Always a Pensions Angle

In this budget preview special, which doubles as the podcast’s first birthday, Nick and Tom speculate on what Chancellor John Healey might deliver after an unusually quiet run-up with none of last year’s kite-flying, weighing the odds of incremental pension measures such as investment incentives, a personal allowance tweak to keep the state pension tax-free, and a terminal illness review. They also react to the Treasury’s Green Book reform announcement, which landed just as they recorded, and ask whether the OBR will leak again and whether the speech will outlast the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick returns from his honeymoon (and an unplanned Sky Sports cameo) as Tom and Nick report back from the Pensions UK annual conference in Liverpool, where pensions minister Torsten Bell framed the proposed triple lock changes as part of a wider push to restore trust in the system. Also on the agenda: Bell’s relaxed response to fears of “herding” in value for money, what Australia’s pensions journey can teach the UK, and a Pensions UK white paper concluding that the LGPS doesn’t need a restructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition, Tom is joined by Brian Gielty, Editor-in-Chief of LAPF Investments Magazine, to run through the latest issue of the magazine, from a cover interview with London CIV’s Dean Bowden, to taking a closer look at the new independent person role.They also cover the latest from the Scheme Advisory Board, including new guidance on investing in conflict areas and research into gender and ethnicity pension gaps, plus a look at natural capital and how geopolitics is shaping the market. The issue also includes a tribute to the late Mike Jensen and his legacy in the sector, along with full coverage of the 2026 LAPF Investments Awards, headline sponsored by Marsh.Coming soon in print or online at www.lapfinvestments.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom and Nick report back from the DC and Master Trust Summit, where fears are growing that value for money's traffic-light ratings could push schemes to "herd" toward a safe light-green rather than risk the fallout of amber or red. Also on the agenda: the industry's about-turn on forward-looking performance metrics, and a new LGPS case study on the gender pensions gap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom and Nick look at TPR's shift towards "no surprises" enforcement and what early engagement really buys schemes. Also on the agenda: the government's contested £25bn DC scale test, new data on retirement housing costs, and a tale of two LGPS pools as Wales secures full FCA authorisation while Access prepares to close its doors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.