Always a Pensions Angle

With 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 Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 is a referee, Brian Gielty of LAPF Investments, to adjudicate the inevitable disagreements via VAR. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 - coming to a future episode, maybe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 - including whether your pension chatbot can be trusted or is just confidently making things up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 governance, operational resilience and cyber security considerations that come with scaling up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 she sat down with Nick and Tom ahead of the Lords vote to discuss her opposition to mandation. We also discuss government overreach and the triple lock. Plus, Nick and Tom take you into the Strangers Gallery of the House of Lords to witness the vote unfold in real time - and find out what happens next as the bill heads back to the Commons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 more information.

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 the mandation clause. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 skeleton racing attempt to find a pensions angle from the sport. It goes about as well as you'd expect! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, politics, and festive cheer. What more could you want? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 investment, the OBR leak that led to Richard Hughes' resignation, and what the budget actually delivered: salary sacrifice caps, PPF pre-1997 indexation wins, and LGPS stamp duty relief.Plus: why your rugby club mate thinks their pension is doomed, Tom's absolute nightmare journey to Wales involving cancelled trains, a broken phone, and Bristol Parkway (which is definitely not in Newport).Oh, and Jenny the trainee guide dog makes her podcast debut with strong opinions on anything chewable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 salary sacrifice. With clear, candid analysis, Tom and Nick highlight the key pension implications to watch as Budget day approaches.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 pension scheme investment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 infrastructure and cost lives and livelihoods across developing countries.With COP27 being hosted by Egypt, and African governments increasingly pushing back against requests to keep fossil fuels in the ground (as this would slow economic growth), will there be new solutions on the negotiation table? Will this be the Africa COP? Silvia Pavoni chats to James King, one of our correspondents who has recently written about Africa, and to Gillian Marcelle, a development finance expert with sanguine views on the urgency of the issue - and on how to fix it.You can read James’s deep-dive here: https://www.sustainableviews.com/african-governments-push-to-close-the-climate-funding-gap/This is Gillian’s opinion piece on sustainable finance: https://www.sustainableviews.com/sustainable-investment-is-a-first-world-option/Here are the views of the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance chair Guenther Thallinger: https://www.sustainableviews.com/blended-finance-has-its-time-come/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, which is wrapping up in Sharm el-Sheikh this week, will be the last without cities at the table. Does he have a point? Hear what Khan told Sustainable Views and what our correspondent Philippa Nuttall makes of his green leadership for London as she talks to Silvia Pavoni, your host.Read Philippa’s article on why cities struggle to go carbon neutral: https://www.sustainableviews.com/why-cities-are-struggling-to-go-carbon-neutral/Find out more about Sustainable Views, here: https://www.sustainableviews.comAnd request a free trial to access all our content, here: https://survey.ft.com/jfe/form/SV_9RGu5ktcIREwMLA?_sp=3bd6bfcc-af1c-4833-b73e-3f4913d4dab7.1668705958866 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 it too. In the show, Alison mentions a piece she’s written for Sustainable Views. You can find it here https://www.sustainableviews.com/incentivising-esg-what-does-it-really-take/To read more of our articles on ESG policy and regulation, you can register for a free trial here https://survey.ft.com/jfe/form/SV_9RGu5ktcIREwMLA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 sponsored by Newton Investment Management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 expect in the coming months.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Pavoni, as she talks to the people living and breathing sustainability – and a few critics too. (We can’t promise this will be a completely jargon-free space, but we shall try!)Want to talk to us directly? Email [email protected]. Want to find out more about Sustainable Views? Visit www.sustainableviews.com, and to subscribe to the podcast just search Sustainable Views in your usual podcast provider.Sustainable Views is an intelligence service by the Financial Times Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Cheseldine also provides an update on small pots and has his say on being a judge for the 2022 Pension and Investment Provider Awards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 discuss what caused the crisis, what was done to stall it, and what the future holds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 council investment scandal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 consultant at Capita, to discuss the NHS, the High Court’s retail price index decision, and pension priorities for new prime minister Liz Truss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, concerns about defined benefit funding, and the women’s state pension age investigation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for dashboards, and expanding long-term asset funds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 pensions post-Maxwell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 employers misunderstanding auto-enrolment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast: A difficult balance must be struck where schemes are considering discretionary increases: alleviating the cost of living crisis for some members will have to be weighed against the needs of the current workforce. Aon partner Lynda Whitney is joined by Tim Middleton, director of policy and external affairs at the Pensions Management Institute, to discuss this dilemma, as well as the progress of the McCloud remedy and schemes’ dashboard readiness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast: The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s 2022 local authority conference unearthed the challenges facing the Local Government Pension Scheme and its employer members, including affordability, engagement and policy reforms. Recorded from the conference floor, Pensions Expert was joined by PLSA’s head of defined benefit, LGPS and investment Tiffany Tsang and West Midlands Pension Fund’s director of pensions Rachel Brothwood to discuss new research into the LGPS and what can be done to help employers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast: The absence of auto-enrolment reform from the Queen’s speech means the government will be hard-pressed to meet its middle-of-the-decade deadline to achieve it. The priority should be getting the most important parts done as quickly as possible, and introducing the rest of the 2017 reform proposals enacted longer-term. Sackers partner Helen Ball and Mark Ormston, chair of the Industry Policy Committee at the Pensions Administration Standards Association, discuss auto-enrolment, online safety and the proposed value for money framework. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast: High levels of volatility around inflation will force trustees to “take a bet” on the future, as it is very difficult — absent a crystal ball — to predict inflationary pressure and its impact on scheme liabilities, says Pension Playpen chief executive Steve Goddard. He is joined by Cardano managing director Emily Goodridge to discuss inflation, technology in pensions, and the future of environmental, social and governance disclosure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast: Industry consensus is needed to support a “pot follows member” solution to the small pots problem, previous attempts to solve it having failed, says Henry Tapper, executive chair of AgeWage. He is joined by Tom McPhail, director of public affairs at the Lang Cat, to discuss small pots, commercial consolidators, and more McCloud woe for the Local Government Pension Scheme. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natural capital can improve scheme returns but trustees should not forget to consider their fiduciary duties of being able to pay pensions in the future and have a defensive investment strategy, argue Alina Donets, portfolio manager at Lombard Odier Investment Managers, and Stuart O’Brien, partner at Sackers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast: A light Spring Statement on pension topics meant that important issues such as financial education and support for institutional investors are still missing from the government’s agenda, argued Callum Stewart, head of defined contribution investment at Hymans Robertson, and Charlotte O’Leary, chief executive and executive director at Pensions for Purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast: Expanding auto-enrolment is a great idea in theory, but with sky-high inflation, a cost of living crisis and the potential for a global recession to exacerbate it, is now the right time to pursue it? LCP partner Mary Spencer and Cartwright’s director of investment consulting Sam Roberts debate the merits, discuss pension schemes’ reaction to war in Ukraine, and explore the industry’s readiness for long-term inflation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.