What’s it like to step into a Master Trust Trustee role? Joanne Fairburn has the answers.  She joins Robert Cochran and Sharon Bellingham to share fresh insights from her extensive pensions career and her experience as a Trustee of the Scottish Widows Master Trust.

Guy Opperman on Pensions Dashboards, CDC, Auto-Enrolment & the Future of UK Retirement Saving

Description:

Opperman discusses the delivery of the Pension Schemes Act, progress on pensions dashboards, and the introduction of Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) schemes. He shares insights into the challenges of implementing long-term pensions policy, working with the Treasury, and balancing adequacy, sustainability, and value for money in retirement saving.

The conversation also explores:

Opperman also reflects candidly on the highs and lows of being the longest-serving Pensions Minister, including political challenges, reforms delivered, and what comes next for pensions policy.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in UK pensions policy, retirement planning, pension reform, and the future of workplace saving.

In this 20‑minute live episode, Robert Cochran speaks with Chris Curry, Principal of the Pension Dashboard programme and Adam Gifford, who is leading on customer research. In front of an audience of employers and advisers, they explore where the programme stands today, what recent real‑user testing of the new MoneyHelper Pension Dashboard is revealing, and the changes now needed as a result.

Chris and Adam share early research findings, both the positives and the challenges, discuss upcoming timelines, and answer the big question on everyone’s mind: when will dashboards go live for the public?

Before the recording, the audience watched the latest MoneyHelper Dashboard demo. You can view it here: MoneyHelper Pensions Dashboard industry demo November 2025 – Part 2 of 3.

Scottish Widows CEO Chira Barua joins the podcast like a whirlwind to share how he is driving forward the business - we dive into:

Oh and we kick the whole thing off with searching for Tigers in India - it's a blast at pace with inimitable Chira Barua.

Discover how 2,500 customer‑facing colleagues, powered by cutting‑edge AI, are delivering exceptional support at the moments that matter most. With soaring Trustpilot scores and personalised, multilingual experiences, Robert Cochran is joined by Niamh Whelan and Scott Gunderson to share inspiring stories of service transformed.

AI is changing how people engage with pensions - whether they’re seeking advice, researching pensions schemes, or making workplace decisions. In our latest podcast Robert Cochran is joined by award winning expert Thomas Joy who explains what this means for advisers, employers, and members, and how pension schemes can stay ahead in a fast-moving world.

In this Trustee Special we hear directly from long time Trustee and Chair of the Scottish Widows Master Trust Jonathan Reynolds. Along with Sharon Bellingham we talk about the excitement of changes to come with Targeted support, the power of annuities, how a month of food in a day isn't Freedom and Choice.

We also discuss the importance of being a strong commercial successful Master Trust and what this means to Trustees. It's a brilliant opportunity to hear from such an experienced Trustee who delights with analogies and above all care for scheme members.

What's it like to move into a Master Trust Trustee role?  I'm joined by Sharon Bellingham as we talk to Mike Birch, ex of the Regulator and newest Trustee on the Scottish Widows Master Trust. He shares his view of the rigorous application process, his special superpower, and what he thinks are the biggest challenges facing the Master Trust Market.  We dive into Decumulation, CDC and his experience of dealing with cybercrime at the TPR. He leaves us with his view of the future regulatory framework for pension schemes.

Welcome to 21 Years of the Scottish Widows Women in Retirement Report, a special series exploring women’s financial futures beyond the numbers.

Over two decades of insights have shown us that retirement isn’t just about savings and pensions; it’s about life stories, resilience, and change.

In this podcast, hosted by Debbie Sheffield, this special edition features Jill Henderson, Shevonne McLarnon, and Rachael McQuillan as they share their personal journeys through loss, rebuilding, and how we’re inspiring the next generation to take control of their financial wellbeing.

James Biggs reflects on 35 years of helping people with their finances. He's a brilliant storyteller, he loves people, and he's a nonstop innovator. Hear about how he launched EBC TV, being played on Radio 1, and what makes a great employer adviser provider relationship. It's a lot of fun.