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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
Trustees warn that TPR strategy must protect member voice
The Association of Member Nominated Trustees has broadly backed the direction of the regulator’s five-year strategy, but warned that consolidation, professionalisation and UK growth objectives must not weaken member representation or fiduciary duty.
PPI: Guided retirement could be ‘critical’ to improving member decisions
Guided retirement solutions could play a “critical” role in helping defined contribution savers make better decisions at retirement, but their success will depend on how well schemes understand their members, according to the Pensions Policy Institute.
Guiide and Aon collaborate on DB member comms service
The service – dubbed ‘My Pension Planner’ – is primarily aimed at helping members understand their choices at retirement, but it can also demonstrate how their pension income can work alongside other savings and sources of income.
AI governance is ‘key’ to success of pension reforms
Robust governance, strong controls and meaningful human oversight will be critical if trustees and providers are to harness AI effectively while maintaining member trust, according to tech firm Lumera.
Pensions UK: Retirement Living Standards show savers face ‘cliff edge’
Only 23% of workers will achieve a moderate retirement lifestyle with current contribution rates, according to Pensions UK research, building on its influential Retirement Living Standards.
Major master trusts collaborate to cut pension transfer times
Providers including Nest, the People’s Pension, Smart Pension, and Now Pension have established Pathfinder, a working group that will explore “practical ways to improve pension transfers”.
Bulk annuities: Just finalises buy-ins to insure 5,000 members
Insurance company Just Group has secured two pension schemes through buy-ins worth a combined £380m, working with separate schemes sponsored by a vehicle sales company and the Church of Scotland.
Nest backs climate tech through £200m commitment to IFM mandate
The UK master trust has put more money to work through its partnership with IFM Investors, seeding an infrastructure credit fund with a focus on climate technologies.
Dashboards update: Connection coverage reaches 85% as final deadlines approach
The Money and Pensions Service expects the MoneyHelper dashboard to become available to the general public during the 2027-28 financial year.
ACA chair calls for ‘fairer, more sustainable’ UK pensions system
Aon’s Chintan Gandhi has issued a rallying cry to the pensions industry as he takes over as chair of the Association of Consulting Actuaries, highlighting DC adequacy, DB surplus, collective DC and tax as priorities for the trade body.