In Episode 5, Season 6 of the Burges Salmon Pensions Pod, Chris Brown is joined by Ffion Hughes from Willis Towers Watson and Andy Prater from Burges Salmon to explore the challenges and opportunities facing small pension schemes. The discussion covers regulatory change, administration and member experience, data and benefit specification, and the evolving risk transfer market for schemes under £100 million. With practical insights for trustees, sponsors, and advisers, this episode highlights how smaller schemes can prepare for transactions, optimise member outcomes, and navigate a rapidly changing landscape.

In episode 4, season 6 of the Burges Salmon Pensions Pod, Chris Brown is joined by Paul Waters (Hymans Robertson) and Hercules Phillips to explore the latest in UK pensions policy. The discussion covers the revived Pensions Commission’s focus on adequacy (from 2 mins 41 secs), the Mansion House Accord and Pension Schemes Bill’s investment mandates provisions (from 12mins), and the FCA’s targeted support proposals to address the advice gap (from 22 mins 8 secs). The team also examines DB–DC crossover issues, including buy-out challenges and innovative uses of DB surplus (30 mins 42 secs). 

In this episode of the Burges Salmon Pensions Pod, Chris Brown is joined by Kathryn Fleming from Hymans Robertson and Helen Woodford to explore the topic of DC decumulation from multiple perspectives - including those of members, trustees, employers and providers, making this a valuable listen for anyone involved in DC pension saving. The discussion covers the new duties introduced in the Pension Schemes Bill and considers what trustees should be thinking about in light of The Pensions Regulator’s call for trustees to take the lead.

In this episode of the Burges Salmon Pensions Pod, Chris Brown and Callum Duckmanton discuss how AI is shaping the future of pensions. They cover trustees’ legal duties, the benefits and risks of using AI, practical steps for implementation, and insights from a recent industry event. A must listen for trustees and pensions professionals looking to stay ahead in a changing landscape.

Regular host Chris Brown (Partner) chats with Richard Pettit (Partner) and Elena O’Leary (Senior Associate) from Burges Salmon’s Pensions & Lifetime Savings Team about benefit and documentation audits – how they can supplement benefit specifications and why trustees and employers of DB Schemes might want to consider one.

In this episode, Chris Brown is joined by James Fisher from Willis Towers Watson and our very own Kate Granville Smith as they discuss ESG issues for pension schemes, with a focus on environmental sustainability. The key topics of discussion include the importance of ESG for pension schemes, understanding trustees' fiduciary duties in the context of ESG, practical steps for trustees to manage ESG risks and opportunities, and legal obligations and regulatory guidance on ESG.

In episode 5 of season 5, our host Chris Brown is joined by Chris Flood, Managing Director at Interpath, who leads the employer covenant team across London and the South of England.

In this episode they discuss The Pension Regulator’s updated covenant guidance, described as the last piece of the jigsaw to help schemes carry out valuations under the new DB funding code.

Key topics covered include the biggest changes to the previous regime, how to approach proportionality, what you can do to prepare, contingent assets and “look through” guarantees.

In this episode our trainees round up latest news stories; looking at the Mansion House and Budget announcements, the consultation on draft regulations for collective defined contribution schemes and The Pension Regulator’s review of the second year of climate-related financial disclosures. 

In this episode Chris Brown and Helen Norman discuss the assessment of fiduciary managers for DB Schemes with Peter Dorward, Managing Director of IC Select, part of IGG. In particular, they focus on what the relevant regulatory requirements are, what trustees should hope to achieve from assessing their fiduciary managers; and whether there is merit to delaying these assessments.

In this episode Chris Brown and Helen Norman discuss defined contribution investment with David Whitehair, Director of Institutional Business, UK DC at Janus Henderson Investors. They ask how the DC investment journey differs from DB and why is there so much interest in investment in private markets? With investment for UK growth high on the Government’s agenda, this is a very topical episode.

The episode is 27 minutes long.