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PodcastsPodcast: What challenges do different asset classes pose for ESG investment?
Podcast: 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.
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PodcastsPodcast: LDI, PLSA and PIPAs - looking back with Andy Cheseldine
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.
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PodcastsPodcast: TPR should not regulate LDI despite pensions crisis
Dalriada Trustees director David Fogarty and Cartwright director of investment consulting Sam Roberts discuss the causes to the recent market turmoil that precipitated the intervention by the Bank of England, what was done to stall it, and what the future holds.
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PodcastsPodcast: Pension tax changes needed to save NHS from ‘rock bottom’
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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes struggle to educate members amid cost of living crisis
Podcast: 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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes will have a tough job weighing up discretionary increases
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.
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PodcastsPodcast: LGPS faces affordability, engagement and policy challenges
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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Uncertainty around inflation leads to ‘casino pensions’
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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Natural capital can improve scheme returns but concerns remain
Podcast: 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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Spring Statement - Missed opportunity to support savers
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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Is this really the right time for auto-enrolment expansion?
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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Top tips for success at the PIPAs
Podcast: As the Pension and Investment Provider Awards 2022 have opened for submissions, Barnett Waddingham’s Danielle Markham and Teneo’s Simon Kew — two of this year’s judges — give some tips on what applicants can do to maximise their chances of winning. LCP’s Stephen Budge, the architect of an award-winning entry last year, explains his strategy in creating a submission that allowed the consultancy to achieve gold.
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PodcastsPodcast: DC focus must ‘fundamentally shift’ from costs to value in 2022
Podcast: The focus on defined contribution scheme offerings must “fundamentally shift” from costs to value for money in 2022 if better outcomes are to be achieved. Darren Philp, director of policy and communication at Smart Pension, and Mike Ambery, partner at Hymans Robertson, discuss the DC outlook, expanding auto-enrolment, and reforming Solvency II.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes need to constantly engage with managers to achieve net zero
Podcast: The time when schemes would award mandates and walk away has come to an end, since asset owners now need to have a fairly dynamic relationship with managers to make sure achieving net zero targets is possible, argues Thomas Höhne-Sparborth, head of sustainability research at Lombard Odier Investment Managers. He is joined by Marion Maloney, head of responsible investment and governance at the Environment Agency Pension Fund, to discuss how schemes can put in place and achieve their targets for portfolio decarbonisation.
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PodcastsPodcast: Solving the UK’s ‘underpensioned’ problem
Podcast: A significant proportion of the UK’s working population is struggling to save for retirement, and the Covid-19 pandemic has only worsened the situation. In this podcast, Now Pensions’ head of PR and campaigns Samantha Gould and the Pensions Policy Institute’s senior policy researcher Lauren Wilkinson talk us through the findings of a recent research report into the UK’s ‘underpensioned’ problem, and the policy initiatives that could help bridge the gaps.
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PodcastsPodcast: McCloud costs dispute could damage members’ morale
Podcast: The dispute between doctors, firefighters and the Treasury over who should bear the costs of the McCloud remedy could have implications beyond the directly affected schemes, damaging trust in pensions, and lowering member morale. Hymans Robertson partner Michael Ambery and Quietroom co-founder Mark Scantlebury discuss McCloud, the statements season and the evolution of member communications.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes’ trustees cannot ignore social factors risks
Podcast: Climate change and environmental issues are front of mind for many pension schemes right now, but with the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting social inequalities at home and abroad, the social aspects of ESG investment cannot be ignored. For this episode of the Pensions Expert podcast, we talk to Stefan Lundbergh, director at Cardano, and John Howchin, secretary-general of the Council on Ethics for Sweden’s national pension funds, about why socially aware investing is so important for pension funds of all sizes — and how trustees can go about taking action.
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PodcastsPodcast: Understanding green and sustainable bonds
Podcast: The green bond market is forecast to hit $500bn (£366bn) by the end of this year, according to the Climate Bonds Initiative, while the UK government has just raised £10bn from its debut green bond issue. However, high demand and limited supply raises questions over pricing and yield, while the availability of suitable projects has ignited concerns over greenwashing. In this podcast, Arthur Leijgraaff, senior treasury officer at the Dutch development bank FMO, and Rik Klerkx, senior portfolio manager at Cardano, explain what goes into a green bond issuance, and what trustees need to ask of their asset managers and issuers.
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PodcastsPodcast: Trustees need to address sponsor covenant climate risk
Podcast: With climate change becoming central to investment discussions, trustees also need to think about how similar risks can affect the strength of their scheme’s sponsor and its ability to stand behind the pension fund. In this podcast, Lincoln Pensions managing director Michael Bushnell explains what questions trustees need to ask, what to do with the information they get, and why employers really need to pay attention to climate change in their pension finance discussions.
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PodcastsPodcast: Industry ‘irritation’ with TPR’s code of practice could have been avoided
Podcast: The negative reaction of the industry to the Pensions Regulator’s new code of practice shows what can happen if consultations are handled poorly, says Tim Middleton, director of policy and external affairs at the Pensions Management Institute. He is joined by Steven Taylor, partner at LCP, to discuss consultations, collective defined contribution schemes, and flexibility within the defined benefit universe.