Data helps us make better decisions whether it’s as simple as avoiding traffic on the way to work, or more complex decisions like choosing your next home. In a digital world we have become increasing reliant on using data to make more informed decisions. This equally applies to your pension scheme; do you have a gender pensions gap, how does your scheme compare to your industry, what are your members likely to get in retirement? Join us as we explore some of these topics using our award-winning digital data and insight platform to understand how today’s challenges are shaping tomorrow’s trends and predict what this might mean for our industry.

Helping a generation of savers plan for retirement is one of the most pressing challenges and responsibilities we face in the UK. Building portfolios that will deliver on these outcomes requires investors to think differently about how they construct portfolios. At BlackRock, we believe that incorporating private assets into defined contribution (DC) strategies could improve potential outcomes for savers through a diversified, well managed pool of assets spanning infrastructure, private equity, private credit and real estate – all with sustainable processes integrated throughout.

Join Dominic Byrne, Head of DC Strategy for EMEA and Hannah Wallis, Product Strategist for BlackRock Multi-Alternatives as they discuss the role in which private asset play, major challenges to overcome and building solutions to meet the needs of the member.

Emerging market countries are among the key beneficiaries of progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Can alignment of ‘what’ companies do be combined with ‘how’ they do it, to deliver profitable, sustainable outcomes that bring about real change? What are the obstacles to achieving this and how can we overcome them?

It is clear that DC schemes and their members have a growing appetite to invest in ‘sustainable’ companies. Fund managers commonly use environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores to decide which firms qualify, but these metrics can be problematic.

This session will consider the questions that we should consider in order to avoid being led astray be ESG risk scores.

While the pension industry places significant emphasis on investment strategy, governance, regulation, and member engagement, it often overlooks the crucial aspect of supporting members as they approach retirement. This presentation aims to address this and highlight the importance of assisting members during this critical phase. We cannot afford to leave members feeling stranded and ill-prepared.

Fortunately, the industry has witnessed remarkable advancements and provisions that can be leveraged to support retirees effectively. It is a matter of uncovering these solutions and implementing them. As retirees increasingly rely on their pension income for extended periods, spanning 20, 30, or even 40 years, the industry must adopt a holistic approach that goes beyond merely accumulating funds, focusing instead on ensuring members can sustain their livelihoods.

During this session, we will explore the following key questions:

• How can we adequately prepare members for retirement?
• What responsibilities do trustees bear towards their members?
• What support is necessary to ensure trustees effectively assist members in maximizing their retirement income?

A significantly higher proportion of your membership will get information about your pension scheme from sources that they trust, but which you might not. In this session we look at the ’noise’ around pensions and understand how to ensure your members get the right information to help them plan.