The future for professional trustees and their schemes

At the end of May, I had the pleasure and privilege to speak at Professional Pensions Live. The discussion centred on the future of trusteeship, a topic that has come up frequently since I joined Vidett. The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has set out a vision for the future and I am encouraged by its direction. […]

Death and pensions: easing the process after passing

In In the latest episode of our ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast, this month host Clare Routledge welcomes Alison Coulson to part one of the show, ready to discuss an area close to her heart. Alison’s husband Neil sadly passed in March last year, so she reflects on the positives, challenges and areas that need improvement from […]

Decumulation and the role of pension schemes in supporting members with planning

In today’s ageing society, retirement planning and the way pension schemes and government support savers with it, encompasses more than just saving money. Two in five people now have a mortgage past the state pension age. Around 8.4 million people live alone in the ​UK which makes up a staggering 30% of all households (based […]

Kevin Clark named chair of Pensions UK’s London group

Client Director Kevin Clark has been nominated by the new Pensions UK’s London Regional Group committee to act as its Chair. The announcement follows the recent rebranding of the PLSA to Pensions UK, and the merger of their Central London, South London and South East groups into one single London local group. Aimed at members […]

Looking at Securitised Credit with Asset TV

Client Director Martin Collins was thrilled to join Asset TV for their latest Pension Fund Forum, as they got together in the London studios to explore the role of securitised credit in investors’ asset allocations. Unpacking the evolving role of securitised credits in institutional portfolios, the panel looked at the market outlook, risk-return characteristics, and […]

Shaping Tomorrow: strength in sustainability

We’re delighted to share with you the latest episode of our ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast, as this month host Clare Routledge puts the focus on sustainability. With political momentum shifting away from net-zero and sustainability, those working in the space are in danger of losing motivation and hope. In this episode our panel explore their day-to-day […]

Has TPR woken up to university sector issues?

Last month, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) wrote to trustees of university sector pension schemes as part of their review of defined benefit (DB) schemes in the higher education (HE) sector. Most that were contacted will likely be asking themselves questions like “Why now?” and “What do I do?”. Timings wise, it feels quite late to […]

How financial inclusion is tied to the workplace and employee benefits

In this article for the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA), Kate Barette highlights the importance of financial literacy when it comes to financial inclusion, how employers can improve financial inclusion in the workplace and why it’s their responsibility to pick this up. You can read the full article on the REBA website here

Shaping Tomorrow: collaboration drives success

In episode three of our ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast, our host Clare Routledge puts the spotlight on a project the team have been working on for Volvo Group, that has seen us merge four of their pension schemes together. Joining Clare in discussion this month, are: On the latest episode, Clare commented: “We have been on […]

Mark Cliff joins PLSA West Midlands Group line-up

Client Director Mark Cliff joined as a guest speaker at the PLSA West Midlands Group’s in-person event on Thursday 3rd April from 3.30pm – 5.00pm. Taking place in Gowling WLG’s office at Two Snowhill, Birmingham, B4 6WR, the event kicked off with a panel discussion looking at Clara Pensions’ first transactions, with speakers: There was […]

26 years on and feeling proud

This Thursday I am retiring after 26 years of continuous service, starting in administration with Punter Southall, then transferring in 2014 to the trustee business which merged with 20-20 Trustees to become Vidett 2 years ago. I recently heard Heather Small’s ‘Proud’ on the radio, the song asks “What have you done today to make […]

My action-packed week in higher education

This week it’s been all go here at Vidett, where we could be found paying special attention towards the higher education (HE) sector. It’s an area where we have several experts in the field, including myself, our HE lead Mandy Kaur-Sadler, Mike Birch, Rich Ingham and Geoff Winn. It was a particularly busy week for […]

Trustee Talk: Higher Education

Client directors Mandy Kaur-Sadler and Mike Birch were delighted to join Asset TV in their latest episode of Trustee Talk. Hosted by Sam Rossiter, they discussed the different challenges facing those involved with university pension schemes, and how Vidett can help. On the latest episode, Mandy commented “It was good to discuss the headwinds currently […]

Shaping Tomorrow: inspiring women

Our latest ‘Shaping Tomorrow’ podcast is ready for download, as we join Client Director/host Clare Routledge for an International Women’s Day themed episode. This month Clare is joined by a number of guests all from Vidett, as we celebrate achievements, share experiences and discuss changes they’d like to see in the future. On the release […]

Administrator performance reviews

It’s a trustee’s responsibility to ensure that their pension schemes are run as effectively as possible to help achieve the best outcomes for members. Download our case study to find out how we turned an uncertain situation into a positive outcome.

Scotland’s LifeTech innovation: how could pensions be affected?

With a growing ecosystem of companies and initiatives focusing on improving life sciences and healthcare through technology, Scotland has emerged as an innovation hub in an industry now employing over 42,500 people. It’s also one that’s turning over billions in revenue every year, which represents big business locally for Scotland. Boosting Investment for Scotland A […]

Vidett to speak at BUFDG Finance Festival

Client director Mandy Kaur-Sadler and associate director Phil Williams have been invited to be guest speakers at the British Universities Financial Directors Group’s (BUFDG) prestigious Finance Festival on 10 March 2025. With the implementation of new funding and governance regulations, alongside significant changes in pension scheme funding levels following the 2022 ‘mini-budget fallout,’ the UK […]

REBA Pensions Summit 2024

Client directors Caroline Eastwood and Aimee Denham were recently on the line-up for the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA)’s Future of Pensions Summit; running their workshop on ‘New thinking for DC – using governance to drive value & engagement’. Commenting on the London event, Caroline said: “Engagement remains the biggest challenge for schemes of […]

Everything you need to know about the general code

The Pensions Regulator’s updated general code framework went live on 28 March 2024. To mark this landmark, we’ve put together a handy video guide, breaking down what you need to do and by when. Find out more on our webpage here.

4 ways to better engage with your employees around retirement

In this article for the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA), Sam Swinerd discusses effective communication strategies for engaging your employees around retirement. These include ‘pension champions’ and using data to ‘nudge’ employees at the right time for them. To read the whole article, please click here. To learn more about the above, please contact the […]

Vidett Endgame Solutions Conference 2024

We’re excited to be holding our Vidett Endgame Solutions Conference in Manchester this May. This year we’ll be hosted by the National Football Museum. This charitable organisation will be giving us the keys to their wonderful home – the iconic Urbis Building – in the heart of Manchester and just a short walk from Manchester […]

Delivering full benefits for Debenhams Retirement Scheme members 

The Debenhams Retirement Scheme (the Scheme) received a lot of press coverage when the retailer appointed Administrators. The news that the Scheme trustees have agreed a transaction with Clara Pensions (Clara), allowing the Scheme to exit PPF assessment and for all 10,400 members to join Clara and receive their originally promised pensions in full (along […]

Clara-Pensions and the Debenhams Trustee announce agreement to transfer members of the Debenhams Retirement Scheme out of PPF assessment 

14 March 2024: Clara-Pensions (Clara), the member-first consolidator for defined benefit pension schemes, and the Trustees of the Debenhams Retirement Scheme have reached agreement on the UK’s second ever superfund transaction.   The 10,400 members of the Debenhams Scheme, which entered the Pension Protection Fund’s (PPF) assessment period in April 2019 following the insolvency of Debenhams, […]

Equipping your trustee board to deal with changing circumstances

To look after member benefits, pension trustee boards need to stay on top of changing circumstances and be ready to address unexpected challenges. In this article, Vidett’s Chris Halewood identifies some changes faced by two hypothetical trustee boards and suggests how to deal with them. Boards rely on their trustees to function properly. If a […]

The future of professional trusteeship

What is the future of professional trusteeship? Our head of relationship management Helen Beckinsale addresses this and more in the latest episode of Hymans Robertson’s PITstop series. Hosted by Hyman’s head of strategic relationships, Lisa Whitfield, this episode discusses the state of play for professional trustees amidst increased consolidation of the market, regulatory demand, and ensuring […]

DC pension oversight with a governance committee

Client directors, Claire Barnes and Caroline Eastwood recently combined forces in their article for Governance and Compliance Magazine. The piece looks at the importance of pension governance committees, and how they can help enhance member outcomes, with a real-life case study helping bring the theory to life. Reflecting on the piece, Caroline commented: “Having established […]

General code series #6 – reporting to The Pensions Regulator

The general code of practice was published by The Pensions Regulator (TPR) on 10 January 2024 and  replaces 10 of the 15 current codes. With the arrival of the new code, governing bodies (trustees or managers) will need to understand the new practices for reporting to TPR, review existing processes and consider whether new policies […]

General code series #4 – what are the administration requirements of the general code?

Pension administration has often been viewed as the ‘poor relation’ in the hierarchy of pension trustee relationships, but pension schemes exist to pay members their benefits in accordance with the scheme rules and a trustee’s key responsibility is to safeguard these benefits. So, perhaps it’s not surprising The Pensions Regulator (TPR) recognises pensions administration is […]

General code series #3 – the governing body: board structure and activities

The ‘governing body’, is a term introduced by the general code (the code) to add to an already broad landscape of roles and responsibilities! The code’s definition is as follows: ‘The governing body is responsible for running a scheme. Governing bodies may be trustees or managers of occupational pension schemes, or, in public service pension […]

General code series #2 – where to start?

As noted before, there’s plenty trustee boards can be doing now to begin the next stage of the pension governance evolution. There is time to get it right though, so the important thing is just to start! Pension trustees need to make sure any steps taken to comply with the code should benefit the pension […]

General code series #1 – the governance evolution

As a professional pension trustee I get to hear what a whole raft of scheme advisers are saying to trustee boards about The Pension Regulator’s (TPR) proposed new general code of practice and the related ‘effective system of governance’ (ESoG). At this time, it sounds like we’re dealing with a revolution. The problem is, regulatory […]

Vidett helps complete £400m buy-in for leading UK technology company

Acting as Chair of Trustees, Vidett helped secure the future benefits for 4,000 scheme members by supporting Just Group’s £400m buy-in. This transaction has removed any investment and longevity risks posed by the sponsoring employer. On completion of the deal, Mark Johnston commented: “We are delighted to have now achieved pension security for all members […]

The PLSA West Midlands Group

Trustee director Aimee Denham will be joining the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) for their in-person West Midlands Group event in Birmingham. Taking place on Thursday 1st February from 10am, the event will be tackling various defined contribution topics including CDC. Joining Aimee on guest speaker duties, will be: On joining the event, Aimee said: “I’m […]

Navigating the pension maze: 10 predictions for 2024

As change ripples through the pensions sector, Gillian Graham shines a light on some of the key transformations companies, pension schemes, and trustees could expect in the coming year. With the landscape shifting rapidly, the value of professional trustees will become even more apparent. Appointing experienced professionals to guide your scheme through the uncertainties of […]

Vidett secures £66m buy-in for the NICEIC Pension Scheme

Acting as sole trustee, James Double and James Duggan of Vidett supported the Electrical Safety First pension scheme in agreeing a £66m buy-in with Just. This secured the retirement benefits of 237 pensioners and 154 deferred members. Commenting on the deal, James Double said: “As an independent trustee, the security of members’ benefits is at […]

How high inflation has hit pensions and what it means long term

In this article for the Reward & Employee Benefits Association (REBA), Nicola Paul explains how pensions have been affected by high rates of inflation. This ranges from the impact high inflation has had on scheme funding to how employee’s retirement decisions have been influenced. Please click here to read the article

University of Birmingham: Business, Finance and Consultancy Fair

We were delighted to attend the University of Birmingham’s career networking event in October; taking place on campus, we set up a stand ready to have a chat with students who may be interested in a career in pensions with us. We had lots of interest in the stand, as Tom Stockley and Davinder Sira […]

Helping trustees with a sponsor covenant self-assessment

In this case study, the trustees decided not to obtain an independent covenant review, but needed help documenting their own assessment to formally record their considerations and evidence. Read the case study to see how we helped.

Lessons learned from a £600m buy-in

In this case study we share the wisdom we gained during the buy-in for a client with £1.6bn in assets. These lessons allowed us to achieve the buy-in within the set time frame and secure £600mn for our client. 

The PLSA Annual Conference 

The UK’s biggest pension conference begins on Tuesday 17th October, as pension leaders, pension scheme advisers, trustees, professional trustees, CEOs and many more come together in Manchester. As well as many of the team in attendance at the conference over the three days, Trustee Director Mark Cliff will also be speaking in a couple of […]

Shoosmiths on TAP: the later stages of a risk transfer project

Trustee Director Becky Wood recently spoke to Shoosmiths on TAP for their latest episode on risk transfer. In episode two of the risk transfer series hosted by Suzanne Burrell (Partner, Shoosmiths), Becky joins Adam Davis (Managing Director, K3 Advisory) on the panel focusing on the later stages of a risk transfer project. They discuss what […]

Pension Awareness Week: six ways to help close the gender pension gap

This week is Pension Awareness Week, a campaign that encourages everyone to get to know their pensions better and has helped improve the financial lives of millions of people over the last decade. To mark Pension Awareness Week, we’re highlighting how to help close the gender pension gap and ensure female employees and pension scheme members […]

Cracking the code: don’t give up now!

The anticipation surrounding the general code of practice (the code), formerly known as the single code, has been met with delays and name changes, with its publication expected in spring 2023, which has not transpired. When the code is published it will be one of the largest changes in occupational pensions in decades and trustees […]

REBA Future of Pensions Summit

Client Directors Claire Barnes and Caroline Eastwood will be guest speakers at the forthcoming REBA Future of Pensions Summit. Taking place on Thursday 21st September at the Royal Society of Arts in London, the day will explore how workforce transformation, HR pressures and employee expectations are all driving the future of defined contribution (DC) pensions […]

What do trustees need to know about the ‘Mansion House Reforms’?

The recent ‘Mansion House’ speech by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, introduced a series of reforms aimed at empowering the financial services sector to improve pension and investment returns for people in the UK. These changes also aim to increase the supply of investment capital to support the growth of high-potential businesses across […]

How women are missing out on their biggest workplace benefit

The gender pensions gap was reportedly at 43% in 2023, meaning women could have assets of over £100,000 less than their male counterparts. Caroline Eastwood casts a spotlight on the gender pensions gap; looking at the key areas we can address to employers to make a positive change and support female employees on their finances […]

Vidett in the media 2023

Blogs & articles Case studies Events & webinars News Videos & podcasts Vidett in the media Topics The Vidett team are frequent contributors to industry articles, debate and events – all rounded up below with links to make it easy to learn more. Naomi L’Estrange – Why diversity is crucial to trustee effectiveness(event, 29 November 2023) […]

Cyber security & data protection

How are pension trustees dealing with cyber security & data protection following the pandemic? The recent cyber incident that impacted Capita’s systems on 31 March 2023 is a timely reminder for all pension trustees/trustee boards to take stock of their IT security and data protection policies. The loss of personal member data from a cyber-attack or […]

Vidett helps secure Thomas Cook pension benefits in £900m deal

As professional trustee to the Thomas Cook Pension Plan (the Plan), we’re very pleased to confirm we have completed a £900m buy-in with Aviva to secure the benefits for all (over 12,500) members. The Vidett team involved with the Plan are Mark Johnston, Steve Southern and Nikhil Patel. The deal, which completed on 4 May, […]

Gloomy retirement

Stuart Southall recently wrote to The Times regarding pension adequacy, automatic enrolment and pension contribution rates. The letter was published in the national newspaper on Friday 21 April. “Sir, You report (Apr 20) that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has enlisted Lord Darling of Roulanish and David Gauke to take a fresh look at pension […]

Is your DC pension default fund meeting employee needs?

Default funds are the investment ‘vehicle’ a member’s contributions (both their own and their employer’s) will be paid into automatically if the member hasn’t made their own choice of fund. With most DC pension members invested in the default, Suzi Lowther highlights 6 key questions trustees and governance committees should ask to ensure their default […]

After the pandemic: How are trustee board meetings working now?

Vidett Associate Director Kerry McDermott has been speaking to Professional Pensions about how trustee board meetings have changed over the past few years. In the piece with Jasmine Urquhart, Kerry discusses the changes she has seen since the world was shaken by the global pandemic back in 2020. Commenting on the piece, Kerry added: “It […]

Working in pensions

Pensions! When you hear the word, you often dismiss the thought. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t fully aware of what a pension was let alone have any experience.  So, how have I gone from recently graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a photography degree to becoming a governance support assistant at Vidett (formerly PSGS)? […]

How pension data can help in workforce planning

When it comes to workforce planning, most people wouldn’t naturally turn to pensions data. In this REBA article, Suzi Lowther discusses how insightful pensions data can be.  Read the article here

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