Join the team at LAPF Investments and Pensions Expert as they untangle the world of pensions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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and Nick unpack a TPR enforcement report involving the Plumbing and Mechanical Services scheme, an unpaid debt, and a fined accountant. Also on the agenda: Torsten Bell's continued grip on the pensions brief, Lords criticism of the Pension Schemes Bill, and a possible new fund from Nest, Railpen and the LGPS pools aimed at scaling up UK businesses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more…
Torsten Bell drops a bumper package of regulatory roadmap updates - Tom and Nick sift through the value for money delay, guided retirement, and the pushed-back superfund timeline. The pair also discuss LGPS contribution rates, and what the Pensions Commission's call for evidence responses reveal about the industry's asks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of our LGPS Interviews series, we sit down with Mark Smith, Head of the Oxfordshire Pension Fund and newly appointed Senior LGPS Officer, to unpack what the role really involves day to day. Mark shares candid insight into governance reviews, local government reorganisation, pooling, the new independent person role, and Oxfordshire's approach to local investment. Hosted on Acast.…
In this episode of the LGPS Interviews, we sit down with Jennifer Devine, head of Wiltshire Pension Fund, to discuss the fund's journey to a new pool following the Fit for the Future reforms. She shares what it was like to receive the news, how the fund set about finding a new pooling partner, and the lessons learned along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tom and Nick are joined by special guest Brian Gielty to dig into the newly published LGPS statutory guidance - from the Secretary of State's new intervention powers to the revamped four-tier governance ratings - plus reflections from the LAPF June conference, surplus strategy, and Faith Ward's move to LPPI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SpaceX has gone public at a $2tn-plus valuation. Tom and Nick dig into what dual-class shares and fast-tracked index inclusion mean for pension investors who didn't sign up to own a piece of SpaceX. Plus the DWP's review of flexible apportionment arrangements after Aberdeen quietly took on Stagecoach's entire DB scheme, and Surrey's move to become a single purpose pension authority. Hosted on…
The beautiful game continues - for people who still get a little too excited about replacement rates. In part two, Tom and Nick pick up where the spreadsheet left off, taking the surviving nations from the Round of 16 all the way to the final to crown the world's greatest pension system. Brian is back on VAR duty, weighting his replacement rates and steadfastly denying he's been siding with…
It's the beautiful game, reimagined for people who get a little too excited about replacement rates. Hosts Tom and Nick have done something nobody asked for: assessed all 48 World Cup nations across eight pension and lifestyle metrics and run a full knockout tournament to crown the world's greatest retirement system. There's no group stage, because the real ones are complicated enough - but there…
The pensions news keeps coming, so Thomas and Nick spin the wheel again. This time: Fit for the Future deadline shuffles for LGPS pools, Nick's enduring (and largely solo) excitement about pensions dashboards, the thorny question of who actually understands the AI creeping into the industry, and what the latest Retirement Living Standards really tell us. Plus a World Cup of pension systems -…
The Pensions Commission's interim report has landed - all 190 pages of it - confirming what the industry already feared: 15 million people are under-saving. Tom and Nick dig into what happens before the full report arrives in "early 2027" (definition pending). Plus the shrinking-but-still-enormous gender pensions gap, conflict-zone and local investment, and the regulator's new line on AI -…
In this episode of the LGPS Interviews, we sit down with Louise Jack, chief operating and financial officer at LPPI, to discuss how the pool has tripled its client base and doubled its assets under management following the Fit for the Future consultation. Louise shares insights on recruitment and integrating Brunel staff, opening the new Bristol office, building trust with partner funds, and the…
In a new episode of our LGPS Interviews Special, Nick and Thomas sit down with Border to Coast Chief Investment Officer Joe McDonnell. Joe shares his perspective on navigating geopolitical turbulence, the realities of welcoming seven new partner funds into the pool, and how Border to Coast is approaching local investment, asset transition, and the question of scale Hosted on Acast. See…
Recorded live (well, live-ish) at the Pooling Symposium, Nick and Tom are joined by two LGPS heavyweights – Roger Phillips and Clair Alcock of the Scheme Advisory Board – to unpack what the newly-minted Pension Schemes Act actually means for the LGPS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Pension Schemes Bill is now the Pension Schemes Act. Nick and Tom walk through the final week of parliamentary ping pong and the last-minute concessions that got mandation over the line - the sunset clause, the savers' interest test, and the new report on barriers to UK investment. They also dig into the parts of the Act overshadowed by the mandation row: DB superfunds, value for money,…
Tom and Nick return from the Easter break to find the Pension Schemes Bill's Commons debate a bit of a damp squib, with the government sweeping aside Lords amendments and the Conservatives pledging repeal if they win the next election. Plus, Railpen and LAPFF line up against BP's chair ahead of the 23 April AGM. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The LGPS pooling deadline has passed - so what happens now? Tom and Nick dig into the practical reality of asset transitions, the government's firm stance on salary sacrifice, and whether concessions on mandation might be quietly in the works. Plus, a look at what Australian superannuation can (and can't) teach the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the final episode of a special, five-part series Always a Pensions Angle is running in partnership with The Fiftyfaces Podcast . In this series, we will hear from five leading figures from across the LGPS ahead of March 31st. In this episode, The Fiftyfaces Podcast host Aoifinn Devitt sits down with the Avon Pension Fund's Head of Pensions Nick Dixon. Hosted on Acast. See…
Yes, that's right, another special episode of the podcast - oh you lucky things. This time out you join the team as they negotiate their way around the Houses of Parliament on the day that the Lords voted to remove the mandation clause from the Pension Schemes Bill. One of the most vocal voices against mandation in the halls of Westminster has been the shadow pensions minister Helen Whately, and…
Welcome to the fourth of a special, five-part series Always a Pensions Angle is running in partnership with The Fiftyfaces Podcast . In this series, we will hear from five leading figures from across the LGPS ahead of March 31st. In this episode, The Fiftyfaces Podcast host Aoifinn Devitt sits down with LPPI's Chief Investment Officer Richard Tomlinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for…
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reform UK's sovereign wealth fund ambitions for the LGPS prompt a bigger question - does the outside world really understand what the scheme is and what it already does? That gets a proper airing, alongside some thorny questions about professional trustee appointments and a DWP consultation on governance. The Pension Schemes Bill is back too, naturally. Oh, and a trainee guide dog has thoughts on…
Welcome to the third of a special, five-part series Always a Pensions Angle is running in partnership with The Fiftyfaces Podcast . In this series, we will hear from five leading figures from across the LGPS ahead of March 31st. In this episode, The Fiftyfaces Podcast host Aoifinn Devitt sits down with Clair Alcock, Board Secretary of the LGPS Scheme Advisory Board Hosted on Acast. See…
Welcome to the second of a special, five-part series Always a Pensions Angle is running in partnership with The Fiftyfaces Podcast . In this series, we will hear from five leading figures from across the LGPS ahead of March 31st. In this episode, The Fiftyfaces Podcast host Aoifinn Devitt sits down with Merseyside Pension Fund's Director of Pensions Peter Wallach Hosted on Acast. See…
One of the pensions world's more stubborn headaches gets a proper airing - does it actually make sense to have both the FCA and TPR overseeing pensions? From there the conversation turns to a new global report and some uncomfortable questions about whether gig economy workers are being left behind on retirement saving. Oh, and two people who have clearly never considered the finer points of…
Welcome to the first of a special, five-part series Always a Pensions Angle is running in partnership with The Fiftyfaces Podcast . In this series, we will hear from five leading figures from across the LGPS ahead of March 31st. In this first episode, The Fiftyfaces Podcast host Aoifinn Devitt sits down with LGPS Central's Chief Client and Advisory Officer Trevor Castledine. Hosted on Acast. See…
Fresh from the LAPF Strategic Investment Forum (and a close encounter with aggressive geese), Tom explores LGPS governance challenges and the advice accountability dilemma. Nick tackles the gender pensions gap, trustee diversity initiatives, and why politicians paying lip service to pension campaigns always comes back to bite them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nick reports from wet and windy Scotland (with trainee guide dog Jenny) as the duo dissect the Pension Schemes Bill's journey through the House of Lords. From LGPS forced consolidation powers to DB surplus negotiations and fiduciary duty debates - will the government's reassurances be enough? Pour a coffee and find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nick and Tom shake off the Christmas cobwebs as the Pension Schemes Bill faces serious Lords scrutiny. Plus: The LGPS grapples with Fit for the Future timescales, and we talk bulk annuities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Pour yourself some mulled wine and settle in as Nick and Tom dissect the wildest year in pensions for ages. They tackle the Pension Schemes Bill's many moving parts, explore the dramatic LGPS pooling reorganisation, and debate the merits of last-minute Christmas shopping. From mega funds to local investment mandates, value for money frameworks to defence spending controversies - it's pensions,…
What a week for pensions policy! Nick and Tom are back for Episode 2, and there's a LOT to unpack. Fresh from the Pensions Expert Annual Conference at Pennyhill Park (where everyone finally "got" pension dashboards), the team tackles two massive stories: the Pension Schemes Bill's third reading AND the Autumn Budget. We cover plans to modernise fiduciary duty and what it means for domestic…
Welcome to Always a Pensions Angle – the podcast where Thomas Parker and Nick Reeve break down the biggest news stories of the day and uncover what they really mean for pensions. In this first episode, they explore why the upcoming Budget has triggered so much speculation, diving into the political pressures, the rumours around income tax and National Insurance, and the growing debate over capping…
Introducing Always a Pensions Angle. Join Pensions Expert's Nick Reeve and LAPF Investments' Thomas Parker as they dissect the biggest stories in the world of pensions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast: Biodiversity is a nascent theme for environmental, social and governance-focused investors, offering pension schemes the opportunity to invest for good and diversify their portfolios. Should pension schemes allocate capital towards this space? Newton Investment Management head of sustainable investment Therese Niklasson and NatureAlpha founder Dr Vian Sharif discuss biodiversity and…
Podcast: The war in Ukraine, inflation and slowing global growth have sparked uncertainty over the global economy. More than ever, investors will need to understand the drivers that will influence markets over the coming year. Listen to this podcast to gain insight on the outlook for 2023 and how to approach specific asset classes from John Mullins, PIMCO product strategist. Hosted on Acast. See…
Ahead of this year’s UN climate conference, discussions over the responsibility of the world’s richest countries towards developing economies have intensified. Emerging markets’ contribution to climate change is minuscule, but they are disproportionately hurt by its effects. Think of the catastrophic droughts, floods and hurricanes directly linked to man-made climate change that have crashed…
London mayor Sadiq Khan wants more power and financing for cities so they can deal with and find solutions to climate change. Cities, after all, are responsible for over two thirds of emissions and local administrations, says Khan, are seen as the “doers”, while national governments are the “delayers”. He thinks that mayors should be part of the UN climate conference negotiations. In fact, COP27,…
Was the Bank of England right to intervene in gilt markets in the autumn, as hell broke loose across markets? Cartwright director of investment consulting Sam Roberts makes the case against the central bank’s bond-buying programme. The Lang Cat director of public affairs Tom McPhail, meanwhile, shares his thoughts on the Autumn Statement and the future of the triple lock. Hosted on Acast. See…
Silvia and Alison Taylor of NYU Stern School of Business look into the language of sustainability and find it still has a pretty loose grammar and highly convoluted syntax. Most native speakers do not even agree on a common interpretation of environmental, social and governance factors. The good news is: more of us are trying to learn this language. And Alison shares a few tips on how she teaches…
Philip Shucksmith, a portfolio manager in Newton Investment Management’s real return team, and Martina Macpherson, head of ESG product management within the Financial Information Business Unit at SIX, discuss pension schemes and their path to net zero, debating how green investment in different asset classes works, along with the question of labelling so-called 'green' assets. This podcast is…
The current political and financial climate has made fixed income markets volatile and uncertain around the world. However, taking an active approach may help build resilience to potential headwinds while gaining greater exposure to the opportunities that arise. Listen to this podcast to gain insight from Gordon Harding, PIMCO fixed-income strategist on the current climate and what to potentially…
Confused about sustainability? You’re not alone. Environmental, social and governance factors, or ESG, are increasingly a headache for business, finance and world leaders alike. Now even policymakers are creating rules to govern this space. It’s hard to keep up and make sense of it all. So let us help you by sharing some of the most interesting views shaping this space. Join your host, Silvia…
Podcast: Andy Cheseldine, professional trustee at Capital Cranfield and chair of the Small Pots Co-ordination Group, joins Pensions Expert to look back at a heady few weeks for the pensions industry. He explains how the recent market turmoil affected his day job, what it means for schemes, and gives his thoughts on the recent Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association conference in Liverpool.…
Podcast: Newton Investment Management head of sustainable investment Therese Niklasson and Aegon head of responsible investment Hilkka Komulainen discuss how schemes can transform investment teams to drive environmental, social and governance thinking. The pair debate how ESG fits into broader leadership, and the impact of high boardroom turnover on sustainable thinking. Hosted on Acast. See…
Podcast: The gilt market “doom cycle” that briefly seemed to threaten the existence of UK pensions may not have been as bad as the apocalyptic media coverage made out, and there is no need for the Pensions Regulator to take a greater role regulating liability-driven investments. Dalriada Trustees director David Fogarty is joined by Sam Roberts, director of investment consulting at Cartwright, to…
Podcast: Former pensions minister Guy Opperman can boast a number of achievements from his time in office. But he was too easily sidetracked away from the bigger issues, such as under-saving in defined contribution schemes, and towards trivialities such as the statements season. LCP partner Sir Steve Webb gives his view on Opperman’s time as minister, and discusses under-saving in DC and a local…
Podcast: Staff shortages and ever-growing waiting lists have left the NHS at “rock bottom”, but the government “has its head in the sand”. Changes to the pensions taxation regime are essential to fix the problem, argues Vishal Sharma, pensions committee chair at the British Medical Association. He is joined by Mark Bondi, council member at the Society of Pension Professionals and senior technical…
Podcast: A report from XPS Pensions suggests that members could reap £10,000 additional benefits by delaying retirement because of the way increases and inflation are calculated, but trustees are struggling to help them because of the “red tape” around advice. LCP partner Laura Amin is joined by Hymans Robertson partner Patrick Bloomfield to discuss benefits’ inflation calculation and advice,…
Members should be able to consider dipping into their pensions early to combat the cost of living crisis, but schemes may struggle to educate them about the best means of doing so without giving them advice. Society of Pensions Professionals president Steve Hitchiner is joined by AgeWage chief executive Henry Tapper, founder of the Pension Playpen, to discuss recession fears, consumer protection…
Podcast: The consultation into the defined benefit funding code by the Department for Work and Pensions hints at a prescriptive regime to come, but the Pensions Regulator must improve on its “rubbish” code of practice draft, according to Zedra client director Richard Butcher. He and Hymans Robertson partner Laura McLaren discuss the next steps, stronger nudge concerns, and assess the health of…
Podcast: The Department for Work and Pensions has been clear about the intent of regulations governing transfers, and providers continuing to delay them are doing their members a disservice, argues PensionBee founder Romi Savova. She is joined by Penfold co-founder Pete Hykin to discuss the ongoing transfer fight, the fallout from pensions minister Guy Opperman’s resignation that wasn’t, and…
