Helping members run their schemes - May update

After 112 weeks without bringing PLSA members together in significant numbers, it seems almost unreal that many of us will actually be meeting again in just a few days’ time. Judging by the very encouraging numbers registered for our Investment Conference (Edinburgh, 25-26 May) and Local Authority Conference (Cotswolds, 13-15 June), many of you are looking forward to these opportunities as much as I am.

We’ve got some fantastic programmes lined up for you (as a politico I am particularly looking forward to hearing Adam Boulton in Edinburgh and Ipsos Mori’s Ben Page in the Cotswolds) and these events are great for CPD as well as networking. So, if you haven’t already registered, please do so….

And if in-person conferencing isn’t your thing, don’t worry – we still have plenty of great webinars on the way. It was great to see 150 of you dialling into the discussion I chaired on Pensions Dashboards in April and we got some very positive feedback – ‘really helpful and insightful’, according to one very kind participant, so thank you if that was you!

Engagement seasons

Our Policy team chalked up a major ‘win’ for our members last month when they persuaded the Pensions Minister to adopt our proposal for nationwide ‘engagement seasons’ as an alternative to his original proposal for ‘statement seasons’, which would have required

you to send out all your annual benefit statements at the same time. This saves our members from a lot of cost and disruption. More details on engagement seasons in due course….

GMP guidance clarification

My Policy colleagues have also been busy helping to put together useful clarification of HMRC’s guidance on GMP equalisation and the tax treatment of interest. I know this has been one of the trickiest aspects of the GMPs challenge for many PLSA member schemes.

ESG survey

Another area that members have raised consistently as a priority throughout the year is the importance of ESG matters. We're surveying members until 11 May to understand your views on a number of ESG issues to inform our policy work.

Also this month, we expect fresh examination and public statements on the progress that DB schemes have made on Net Zero from Make My Money Matter. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

As ever, do let me have feedback on PLSA services via [email protected] or – even better – in person soon at one of our events.