All Defined contribution articles – Page 3
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NewsGovernment defeated on mandation again after Lords reject fresh limits to reserve power
UPDATE: The House of Lords has rejected the government’s latest efforts to limit the scope of the mandation clause, with one former pensions minister warning the whole Pension Schemes Bill could be at risk.
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NewsPeers urge rethink on scale test to preserve innovation and competition
Members of the House of Lords have warned that the legislation backing the scale test is too restrictive and could stifle innovation among DC providers.
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NewsLords push back on ‘poisonous’ mandation in Pension Schemes Bill debate
In a debate last night (20 April), peers voted to reject the government’s revised wording of the reserve power, despite attempts from Labour representatives to reassure opponents about the measures.
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NewsPPI widens lost pensions survey to include DB schemes as demand for tracing grows
The new study will track how the ‘lost pots’ landscape has changed, examining the number of missing pots, their value and age distribution, while also exploring the underlying causes and the implications for savers and policymakers.
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NewsAccountants slam ‘short-sighted’ pension salary sacrifice cap
The government’s move to cap annual pension contributions eligible for salary sacrifice at £2,000 “will have long‑lasting impacts for both individuals and businesses”, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
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NewsWhat do voters really think of pension reform?
As the pensions industry prepares for major – and sometimes controversial – reforms, new research shows voters are split on mandation and unsure about the salary sacrifice cap.
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NewsPension Schemes Bill edges closer as MPs strike down Lords’ amendments
MPs have moved a step closer to finalising the Pension Schemes Bill after the government used its majority to sweep aside more than 80 amendments put forward by the House of Lords.
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NewsStandard Life buys Aegon in £2bn deal to create retirement savings giant
The combined group will be responsible for approximately £480bn of assets under administration with around 16 million customers, Standard Life announced.
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NewsConservatives pledge to repeal mandation clause from Pension Schemes Bill
The Conservative Party has described mandation as “indefensible” and argued that the power to direct investments made by defined contribution master trusts “puts people’s future retirement incomes at risk”.
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NewsNest awards £450m direct lending mandate amid private markets push
The mandate will see Nest deploy capital over “multiple years”, as it aims to allocate as much as 30% of its assets to private markets by 2030.
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OpinionWhat a revised mandation power could mean for DC trustees
With the Pension Schemes Bill returning to the House of Commons this week, Wedlake Bell partner Paul Ashcroft explores the potential impact of a revised mandation clause.
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NewsConservatives slam ‘indefensible’ reserve clause as it returns to Pension Schemes Bill
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately has hit out at the restored amendment, arguing that it is “still a political hand reaching into people’s retirement savings”.
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NewsDelaying consolidation could damage compliance and value for members, TPR warns
The number of non-micro DC and hybrid schemes fell by 15% over the past year, dropping from 920 in 2024 to 790 in 2025, recent data from the regulator has shown.
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People NewsSmart Pension names Lawrence as chief investment officer
James 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.
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OpinionTPR: 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.
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NewsDC 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.
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NewsPeers 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.
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NewsHow 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.
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NewsGovt expected to press on with capped mandation power after Lords defeat
The government is expected to revise its controversial pension investment “mandation” power, despite peers voting to remove the clause from the Pension Schemes Bill earlier this month.
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OpinionDemocratisation 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.