Traitor or Faithful: what type of trustee are you?

  The third season of the BBC’s hit gameshow concludes this week in what is set to be a nail-biting finale. 25 contestants have been whittled down to eight as the Traitors ‘murder’ Faithfuls each night and roundtables see...

All change at the Pensions Ombudsman?

  Those involved in handling member complaints will be aware of the sizeable backlog of cases and lengthy waiting times being faced by TPO.  Demand for TPO’s valuable services has been on the rise over the last few years, bringing...

Keep on communicating – TPR’s expectations for keeping on top of pensions dashboa...

The time to connect to the dashboards ecosystem is fast approaching for eligible pension schemes, with the largest schemes due to connect from April 2025 under the DWP’s connection guidance.  Following the new Government’s commitment...

The DC decumulation conundrum

The King’s Speech on 17 July 2024 set out the Government’s legislative agenda including a new Pension Schemes Bill (“the Bill”).  Continuing some of the Mansion House policy proposals of the previous Government, the Bill is...

Steering the “fiduciary duties” ship

  Being a trustee of a pension scheme is a bit like being the captain of a ship: trustees are the ones steering the vessel, ensuring it stays on course to deliver a safe and secure retirement for its members, whilst adhering to key...

Caught in a trap

After so many years of deficits, surpluses have become a reality again. On the face of it, this would seem to be a good thing, but the legal reality is more complex, as has been discussed already by a number of my colleagues in recent...

What AI thinks of your member comms… and why you should care

Member communications are often painstakingly crafted with input from different advisers to make sure they are accurate, legally compliant and send the right messages. Of course, we hope that members will read the whole thing, take any...

Key things to know about the Government’s “landmark” pensions review

The first phase of the Government’s “landmark” pensions review is underway. The review forms part of the Government’s mission to “boost growth and make every part of Britain better off” by unlocking the “untapped potential in...

Are we nearly there yet?

Understanding the drive from buy-in to buy-out The classic question from young children travelling in the back of a car who have little concept of distance and time is “Are we nearly there yet?”. With many pension schemes working hard...

Breaking the barrier

The realisation of residual illiquid assets is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem to solve in risk transfer transactions. The liquidity crisis of 2022 arguably fuelled the current strength of many schemes’ funding, with more...