Any other business: Rolling into the office after 12 indulgent days of Christmas, trustees and scheme managers may be tempted to brighten up a gloomy January, but scheme expenses could be squeezed this year.

Salmon supplier Marine Harvest used boats, planes and cars to reach employees across the far reaches of northern Scotland, in a face-to-face auto-enrolment communication campaign that reflects the challenges faced by remote employers.

The past year has seen many schemes embark on communication drives to boost engagement, in the wake of auto-enrolment staging and the Budget reforms.

Legal rulings on issues including increased pension loss payouts, clarification on RPI guidance and the introduction of new accounting reporting frameworks have challenged schemes to respond and factor in these changes in the year ahead. 

Pension schemes put time-saving and cost-saving first when it comes to their reasons for using technology, rather than engaging scheme members or informing advisers, a survey has found.

The Royal County of Berkshire Pension Fund has announced investments in the global food and water supply chain, with a private equity mandate investing in two US start-ups driving sustainable consumption.

Legal experts have said a High Court ruling allowing schemes to sell section 75 debts owed to them could reduce their running costs by speeding up the exit of sponsoring employers.

Doncaster council has sought to turn the low interest rate environment to its advantage by taking out £28m in short-term loans to help fund its employer contributions to South Yorkshire Pension Fund.