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‘Mess with fiduciary duty at your peril’: USS chief welcomes government approach
The government is taking the right approach to fiduciary duty in planning guidance rather than legislating, according to the chief executive of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).
Bell defends salary sacrifice cap and rejects incentive concerns
“The wider changes on salary sacrifice are happening because you should want a government that keeps tax reliefs under review,” pensions minister Torsten Bell said.
Government to limit scope of mandation clause, pensions minister says
Torsten Bell says the Pension Schemes Bill will be amended to ensure that the mandation clause only relates to the Mansion House Accord and cannot be used for other purposes.
Amber alert: Industry weighs risks of Value for Money ratings
Amber ratings being introduced through the Value for Money framework should encourage dialogue and reform, not knee-jerk reactions, regulators say.
How the UK’s largest pension schemes have navigated recent volatility
Investment bosses from Border to Coast, People’s Pension and Railpen outline how their governance structures have helped them navigate market turbulence in recent months
DB liabilities set to rise as life expectancy climbs
Defined benefit pension schemes could see their liabilities rise by around 0.5% depending on demographics after new mortality data was released.
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Is running on DB schemes a bridge to stronger DC outcomes?
Lindsay Nickerson, the new chair of the DC Investment Forum, explores the interaction between defined benefit surpluses and payments into defined contribution pension schemes.
State pension age of 67 is coming – what to watch as it rolls out
Heidi Karjalainen, a senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, explores the imminent state pension age increase as the latest review continues.
SPP: Value for Money proposals increase risk of 'herding' among DC providers
As the latest consultation on the proposed Value for Money regime comes to a close, Owen McCrossan of the Society of Pension Professionals warns of negative consequences if there is not enough room for nuance in the system.
Trusteeship and administration: Preparing for a consolidated future
David Fairs, a former TPR executive and now chair of the Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA), looks into what the rapidly evolving pension landscape means for administration providers.
Latest features
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.
Inside Railpen’s plan to triple its infrastructure investment portfolio
Railpen plans to expand its infrastructure portfolio from £1bn to up to £3bn over the next few years. The £35bn scheme’s head of infrastructure Lewis Vanstone outlines why, and explains how such investments can support members and the UK economy.
In Depth: The evolution of bulk annuities as WTW eyes £70bn market in 2026
Could the defined benefit risk transfer market exceed £70bn in 2026? WTW’s experts certainly believe so, and there is a lot of evidence to support the continued vibrance of the bulk annuities sector, as Nick Reeve reports.
In Depth: Understanding and addressing the gender and race pension gaps
A new study has shed light on the pension saving experiences of non-white women, as part of the retirement industry’s ongoing efforts to narrow the savings gaps between men and women and between white and non-white people.
What does Alphabet’s 100-year bond mean for UK pension schemes?
Ramadan and the impact of Zakat on DC savings
Inside Railpen’s plan to triple its infrastructure investment portfolio
In Depth: The evolution of bulk annuities as WTW eyes £70bn market in 2026
In Depth: Understanding and addressing the gender and race pension gaps
Latest on Defined Benefit
DB liabilities set to rise as life expectancy climbs
Defined benefit pension schemes could see their liabilities rise by around 0.5% depending on demographics after new mortality data was released.
Ostermann exits PPF as chief operating officer steps into CEO role
Richard Beaven, currently chief operating officer, has been appointed acting chief executive and has joined the PPF board as an executive director.
PIC poaches Standard Life investment boss for chief exec role
Mike Eakins is currently group chief investment officer at Standard Life and CEO of its Retirement Solutions and Asset Management business.
Bulk annuities roundup: Athora completes PIC acquisition
Plus: Aviva and Royal London release 2025 business results; Canada Life’s £80m buy-in with Safeway Pension Scheme.
People news
Ostermann exits PPF as chief operating officer steps into CEO role
Richard Beaven, currently chief operating officer, has been appointed acting chief executive and has joined the PPF board as an executive director.
PIC poaches Standard Life investment boss for chief exec role
Mike Eakins is currently group chief investment officer at Standard Life and CEO of its Retirement Solutions and Asset Management business.
Appointments: Broadstone, ICPM, Aptia, Franklin Templeton, eQ
The latest hires, promotions and appointments for the week ending 6 March 2026.
Pensions UK overhauls policy groups with scheme and provider expertise
The trade body has added 21 senior representatives to its policy committees, which decide on the organisation’s agendas for different sectors of the industry.
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Latest on Defined Contribution
Amber alert: Industry weighs risks of Value for Money ratings
Amber ratings being introduced through the Value for Money framework should encourage dialogue and reform, not knee-jerk reactions, regulators say.
Employers back higher auto-enrolment contributions but call for flexibility
Polling of 500 business leaders found that 43% think contributions should be increased, compared with 36% who believe they should remain at current levels.
Master trusts should prepare now for scale requirements, TPR says
The regulator set out principles to help trustees evaluate whether their schemes are likely to meet the proposed scale thresholds and how they should evidence future growth.
Setting the scale test: How the DWP plans to get DC funds to £25bn
The Department for Work and Pensions has set out how it expects master trusts and other DC providers to hit the £25bn scale requirement set out in the Pension Schemes Bill.
Latest on Dashboards
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.
PDP consultation aims to bring private sector providers into dashboard universe
The ABI has welcomed a move from the Pensions Dashboards Programme aimed at encouraging private sector dashboard providers.
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