The UK pensions landscape is changing with many Defined Benefit schemes working towards their end game or at least to control their liabilities.
In many cases a medium-term objective will be the investment decision of a buy-in or a buy-out, whether for particular membership groups or the scheme as a whole. Even if an insured transaction is not on the immediate agenda, it can make sense to become ‘buy-out ready’ so that the Trustees can move quickly if the opportunity presents itself.
The basic processes of preparing for, and executing, a transaction are well understood and constitute a large piece of project management. Yet they are also far from business as usual and can be complicated, particularly if the preparatory work turns up unexpected legal or data issues.
The appointment of a Professional Trustee can ease the process. Not just through experience, although ours extends from several sub-£10m transactions to some of the largest multi £bn deals seen in the UK, but also by carrying credibility with consultants and providers alike, which aids pricing discussions when going to market.