2012: A pensions odyssey

As the arrival date for personal accounts nears and the structure is slowly coming together, the UK pensions industry must prepare to make any necessary adjustments

Simplifying products

The intent of the RDR to make the financial services market fairer and more accessible to customers is a step in the right direction, but the FSA’s approach could be better

Your wish is my command

Donna Trapnell explores the magic ingredients for giving high quality service to customers with DC pensions

In pursuit of excellence

With many trials ahead, process excellence can help providers to focus their technology delivery to improve the overall customer experience

A shot at social change

Governance issues are fast climbing the agenda of local authority schemes, but a 1984 ruling could curb the shareholder move from engagement to activism

Make way for the LGPS makeover

As local authority schemes prepare for a regulatory revamp, Owen Walker looks at its main objectives

Will the

Will the reforms deliver?

Keeping risk under control

Risk management controls and procedures are fundamental for trustees to maintain good governance, which in turn leads to a better run scheme

Staking out the middle ground

With the buyout market cooling and venture capital too volatile, investors are looking at growth equity as an asset class to boost returns

An agile approach

Pension consultants’ roles and client relationships are changing, explains Zuhair Mohammed, as they gear up to deliver an alternative approach to risk management

How will RDR impact the financial advisory community?

Key speakers:

Robert Reid - Managing director, Syndaxi, and President, Personal Finance Society

John Moret - Director of sales & marketing Suffolk Life

Riding the market changes

Should currency today be treated as a risk management tool, alpha generator or both? There are a number of ways to play the markets

Don’t push: make them jump

Auto-enrolment is seen as the answer to the pensions take-up problem. But perhaps getting people to face what the absence of a pension would mean for them would be a more provocative solution?

Fresh markets worth sampling

Peter Marber of HSBC extols the virtues of emerging market debt following the restructuring that distinguished the previous decade

Pensions: What will be Blair’s legacy?

Pensions have been high on the agenda during the Labour government’s 10 years in power. But what will its response to the crisis mean for current and and future generations?

Stochastic fantastic

Many providers and advisers are still struggling to see how stochastic calculations can support financial advice and stimulate further investment in pensions. Christopher Read attempts to demystify this new approach

Staying focused on service delivery

Outsourcing a life and pensions operation does not mean a provider can avoid responsibility – governance plays an important part in the quality of service a third party offers

Take a closer look

The covenant review is an effective method of understanding the financial status and stability of any company’s pension scheme

When knowledge becomes power - case study

This case study takes a look at four data exercises carried out by HS Admin for the Milk Pension Fund since becoming its administrator in 2001

Fighting the data battle

Good data is essential to the smooth running of any pensions ship and is a key foundation for any trustees’ work

Living the lifestyle

Lifestyling is a definite improvement from leaving DC members to their own devices, but now even this is becoming outmoded

Top ten negotiation tips

Talks between employees and trustees can often be tricky. PM offers a guide on how to compromise so that both parties achieve their goals

Can I be of any help?

Customers feel a lack of confidence in the financial services sector and who can blame them?

Winds of change

The potential for companies that start to invest in alternative sources of energy could be limitless, if the UK government provides the right incentives and legislative changes