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Latest news and analysis
Smart Pension names Lawrence as chief investment officer
Lawrence was previously Smart’s director of investment proposition, and has worked for the pension fund since 2021. The master trust aims to hit £10bn in assets this year.
DB trustees eyeing surplus release as part of endgame plan, says L&G
Bulk annuities remain a key element of most defined benefit pension schemes’ endgame planning, but running on and accessing surplus is becoming a more popular option.
DC schemes back British Business Bank’s £200m venture capital fund
Aegon and the Natwest Cushon master trust have finalised investments in the British Growth Partnership Fund, contributing to a £200m capital raise for the venture capital vehicle.
Peers fail in bid to hold government to account on salary sacrifice cap
The government has succeeded in overturning a House of Lords decision on the salary sacrifice cap and the policy will now be enacted as set out in November’s Budget.
LGPS latest: West Midlands’ £1.1bn regional drive; LGPS Central backs Yorkshire Water
A roundup of the latest investment headlines from the Local Government Pension Scheme, brought to you by Pensons Expert’s sister title LAPF Investments.
USS steps up residential push with stake in private credit manager Venn Partners
The UK’s largest pension fund intends to invest more in the UK residential property sector, with the acquisition following two other significant lending projects.
Latest video
Video: Shadow pensions minister Helen Whately on mandation
Ahead of a vote in the House of Lords on the Pension Schemes Bill, Conservative MP Helen Whately spoke on her party’s opposition to the mandation power for a special episode of the Always a Pensions Angle podcast.
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TPR: We need the marketplace to innovate to deliver in the new pensions era
In an exclusive column for Pensions Expert, the Pensions Regulator’s chief executive Nausicaa Delfas explains the importance of innovation to address the challenges and capture the opportunities of the next few years.
Democratisation 2.0: From access to outcomes in UK pensions through Value for Money
Following the latest consultation on the Value for Money framework, Philip Hodges, a director at Guiide, explains the importance of including decumulation strategies and outcomes in assessments of value.
Pensions UK: Mandation, markets and the future of pensions
Pensions UK’s new defined contribution policy chief Phil Brown looks back at the trade body’s investment conference earlier this month and the key themes and talking points that emerged.
IFoA: Give pension savers a seat at the table
With the Pensions Commission’s interim report eagerly awaited, Paul Sweeting, president of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA), explains why it is so important to ensure savers have a voice when considering future reforms.
Latest features
Special report: The Pension Schemes Bill in the House of Lords
The landmark legislation begins its report stage this week, with peers still debating more than 180 amendments to the Pension Schemes Bill. Pensions Expert explores what is up for discussion over the next two weeks.
Why Nest is embracing deliberative democracy
The UK’s largest master trust is exploring innovative ways in which to achieve better member representation within its governance structure.
To insource or to outsource? That is the question
Three of the UK’s largest pension investors take different approaches to the balance of insourcing and outsourcing investment expertise and capabilities, as Louise Farrand reports.
What does Alphabet’s 100-year bond mean for UK pension schemes?
The entry of Google’s owner into the UK bond market made an undeniable splash, but the impacts on key fixed income investors such as DB pension schemes are more likely to be gentle ripples, writes Bradley Gerrard.
Ramadan and the impact of Zakat on DC savings
As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan reaches its halfway point, Aamina Zafar explores how Islam’s obligatory charitable contribution, known as Zakat, can affect Muslim savers’ retirement planning.
Special report: The Pension Schemes Bill in the House of Lords
Why Nest is embracing deliberative democracy
To insource or to outsource? That is the question
What does Alphabet’s 100-year bond mean for UK pension schemes?
Ramadan and the impact of Zakat on DC savings
Latest on Defined Benefit
DB trustees eyeing surplus release as part of endgame plan, says L&G
Bulk annuities remain a key element of most defined benefit pension schemes’ endgame planning, but running on and accessing surplus is becoming a more popular option.
Small scheme insurance boom drives record number of buy-in deals in 2025
Legal & General dominated 2025’s pension insurance market in terms of new business volumes, but data from LCP shows that sub-£100m transactions are driving competition and “exceptional” pricing.
Bulk annuities latest: Rothesay reports on 2025; PIC parent to relocate to London
Plus: Just Group ties up a £32m full scheme buy-in with the Reebok UK Retirement Benefits Scheme, insuring the benefits of 452 members.
Virgin Media ruling: TPR says work can start now on remediation
Trustees do not need to wait for the Pension Schemes Bill to become law before instructing actuaries to begin work on section 37 remediation, the regulator has said.
People news
Smart Pension names Lawrence as chief investment officer
Lawrence was previously Smart’s director of investment proposition, and has worked for the pension fund since 2021. The master trust aims to hit £10bn in assets this year.
Appointments: LCP, TPT, Aptia, Hymans Robertson, L&G
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 27 March 2026.
Appointments: LPFA, PIC, Broadstone, Eversheds, Aptia
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 20 March 2026.
Industry expert committee convened to work on fiduciary duty guidance
A former editor of Pensions Expert is among a 14-strong panel of industry representatives convened by the government to develop statutory guidance around fiduciary duty and investment decision-making.
Latest videos from Pensions Expert
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Latest on Defined Contribution
Smart Pension names Lawrence as chief investment officer
Lawrence was previously Smart’s director of investment proposition, and has worked for the pension fund since 2021. The master trust aims to hit £10bn in assets this year.
DC schemes back British Business Bank’s £200m venture capital fund
Aegon and the Natwest Cushon master trust have finalised investments in the British Growth Partnership Fund, contributing to a £200m capital raise for the venture capital vehicle.
Peers fail in bid to hold government to account on salary sacrifice cap
The government has succeeded in overturning a House of Lords decision on the salary sacrifice cap and the policy will now be enacted as set out in November’s Budget.
How alts and active management aid Australian pension outperformance
With Australia’s superannuation system repeatedly held up as a model for UK defined contribution pension provision, a new study shows the impact of diversification into private markets and the use of active management models.
Latest on Dashboards
Employers ‘must address pension inadequacy’ to avoid long-term problems
The consultancy warns that retirement income shortfalls could hit companies hard by creating a demographic bottleneck in the workforce and driving stress-related drops in productivity.
Your dashboard needs you! MoneyHelper seeks consumer testers
Phase two of the testing process officially began this week, and MaPS has called on pension providers to spread the word among savers and scheme members to get them involved with the trials.
‘Dashboard health check’ urged as workers unsure of contributions
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) should introduce “pensions dashboard health checks” to help savers understand their financial positions, according to a new report from the Social Market Foundation.
Pension schemes seek to address data ‘debt’ issues with digital tools
Nearly 30 UK pension schemes have significantly improved the accuracy of their member data after adopting digital data enrichment technology over the past year, according to Heka Global.
