, according to industry professionals polled by Sackers. Almost half of respondents said key features would be challenging to communicate.
Railpen grows central London property footprint with Smithfield project
The £34bn pension fund has secured planning consent to redevelop a central London site into a large multi-use property site as part of a wider aim to invest in high-quality commercial real estate.
Appointments: Nest, Hymans Robertson, Aon, Quantum
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 17 July 2026.
Trade bodies hit back as master trusts face planned 9% levy increase
A consultation on levy changes was published by the Department for Work and Pensions earlier this week, proposing significant increases in payments in an attempt to cover a rising funding shortfall.
What the pensions industry wants from the Pensions Commission
Pensions Expert has collated a selection of views from senior representatives, each exploring what they would like to see from the final report when it is published next year.
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
SPP: Managing pension scheme risk in an increasingly uncertain world
Jordan Irvine of the Society of Pension Professionals unpacks recent market movements and geopolitical activity to explore what it means for defined benefit pension schemes and their investment strategies.
Challenging corporate fraud: Identifying the opportunities in class actions
Around £75bn has been recovered for investors through corporate actions – and Institutional Protection CEO Caroline Goodman believes there is still an untapped opportunity for institutions.
Cushon: Meeting the adequacy challenge in a changing DC world
Accumulating a pension pot and choosing how to draw it down should not be treated as two distinctly separate issues, according to Cushon policy and research director Steve Watson.
IFS: How to boost pension saving among the self-employed
Getting more self-employed people saving for retirement is a key focus for the pensions minister and the Pensions Commission. Laurence O’Brien of the Institute for Fiscal Studies explores how this could be done.
Latest features
In Depth: Inside the government’s pensions policy bonanza
From Value for Money to surplus release via scale and consolidation discussions and levy arguments, Monday’s roadmap announcement has given the pensions industry a lot to think about.
What the pensions industry wants from the Pensions Commission
Pensions Expert has collated a selection of views from senior representatives, each exploring what they would like to see from the final report when it is published next year.
Special report: Which companies are driving bulk annuity activity?
Pensions Expert analysis shows which law firms, professional trustees and consultants are most active in the bulk annuity market.
Keep on running: How will endgame options affect the bulk annuity market?
With appetite for ‘run on’ and other alternative endgame solutions on the rise, will there be a knock-on effect on the bulk annuity market? Jon Yarker reports.
How mega-IPOs could reshape equity portfolios as SpaceX secures record listing
Elon Musk’s technology giant SpaceX has debuted on US investment markets with one of the largest initial public offerings in history. But what does it mean for UK pension investors?
In Depth: Inside the government’s pensions policy bonanza
What the pensions industry wants from the Pensions Commission
Special report: Which companies are driving bulk annuity activity?
Keep on running: How will endgame options affect the bulk annuity market?
How mega-IPOs could reshape equity portfolios as SpaceX secures record listing
Latest on Defined Benefit
Surplus release: Time to put plans and policies in place
The Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs, the Pensions Regulator and the Financial Reporting Council are all working together to construct the surplus release framework for defined benefit pension schemes.
Smiths Group secures £760m bulk annuity deal with M&G
The FTSE 100-listed engineering company has now insured its entire defined benefit pension scheme through a series of transactions over the past few years.
Brightwell to administer Rolls-Royce scheme following buyout
Pension Insurance Corporation has completed a £4.3bn buyout of the Rolls-Royce Pension Fund in nine months, a transition aided by a new administration partnership with Brightwell.
DB schemes end first half with £264bn surplus on PPF measure
Despite the broadly positive position, the PPF’s data showed that the aggregate position of schemes in deficit on a PPF basis worsened over the course of June.
People news
Appointments: Nest, Hymans Robertson, Aon, Quantum
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 17 July 2026.
Appointments: Zedra, Aptia, PASA, Cartwright, Hargreaves
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 10 July 2026.
Appointments: New faces on trustee boards at Aon, Now Pensions
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 3 July 2026.
Dame Kate Barker to leave USS as part of senior reshuffle
Next year will see new faces take over chairing the UK’s largest pension scheme and its wholly-owned investment management subsidiary.
Latest videos from Pensions Expert
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Latest on Defined Contribution
In Depth: Inside the government’s pensions policy bonanza
From Value for Money to surplus release via scale and consolidation discussions and levy arguments, Monday’s roadmap announcement has given the pensions industry a lot to think about.
Pension transfer reform needs rethink to ensure consistency, industry says
Respondents to a government consultation have warned that some elements need more work, including a requirement for ceding schemes to assess the appropriateness of a receiving arrangement.
Scale and consolidation: Finessing the detail of the £25bn target
The government has sought to provide more clarity on elements of its scale and consolidation plans ahead of a full consultation next year.
Highlights from Torsten Bell’s speech to launch the updated reform roadmap
Key excerpts from pensions minister Torsten Bell’s address at Mansion House on 13 July, in which he set out the need for cohesive action across the government’s reform agenda.
Latest on Dashboards
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”.
Dashboards update: Connection coverage reaches 85% as final deadlines approach
The Money and Pensions Service expects the MoneyHelper dashboard to become available to the general public during the 2027-28 financial year.
