Topic: Investments

Provider of The People’s Pension moving towards investing in UK assets

People’s Partnership1, provider of The People’s Pension to more than 6.7 million people, has today said that it is moving towards investing in private markets, including UK-based assets.

In its response to the call for evidence ahead of the Government’s first pension review, the profit for people organisation has stated it is reaching the necessary scale, as well as developing the in-house capabilities that are needed, to invest in assets such as infrastructure and real estate.

The leading workplace pension provider and Trustees of The People’s Pension, who manage £29 billion of their members money, have said that investing in such assets in a way that leaves maximum value in the hands of members is part of a long-term plan for the future of the business. The People’s Pension already invests 14 per cent of its main investment fund in both UK listed companies2 and Government debt.

Mark Condron, Chair of The People’s Pension Trustee Board, said:

“As Trustees, we firmly believe in diversified investment opportunities that present good, consistent returns for our members over the long term. We have been looking at private markets for some time and we are now approaching the scale where we believe we will be able to invest in them effectively. Investing in such assets has always been dependent on schemes such as ours reaching scale.

“The business is building a team of specialists that will enable us to overcome some of the hurdles we have faced with accessing private markets in a way that maximises value for members.

“We remain committed to the fund having a positive impact both on our members as well as the UK economy.”

Dan Mikulskis, Chief Investment Officer at People’s Partnership, provider of The People’s Pension, said:

“It’s important that policymakers and the industry look closely at the Australian and Canadian models as these countries deliver the outcomes the UK government is looking for.

“The People’s Pension is fast approaching having £30bn in assets under management and has built the scale to start seriously considering investing in private markets. We are currently in the process of hiring the investment team members who will make this possible.

“We are also advancing work both with commercial asset managers as well as asset owner peers, with a view to putting top-class proposals in front of our trustees to allocate a portion of our assets to private markets. We believe that with our own asset ownership capabilities in place we will continue deliver fantastic value to members’ pensions.”

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The People’s Pension strengthens its expectations of fund managers in new Responsible Investment Policy

Leading master trust The People’s Pension1 has strengthened the expectations of its investment managers in its new Responsible Investment policy.

The £26 billion pension scheme’s newly published Responsible Investment policy2 sets out the minimum requirements and ongoing expectations that it has for its fund managers.  As part of its minimum requirements, fund managers are expected to have a commitment to net zero and adequate stewardship resourcing.  If these minimum requirements are not met, the Scheme’s Trustee has warned it will put their relationship under review, which could result with them moving their 6.7 million members’ assets to other managers.

The new policy also underlines The People’s Pension’s commitment to working with industry-wide groups such as Nature Action 1003 and Climate Action 100+4. The Scheme believes these groups are the best way to collaborate with others, to improve stewardship and engagement levels on behalf of retirement savers and other investors, and most importantly, expects the same commitment of its fund managers.

As part of the policy, the Scheme’s Trustee has set out clear objectives regarding its Responsible Investment approach. The policy sets out specifically how The People’s Pension plans to use its scale and influence as one of the largest UK asset owners toward this objective and the areas that it has prioritised.

The Scheme’s Trustee has said that climate change, nature and human rights are its three stewardship priorities going forward.

Fund managers will be expected to support The People’s Pension in achieving their emissions reduction targets, which are set out over the short, medium and long term:

• Net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

• Halving its GHG emission intensity by 2030 for the Scheme’s growth assets.

• 30% GHG emissions intensity reduction by 2025 for the developed equity portion of the portfolio.

The document also includes new net zero voting guidelines which The People’s Pension expects its fund managers to implement5. It details when to vote against company directors in fossil fuel reliant sectors on both the supply and demand side, and on deforestation.  The guidelines represent a targeted approach to voting and company engagement, to achieve the maximum potential for impact. 

Leanne Clements, Head of Responsible Investment at People’s Partnership, which provides The People’s Pension to 6.7 million UK members, said: 

“Our new Responsible Investment policy has both our members’ views and interests at its very heart. With stewardship firmly under the microscope and the clock running down on critical issues such as climate change, now is the time to be bolder and braver in terms of what we expect of our fund managers. 

“Gone are the days of “tea and cake” engagement – what we want from our fund managers is evidence of a targeted approach to engagement, routed in a robust theory of change to achieve maximum impact.  We want to see evidence that limited stewardship resources are being employed in the most effective way possible, and that fund managers execute robust voting escalation strategies.  As an important complement to our portfolio construction approach on climate change6, we recognise the need to achieve real-world emissions reductions in priority sectors through targeted engagement.” 

Mark Condron, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The People’s Pension, said:

“The main objective is to drive better investment outcomes for our members and our stewardship objective is to encourage investee companies to behave in more responsible and sustainable ways. Hard working pension savers expect asset owners such as us to ensure that their money is invested responsibly, and this report outlines how we are doing just that. Our approach is to ensure both financial value and resilience of our members’ savings, which is why the requirements we have of fund managers are so robust.”

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The People’s Pension moves £15bn of assets into climate aware investment strategies

The People’s Pension1, the leading workplace pension scheme, has today announced the move of £15 billion of its assets under management into climate aware investment strategies – the biggest single move of its kind by a UK master trust.

This means 70% of the Scheme’s main investment fund2 will be aligned to the Paris Agreement goal of keeping warming below 1.5°C3.

The change means the carbon footprint of the investments for the majority of its 6.5 million members has reduced by 30 per cent. This change also results in divestment from companies that produce thermal coal within the assets covered by this new strategy.

The new investment approach4 is designed to adjust the level of investment in companies based upon their exposure to climate risks and opportunities, and tracks regional indices, which aim to exceed the minimum standards of the European Union’s Climate Transition Benchmark5. This means it will have at least a 30 per cent reduction in emissions initially and will further reduce by 7 per cent each year, to be aligned with the target of reaching Net Zero by 2050.

The primary aim of the change is to manage the long-term risks posed to members’ investments by climate change and a green transition, that aren’t currently being priced by the market.

It also means that members can be confident their investments are working toward the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Commenting, Dan Mikulskis, the Chief Investment Officer for People’s Partnership, provider of The People’s Pension, said: “We believe the changes we have announced mean that The People’s Pension is now one of the greenest master trusts in the UK, which is great news for our members. Asset owners like us are uniquely positioned to use our size and influence to ensure our members’ savings are allocated and managed responsibly, and that the companies in which we invest are acting in responsible and sustainable ways.

“Key to our investment philosophy is conviction in what we do – if we really believe in something we want to make it core to our members’ retirement savings, rather than a tick to a box, and that’s what we’ve done here.”

The new investment strategy is designed to deliver even better investment returns for savers.

Commenting, Mark Condron, Chair of The People’s Pension Trustee, said:

“This is a hugely significant moment for The People’s Pension and its 6.5 million members as it reinforces our commitment to tackling climate change through investing.

“Our members can be confident their savings are working towards achieving Net Zero targets and not against it.”

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The People’s Pension becomes UK’s first independent master trust to reach £25bn assets under management

The People’s Pension1 has announced that it has passed £25bn in assets under management (AUM), making it the first independent master trust in the UK to announce the milestone.  

This reinforces its position as the largest independent master trust in the UK, which has been achieved in a little over a decade since it was launched in 2012. Today the scheme, provided by not-for-profit organisation People’s Partnership, serves more than 6.5 million members from over 100,000 employers from all sectors.

Commenting on reaching the milestone AuM figure, Patrick Heath-Lay, Chief Executive Office of People’s Partnership, said:

“Reaching £25 billion assets under management is a significant milestone for The People’s Pension, which has achieved remarkable growth over the past decade or so.

“As an organisation founded for social good, everything we do, we do in the best interests of our members, meaning this latest milestone is great news for them. Our scale enables us to deliver fantastic value, with our members receiving full benefit of our activities. From here the scheme will only continue to grow and we are on track to reach the £50 billion mark in the next five years. We anticipate that this rate of growth will be further accelerated by the steps being taken to consolidate the workplace pension market so that there are fewer, bigger and better value schemes available.

“Our increasing scale and use of our ‘profit for people’ philosophy, gives us the ability to deliver exceptional value and take advantage of a consolidating marketplace.”

Mark Condron, Chair of The People’s Pension Trustee, said: “Scale is incredibly important to pension schemes and the more The People’s Pension continues to grow, the more we can seek to provide even better value for our members.”

The master trust recently outlined its ambition to move from the auto-enrolment space to become a leading workplace pension provider, as it continues to build its proposition with the recent introduction of a new set of retirement planning tools, a financial wellbeing offering, and a member app set to be launched later this year.

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Why more people are choosing to place their trust in master trusts

I’ll always look back on 2022 as a milestone year for the pension industry. This is the year that we marked the 10th anniversary of auto-enrolment, an initiative that has enabled millions of workers around the UK to save more towards their retirement. To be more precise, more than 10.6m people have been auto-enrolled into a pension scheme since auto-enrolment launched1, which is a fantastic achievement. 

This has also been a standout year for all of us at The People’s Pension. Not only are we toasting our own 10th birthday, we’re still growing and now have nearly 6m members enrolled in our scheme. Over the last decade, we’ve helped these members accumulate more than £17bn in pension savings – an incredible feat that’s definitely worth celebrating.

Offering a helping hand in uncertain times

More people than ever are choosing to trust us with their pension savings – and this growth is something we’re seeing among other master trusts as well. Which begs the question, “What’s driving this trend?”

At a closer glance, it seems to me that there are several factors at play here. For example, the current cost of living crisis and economic uncertainty is leading more employers to seek out pension schemes that offer better value and greater stability for their employees. With their low charges, very high standards of governance and transparency, master trusts are, therefore, becoming a more attractive proposition for many.

In addition, new legislation is placing further pressure on schemes to demonstrate the value they’re offering to their members. For instance, the introduction of value for members assessments means certain defined contribution schemes must now self-assess to demonstrate the quality of their governance and administration, among other criteria. If they fail to meet certain standards, they’ll need to make sweeping changes or run the risk of being wound up entirely.

With their larger economies of scale and robust frameworks, master trusts are well-equipped to meet these new challenges. This includes The People’s Pension, the UK’s largest independent master trust. We’re continuously improving our offering to members to help them make more informed choices that will lead them towards a more comfortable retirement.

Looking to the future

This has also been an exciting year on a more personal level. After serving on the Trustee Board for the last 2 years, it’s an honour and a privilege to now be taking on the role of the Chair of the Trustee at The People’s Pension. My predecessor, Steve Delo, has done an outstanding job in the role, and it will be very hard to fill his shoes. He’s been instrumental in building the scheme to where it is today. We place our members at the heart of everything we do – whether this be giving £12m a year back to savers through the rebate on our annual management charge, or providing a carefully selected range of investment options to give people a pension fund that best suits their needs. With the support of the Trustee Board and our excellent in-house Pensions Management team, we’ll maintain the incredibly high standards set by Steve in order to best meet the needs of pension savers.

Our heritage is based upon operating a master trust that strips out complications and simplifies pensions, ensuring members and employers aren’t overwhelmed by complex charging structures and endless fund choices. This is something I’m keen to continue as we move forward. As the UK pension system develops, we’ll evolve alongside it with more tools and services to provide further support to savers.  

Demand for master trusts has never been higher, and it looks certain this trend will continue to grow next year and beyond. With the hard work and dedication of our team and the new measures we’re putting in place, I’m confident those choosing The People’s Pension will find everything they need to secure a better financial future.

[1] Review of the automatic enrolment earnings trigger and qualifying earnings band for 2022/23: supporting analysis – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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This article was written when we were B&CE, before we changed our name to People’s Partnership in November 2022.

New head of Responsible Investment appointed

B&CE, provider of The People’s Pension1 has reinforced its commitment to investing responsibly with a new appointment to its Investment Business Unit.

The organisation, which provides a pension to one in five UK workers, has appointed Leanne Clements as its new Head of Responsible Investment.

Joining from the independent financial think tank, Carbon Tracker Initiative, where she was Head of Stewardship for the UK and EU, Leanne will develop B&CE’s approach to responsible investing in its management and stewardship of members’ investments.

Previously, she was Campaign Manager for The Association for Member Nominated Trustees and held senior responsible investment roles at multiple UK pension schemes.

Commenting on her appointment, Leanne said:

“I’m delighted to join B&CE at such an exciting time in its history, and at a pivotal time for responsible investment more broadly. I’m looking forward to building on the brilliant work the team has already done in this space and putting the best interests of the six million people saving with The People’s Pension, at the heart of our investment decisions.”  

Jonathan Cunliffe, Managing Director of Investments of B&CE, said:

“Leanne’s credentials and experience are first class and we’re so pleased that she has decided to join our expanding team. Responsible investment is at the very heart of what we’re about and her appointment is great news for our members.”

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Retirement crisis predicted as Generation X aren’t saving enough

Millions of people across the UK aren’t saving enough for retirement, with Generation X at risk of falling down a savings gap, warns a leading pension provider.

In 2004, The Pensions Commission1 – set up to review UK private pensions and long-term savings – outlined that people in the UK would need a retirement income equivalent to two thirds of their working income.

Today, a new report from B&CE2, provider of The People’s Pension, based on data taken from the Wealth and Assets Survey3, found that six in 10 (61%)4 households and almost two thirds (63%) of individuals aren’t saving enough to meet that target, with a stark generational divide identified.

The report5, which includes new analysis from the Pensions Policy Institute6, also shows that two thirds (68%) of ‘Generation X’ workers, born between 1965 and 1980, and almost eight in 10 (76%) ‘Millennials’, born between 1981 and 1996, aren’t saving enough. That’s compared with just four in 10 (41%) ‘Baby Boomers’, those born between 1946 and 1964.

Self-employed gardener Jug Judge, 52, from Upper Beeding, West Sussex, doesn’t currently save for a pension.

He said: “I’m not prepared to give up a chunk of my income so that it will benefit me in 10 or 20 years’ time. I don’t think I have the wherewithal to plan for retirement and, at the moment, I consider myself very lucky that I can go out to work five or six days a week for 10 hours a day. I don’t know much about pensions and I am not the sort of character to be looking to the future.”

While Millennials largely have time to make up the shortfall, B&CE, which provides pensions to 1 in 5 workers across the UK, is warning that when Generation X retires in significant numbers, the country will face a retirement crisis. 

It is calling on the pensions industry, employers and trade unions to come together to form a consensus view on how to deal with the issue of under saving, and to produce a clear set of objectives for the UK pension system.

Phil Brown, director of policy at B&CE, said:

“Once Generation X starts to retire in large numbers, the UK could face a retirement savings crisis, with people unable to carry on with anything like their current standard of living.

“While this problem isn’t one that can be solved during the current cost of living crisis, it also shouldn’t be ignored. Government, employers and other stakeholders should look seriously at the UK’s pension framework, to gain consensus on the challenges ahead and set objectives for what sort of outcomes the state pension and workplace saving should look to achieve. 

“We would be in a much worse position if it were not for automatic enrolment, which has dramatically increased the number of people saving for retirement over the past decade, but now it’s time to ensure it reaches its full potential.”

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Note to editors:

1. Pensions adequacy is often defined in terms of replacement rates; the fraction of pre-retirement income that pension income makes up in retirement. The Pensions Commission set a series of replacement rates that are the most commonly accepted definition of pensions adequacy. These replacement rates underpin the policy work that is the basis for automatic enrolment. The replacement rates vary by pre-retirement earnings as someone with a lower income will need to replace a larger fraction of income in retirement in order to reach an adequate standard of living.             

2. B&CE is a not-for-profit organisation, which provides The People’s Pension, a leading workplace pension scheme, serving nearly six million pension savers across the UK. With no shareholders, it uses its profits to help people build financial foundations for life.

3. The Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS) launched in 2006 is a biennial longitudinal survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It measures the well-being of households and individuals in terms of their assets, savings, debt and retirement plans.

4. These figures have been updated from a press release issued by B&CE in May this year.

5. A full copy of the report can be found here

6. The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) does not lobby for any particular solution, and is are not a think-tank taking politically influenced views. The PPI is an educational research charity, and have been providing non-political, independent comment and analysis on pensions policy and retirement income provision in the UK for over 20 years. Its aim is to improve information and understanding about pensions policy and retirement income provision through research and analysis, discussion, and publication. For news and other information about The PPI please visit www.pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk

For further details, contact Blaise Tapp, the media relations manager at B&CE, on 01293 205 004 or blaisetapp@bandce.co.uk

Two appointments made to People’s Investments Limited Board

People’s Investments Limited Board1, the company that oversees the investments operation of B&CE2, the leading pensions provider, has made two new key appointments.

Mark Walker and Dawn Turner have been appointed to the five-person Board, which is responsible for independent oversight of around £18bn in investments for all entities within the B&CE Group, the provider of The People’s Pension.

Dawn is an independent advisor and non-e­­xecutive with expertise in responsible investment, sustainable finance and environmental, social and governance risks. Her other independent and advisory roles include renewable energy, social housing, pension investments as well as being the independent Chair of the Gwent Police Joint Audit Committee.

She was the former Chief Executive of the £30 billion investment management company, Brunel Pension Partnership Ltd, and was previously the Chief Pensions Officer for the Environment Agency Pension Fund. That represented the culmination of a 40-year executive career in the financial services and investment industry spanning across utilities, fashion, retail, manufacturing, leisure and environment sectors.

Mark is Chief Investment Officer of Coal Pension Trustees Services (CPT), the in-house executive responsible for the £22bn of investments of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.

Mark was previously Managing Director and Global Chief Investment Officer of the Univest Company, Unilever’s internal investment group. He has also been a partner at Mercer and was head of the London Investment Consulting Unit.

Dawn said: “As an advocate of better futures for everybody, I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and ensuring that B&CE’s millions of members continue to receive an exemplary service.”

Mark said: “I am delighted to be joining the People’s Investments Limited Board, which plays a vital role in the ongoing success of B&CE and its flagship product, The People’s Pension.”

Jon Cunliffe, Managing Director, Investments of B&CE, said: “Millions of people have put trust in B&CE to invest their savings through our range of products, which means it’s essential that they know their money is well looked after. The appointment of Dawn and Mark, who have so much knowledge and experience between them, is tremendous news for both People’s Investments Limited and our members.”

Ciarán Barr, Chair of People’s Investments Limited, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Dawn and Mark to the Board. Their extensive experience of investment and pensions, along with that of the existing Board members, will be invaluable in supporting our members now and into the future.”

Dawn and Mark will join the existing board of Ciarán Barr, Chair, and other independent non-executive Board members Jez Bezant and Chris Cheetham.

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Notes to editors

  1. The primary functions of the People’s Investments Limited Board are to oversee B&CE’s Investment activities on behalf of the group and its Trustee boards.
  2. B&CE is a not-for-profit organisation, which provides The People’s Pension, a leading workplace pension scheme, serving nearly six million pension savers across the UK. With no shareholders, it uses its profits to help people build financial foundations for life.

Maximising long-term returns using asset allocation

Even in economic good times, investing is a risky activity. Attempting to predict the future and bring together a combination of assets to fit that narrative is a trap to avoid. As recent geopolitical developments highlight, it’s exceptionally difficult to anticipate the evolution of world events, and after a steep fall in markets, it’s tempting to reduce risk by selling equities.

A better, more methodical approach is to estimate long-term returns by asset class and allocate the best mix of different investments to build a portfolio that maximises potential future returns for a given level of risk. As central banks abandon policies, such as quantitative easing, that have dampened market volatility in recent years, forming an educated opinion on future volatility and how the correlations between different asset classes are likely to evolve is a key part of this process.

Equities

For assets that benefit from economic growth – particularly equities – we utilise a combination of analysis of historical inflation-adjusted returns with:

  • expectations of long-term economic growth
  • inflation
  • risk premia
  • current valuation measures.

All this data helps us to draw conclusions about future returns; and the metrics substantiate our view that equities, over the next 10 years, should return 3-4% above inflation, somewhat less than we have seen since 2012.

Bonds

For defensive assets – principally bonds – we think carefully about:

  • low starting yields
  • the progressive unwinding of central bank quantitative easing
  • future inflation-growth trade-off.

Our analysis of this information leads us to believe that bonds will struggle to match inflation over the next decade, and after 3 years of strong returns, we are starting to reduce the interest rate and credit sensitivity of our bond portfolio.

As a result, over the next decade, the inflation-adjusted return of a traditional balanced 60/40 equity bond portfolio is unlikely to exceed 2%, considerably lower than the returns recorded since 2012. So, while this long-term strategic approach to asset allocation removes the risk of short-term price volatility, prospective returns appear moderate at best.

Hybrid investments

A solution to increasing returns in a balanced portfolio is to include hybrid investments in the asset mix at the expense of traditional fixed income. At The People’s Pension, our default investment option invests almost 67% in equities, 20% in bonds, and the rest in real estate and infrastructure investments. These latter 2 asset classes have both equity and bond-like characteristics as they engage in the benefits of economic growth and pricing power while also producing income. Evidence also suggests that they can provide some protection against inflation.

Risk premia strategies

The equity assets we invest in also use risk premia strategies, which comprise:

  • value
  • momentum
  • quality
  • size
  • low volatility.

Here, we employ a rules-based approach to benefit from market inefficiencies caused by investors’ various cognitive biases. We incorporate these strategies in a low-cost way within our members’ overall asset allocation.

The benefits of utilising hybrid assets and a risk premia approach

We estimate that introducing hybrid assets and a risk premia approach into our investment strategy should boost the long-term real return to around 3%, which, compared to a traditional balanced portfolio, is a better return. Obviously, there is no guarantee of future returns, and a combination of geopolitical uncertainty, elevated energy prices, and ongoing supply-side constraints is likely to lead to prolonged volatility, potentially whipsawing (ie the movement of stocks in a volatile market when a stock price will suddenly switch direction) those brave investors keen to trade markets tactically.

Looking forward

Looking to the future, after a weak start to the year, our base case is that economic growth will quicken as we move through 2022. However, inflation will remain a significant margin above the key central banks’ targets, and with wage growth lagging, real incomes will be squeezed. This time round, central banks will not be able to ‘look through’ unfavourable inflationary outcomes and there will be monetary policy tightening. Higher interest rates will be driven primarily by the authorities’ desire to ensure inflation expectations do not drift and cause a repeat of the 1970’s experience. Currently, financial markets are giving central banks the benefit of the doubt in their attempt to engineer a soft landing for inflation in 2023 while maintaining reasonable economic growth, and this remains our baseline scenario. Ifthis occurs, financial markets should recover lost ground as we head through this year. However, if central banks lose control of the inflationary narrative, expect further weakness in markets.   

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This article was written when we were B&CE, before we changed our name to People’s Partnership in November 2022.

New Head of Risk and Performance appointed

B&CE, provider of The People’s Pension, has strengthened its investments expertise with the appointment of a new Head of Risk and Performance.

Shakeel Ahmad joins the UK’s largest independent master trust from F&C/BMO Global Asset Management, where he was Head of Investment Risk. He has previously held the same position at JP Morgan and spent four years at ABN Amro Asset Management as Head of Risk Management for fixed income and FX. He has also previously held risk and performance-related roles across multiple asset classes at various investment houses.

At B&CE, which provides The People’s Pension to one in five workers, almost 6 million people, across the UK, Shakeel joins a growing investments team which oversees assets under management of more than £17 billion, alongside asset manager State Street Global Advisors.

Commenting on his appointment, he said:

“I’m delighted to have joined B&CE at such an exciting time in its history. I’m looking forward to working with a hugely talented investment team, which has the shared aim of making the right choices for the millions of members of The People’s Pension.”

Jon Cunliffe, managing director, investments at B&CE, said:

“We’re delighted that Shakeel has brought his wealth of knowledge and experience to B&CE. He shares B&CE’s values and is committed to putting the member at the heart of every decision made and helping them to build financial foundations for life.”

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