Law Practitioner Series: Good Governance for Pension Schemes

Regulatory and market developments have transformed the way in which UK private sector pension schemes operate. This has increased demands on trustees and advisors and the trusteeship governance model must evolve in order to remain fit for purpose. This volume brings together leading practitioners to provide an overview of what today constitutes good governance for pension schemes, from both a legal and a practical perspective. It provides the reader with an appreciation of the distinctive characteristics of UK occupational pension schemes, how they sit within the capital markets and their social and fiduciary responsibilities. Providing a holistic analysis of pension risk, both from the trustee and the corporate perspective, the essays cover the crucial role of the employer covenant, financing and investment risk, developments in longevity risk hedging and insurance de-risking, and best practice scheme administration.

1. Introduction; 2. Regulatory and supervisory context for occupational pension provision; 3. Pension funds and the capital markets; 4. Social responsibility and fiduciary duties of trustees; 5. Good trusteeship; 6. Conflicts of interest; 7. Pension schemes and employment; 8. Employer support and the development of the sponsor covenant concept; 9. Establishing the funding requirements of pension schemes; 10. Effective oversight of pension administration; 11. Investment governance of defined benefit pension funds; 12. Hedging investment risk; 13. Managing longevity risk; 14. The role of insurance in the occupational pensions market; 15. Pension risk from a corporate perspective; 16. Investment management of defined contribution schemes; 17. Effective investment governance in defined contribution schemes; 18. Inside pension scheme governance.