News
March 21, 2024
By Carl Stanford at BWCI carl.stanford@bwcigroup.com “scheme governance a key focus of the new code” What is expected to be the final version of the UK Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) “General Code of Practice” was published in January 2024. The pensions industry has been waiting for some considerable time for this document, with an earlier draft…
March 20, 2024
By Anthony Brewer at BWCI anothony.brewer@bwcigroup.com “removing all headline investment risks for a well-funded scheme does not guarantee success” As discussed in my previous article “Pension surpluses – what now?”, many Defined Benefit pension schemes are now in a strong funding position following a dramatic rise in interest rates in recent years. This has led…
March 19, 2024
By Samantha Smith at BWCI samantha.smith@bwcigroup.com “data in the COVID-19 pandemic years is problematic” Actuaries use mortality tables daily to estimate how much to reserve for a liability that is contingent on a human life. In a pension scheme context, these liabilities include the benefits payable on death in service and retirement pensions. The data…
February 16, 2024
Claire du Feu We are delighted to announce the appointment of Claire Du Feu as the Head of Business Management within our fiduciary business. Focusing on driving customer-centric culture in organisations, Claire has had a successful leadership career in financial services for over 30 years. She has covered a broad range of roles including front…
February 13, 2024
The closing date for applications for the 2024 Bursary is 31 March 2024. The BWCI Group’s undergraduate Bursary Scheme has been specially designed to support local students wishing to study for a degree at university. As well as providing financial support, our bursary students will participate in a structured training programme during their summer vacations,…
February 2, 2024
Yes, who remembers DeLorean? BWCI Group are delighted to once again be Sponsoring the ‘Battle of the School Bands’. This year’s theme is ‘Back to the 80’s’ and the team from Thirst Music School have worked even more miracles! The sold out event offers young people between years 7 to 11 to represent their…
January 3, 2024
By Anna Gray at BWCI anna.gray@bwcigroup.com “a range of sanctions, including in the most serious cases, substantial fines and imprisonment for criminal offences.” This is a summary only. Legal advice should be sought to understand the position in relation to any specific circumstances. The new duties on employers to auto-enrol staff into a pension scheme…
December 21, 2023
BWCI has been a member of DIFERA since 2018. This is Liberate’s employer accreditation scheme which awards organisations with a quality mark to demonstrate that the six principles of Diversity, Inclusion, Fairness, Equality, Respect and Acceptance are at the heart of what the organisation does. This year BWCI appointed a group of DIFERA “champions” to…
December 19, 2023
By Anthony Brewer at BWCI anthony.brewer@bwcigroup.com “The priority for many schemes has become protecting their improved funding positions” A rapid rise in yields has changed the funding picture for many Defined Benefit (“DB”) pension schemes dramatically over the last couple of years. It is hard to exaggerate the speed at which the yields on UK…
November 30, 2023
Local pension provider, BWCI Pension Trustees Limited has announced changes to its Blue Riband range of pension products to align with its commitment to sustainability and responsible investing. BWCI has also pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Lifestyle members of Blue Riband can now access “Green” or “Sustainable” funds, which incorporate sustainable…
November 6, 2023
By Michelle Galpin at BWCI michelle.galpin@bwcigroup.com “the excess deaths, relative to the number expected, has increased” In the previous edition of Bandwagon we highlighted the emerging trend, which was identified in the second quarter of 2022, of the increasing number of “excess deaths”, relative to those expected based on the rates of mortality experienced in 2019.…
October 30, 2023
By Clair Le Poidevin at BWCI clair.lepoidevin@bwcigroup.com “a significant milestone in reforming the Solvency II framework” On 29 June the UK Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) published a consultation paper (CP 12/23) on proposed changes to the Solvency II regime within the UK. The consultation is a significant milestone in reforming the Solvency II framework for the…