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Pensions UK Investment Conference coverage
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.
Volatility, value, and venture: Top stories from the Pensions UK Investment Conference
Pensions Expert picks the top stories from a busy week, from the pensions minister’s latest update on mandation, to how the biggest schemes are tackling volatility and uncertainty.
Always A Pensions Angle: Live From Edinburgh!
In this special edition of the Always a Pensions Angle podcast, Nick and Tom give us the lowdown on all the biggest stories to come out of the recent Pensions UK Investment Conference in Edinburgh.
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.
Lay trustees remain important as sector consolidates, government says
An external voice is needed “to ask the difficult questions that sometimes professionals either don’t want to hear or don’t quite understand”, says Des Healy of the DWP at a conference in Edinburgh.
Government bodies advocate ‘significant’ opportunity in venture capital
Senior representatives from the Office for Investment, the British Business Bank, and the National Wealth Fund sought to flesh out the investment narrative and explain why pension funds should be confident about investing in UK private markets.
Is ESG investing in the best interests of pension scheme members? [Updated]
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas and ex-cabinet minister Michael Gove debated climate change investing and fiduciary duty in a session at the Pensions UK Investment Conference.
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.
‘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
Other news from Pensions Expert
PPF confirms no conventional levy for third straight year
The lifeboat fund has confirmed a third year of no conventional levy, while also announcing adjustments to valuation methods and a pause on the alternative levy that will apply to superfunds.
Finance chiefs divided over how to use DB pension scheme surpluses
Key corporate decision-makers are split over how to prioritise the use of defined benefit pension scheme surpluses, according to new research by Independent Governance Group.
SPP urges ‘simpler and fairer system’ with eye on further reforms ahead
With more pensions-related legislation predicted next year, a new report from the Society of Pension Professionals has highlighted six priorities for policymakers, regulators and the pensions industry to consider.
Bulk annuities latest: Interface, Biffa and FirstGroup secure buy-ins
A trio of bulk annuity transactions have been publicised in recent days, securing the benefits of 4,700 members in deals totalling £450m.
Regulator gives green light to TPT to launch superfund
TPT has secured investment capital to back between £1bn and £1.5bn worth of transactions, and said it was already in discussions with “a growing number of schemes”.
Mansion House: DC providers make progress with UK holdings hitting £11bn
The 17 signatories to the Mansion House Accord have allocated 6.6% of total DC growth-phase assets to private markets as of 31 December 2025, according to new data.
'More reform needed' to increase UK pension system sustainability
The UK has slipped two places in an international ranking of pension systems, with researchers calling for higher retirement savings and wider auto-enrolment coverage to improve long-term sustainability.
UK has an ‘investability problem’, not a pension capital problem
Policymakers must focus on creating attractive investment opportunities rather than setting allocation targets if they want to unlock pension capital for UK private markets, according to PMI chair Ruston Smith.
Minister defends LGPS against sovereign fund proposals and praises progress
Pensions minister Torsten Bell defends LGPS progress and states that “we are in the foothills of what the pools can achieve”, amid political pressure for radical change.
Why the pensions minister is sanguine on herding risk in VfM
Torsten Bell told the Pensions UK Annual Conference that the Value for Money regime could improve average returns for DC members, even if this resulted in some ‘herding’.