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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
Bulk annuities latest: Just Group and Rothesay support small scheme buy-ins
Two buy-in deals worth less than £20m in total were announced this week, further evidence of the healthy market for small pension schemes seeking insurance transactions.
Inequalities leaving workers facing inadequate retirement incomes
A new report has proposed testing pension rules against disrupted career patterns to ensure eligibility criteria work for people with fluctuating incomes or periods out of work.
Capita sacked as Royal Mail administrator and slammed over Civil Service failures
The paymaster general has stripped Capita of its administration contract for the government-run portion of the Royal Mail pension scheme, and levelled further criticisms over its handling of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
PMI highlights dashboard development in ‘crucial year’ for project
With the statutory connection deadline six months away and the MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard in its second phase of testing, what are the next steps for this important project?
Government 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.
Peers 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.
Lords 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.
Clara launches small scheme service and onboards £43m DB fund
The DB superfund has opened a new section of its structure to offer a streamlined service to smaller pension schemes, while onboarding a camera equipment manufacturer’s pension fund.
PPI 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.
Accountants 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.