This week our Head of Trustee Services, Christopher Rice, joins David Brooks, Broadstone's Head of Policy. They discuss:

• The growth in annuity purchases — and record levels of premiums
• Using pensions to help fund a house purchase — good or bad idea?
• The challenge of illiquid assets in pension schemes

In this episode, Head of Policy and regular host David Brooks is joined by Andy Knight-Stephens to chew the fat on the below:

• Observations on the administration market and its growing importance in the cog of the pensions machine.
• New data on pension funds' investment allocations to thermal coal.
• Pension scams with Torsten Bell confirming updated regulation with extended measures are coming our way.
• A market overview as volatility begins to creep back.

In this episode, Broadstone's Head of Policy David Brooks is joined by our Head of DC Proposition Kelly Parsons for a one-topic show to kick off February. Kelly and David discuss the importance of financial education and how important it is to help everyone understand the financial and pensions system to help support their long-term security.

David Brooks is joined by Christopher Rice, Broadstone’s Head of Trustee Services. In this episode they discuss:

• FRC guidance on the Section 37 issue
• The latest from the PRA and the BPA market
• A look at the gender pensions gap

Your host David Brooks is joined this week by our very own Adam Bexson for a fast-paced discussion on some of the biggest stories in the world of pensions right now:

• The single person tax - and how it impacts long-term savings
• A new Chair at TPR - what we can expect to see from the regulator in '26
• Preparing for retirement - David and Adam take inspiration from Elon Musk

David Brooks, our Head of Policy, is joined by one of our very own investment experts Andy Knight-Stephens to discuss:

• What’s happening in equity markets so far this year - and whether schemes can expect strong returns for the rest of 2026
• The lowdown on the FCA’s new Value for Money (VFM) consultation
• Two quick Ps! A rapid-fire round-up of the latest on pensions dashboards and the Pensions Commission

This week, David Brooks is joined by our DC expert Kelly Parsons to discuss:

- The increase in the State Pension age this year

- Why 2026 could be the ‘Year of the Dashboard’

- The impact of National Living Wage rises on pension saving, as more people reach the Auto-enrolment threshold

David Brooks and Chris Rice dig into the pensions section of the Regulatory Initiatives Grid to see what is likely to be in focus over next year and what could be important for trustees from superfunds to surplus. Chris gives an overview of what has been going on in pensions risk transfer over the past year, with a particularly busy year for transactions at the smaller end of the market, and discusses the ongoing success of Broadstone's SM&RT Insure proposition.

David Brooks concentrates on amendments to the Pensions Scheme Bill which passed its report stage and third reading in the House of Commons so it will now move to the House of Lords for consideration.

David chats through some of the tinkering in areas such as:

• Indexation of pre-1997 PPF benefits
• The Virgin Media fix
• Fiduciary Duty and climate risk

Aside from the Bill, David also picks up the consultation on unconnected multi-employer CDC arrangements, the latest movement on State Pension tax thresholds as well as further innovative developments in the risk transfer market with the news of the Stagecoach/Aberdeen transaction last week.

David Brooks and Kelly Parsons get stuck straight into the Budget, diggng into the most important news from last Wednesday's big fiscal announcement in the world of pensions and savings - they talk salary sacrifice, PPF indexation, surplus payments to members, and cash ISAs. The team also give an update on where the industry has got to on pension scams and the importance of The Pensions Regulator's 'Pledge'.