Assessing covenant reliability in an unpredictable world

Many have suggested covenant is now less important than what The Pension Regulator’s Defined Benefit (DB) Funding Code would imply. But in an increasingly volatile economic environment, it remains important for trustees to understand their covenant and the key drivers for employer health. Central to the Funding Code are the concepts of Covenant Reliability Period […]

SOS – Save Our Sponsor

A scheme sponsor in financial distress can shift a pension trustee’s world. In many instances an insolvency, or the threat of one, wouldn’t be on a trustee’s plan at all. There’s plenty to consider and action to be taken. Without the right skills and experience, a lot can potentially go wrong too. But there’s always […]

Trustee Talk: James Chalk talks covenant

Client director James Chalk joined Asset TV’s Sam Rossiter for their episode that centered on the subject of sponsor covenant. Looking at the recent recording, James commented: “As many schemes move towards their endgame or a run-on structure, there is a danger that sponsor covenant is forgotten about. In this edition of Trustee Talk I […]

The effect of mergers and acquisitions on pension plans: top considerations for employers

Multiple moving parts and competing interests are a feature of M&A activity, but all the more so when a pension is involved. By engaging early, the scheme’s trustees will be in a better position to understand what’s driving the transaction, ensure the interests of scheme members are appropriately protected and support the deal process. You […]

Is now the time for pension trustees and employers to act on scheme security?

For most defined benefit (DB) pension schemes, funding positions have never been better. This is a reason for action rather than complacency as the environment could change, certainly over the timeframes of DB schemes. Pension trustees should have a clear plan to take advantage of current positions. Setting and delivering a strategic plan is in […]

Mike Birch to join Vidett from The Pensions Regulator

We’re delighted to announce Mike Birch will be joining us as a client director in April 2024 from The Pensions Regulator (TPR). His role with Vidett will see him move into professional trusteeship with a primary focus on defined benefit (DB) schemes with employers experiencing distress or undergoing corporate transactions. Mike has spent over eleven […]

ExpertView is back & we’re talking restructuring plans!

ExpertView is our series of discussions bringing together experts from different disciplines to share their specialist perspectives on key pension topics. In our first episode of the year, Trustee Director Kevin Dolan sits in the presenting hot seat. He’s joined by Naomi Parmar and Katie Banks from Hogan Lovells’ Restructuring and Pensions teams and Dan […]