Events, seminars and conferences: Sept 2008 onwards

Trustee Self Assessment – Tools and Guidance
NAPF ‘hot topic’ seminar

Self assessment of pension trustees is an essential way of improving scheme governance and the quality of pension provision for members. The next NAPF Hot Topic seminar, to be held on 15 September 2008, aims to share best practice and promote understanding on this important issue.

Seminar highlights include:

Tools you can trust: The NAPF outlines its thinking on good practice and trustee self assessment including a set of new ‘user friendly’ tools.

Theory into practice: A panel of trustee chairs discusses the role of trustee self assessment including a case study on how it can be undertaken in practice.

Guidance on good governance: A leading expert provides a personal view on the current key issues in trustee governance.

Regulatory view: The key challenges for scheme governance posed by the revised Myners Principles.

Join an audience of pension scheme executives, trustees and industry experts. The seminar will run from 10:00am (registration from 09:30) until 1:30 pm followed by a hot buffet lunch at the NAPF’s offices in Tothill Street, Westminster. Refreshments will also be provided as part of the programme.

Registration for “Trustee Self Assessment – Tools and Guidance” begins from just £80 for pension fund members and non-professional trustees. There are a limited number of places available so please book yours now at http://www.napf.co.uk/Seminars/Register.cfm

Defined contribution pensions: helping your members get the best out of their scheme – Aon Consulting

As employers and trustees start to see more members of defined contribution (DC) schemes reach retirement, increasingly with greater funds, they will want to help members make the best decisions to maximise their retirement income.

Once seen as a 'risk-free' option – by employers in particular – it is now recognised that DC schemes do pose risks, most notably in the potential that they won’t deliver to members’ expectations. This applies equally to trust and contract-based plans.

The good news for both scheme sponsors and trustees is that there are relatively easy, low-cost solutions to this and other risks.

Aon Consulting’s forthcoming DC seminar will enable you to:
• Understand the latest thinking on Personal Accounts, first-hand from the PPI presenting their latest research;
• Understand how governance can work in practice, with some examples identifying the Pensions Regulator’s guidance for employers and trustees;
• Deliver cost-effective and successful pre-retirement communications, enabling members to make the right decisions at retirement;
• Ensure members get the best annuity rate, boosting their pension and hence their satisfaction with the benefit provided.

Dates and locations
All seminars are morning sessions, running 9am – 11.30am.
Brighouse: Tuesday 23 September
Edinburgh: Wednesday 24 September
Bristol: Tuesday 30 September
London: Wednesday 1 October
Birmingham: Thursday 2 October

To register to attend a seminar, or for more information on locations, please see our DC Seminars website, http://www.online-reg.co.uk/aonconsultingseminars/
When registering, please quote the reference number DCSEP

Gissings is running a number of seminars in the forthcoming months. Details below for your information:

Managing investment risk for pensions schemes
Wednesday 10th September 2008
09.00 - 10.30

Pre-retirement planning
Monday 22nd September 2008
09.30 - 16.30

Managing risks and liabilities in the social housing sector
Wednesday 15th October 2008
09.00 - 11.15

Pre-retirement planning
Tuesday 4th November 2008
09.30 - 16.30

Preparing for 2012
Wednesday 26th November 2008
09.00 - 10.45

Protecting your pension position
Wednesday 21st January 2009
09.00 - 11.45

For further information, please visit the Gissings' website http://www.gissings.co.uk/seminar.aspx?id=394&type=Seminars

Capital Creation London 2008 - Cutting Edge Strategies for Generating High Returns in 2009
11-12 December 2008 The Dorchester, London

Ensuring that you have a robust private equity portfolio is a must in the current economic environment. Capital Creation London 2008 will explore how private equity investments and strategies have faired this year, what has worked and what has not and why. Our expert speaker facility will impart to delegates insights and forecasts for the economy on a national, regional and global level, analysing what industries and sectors hold promise and how private equity investment models and portfolios must evolve in order to ensure high returns in the year to come.

Get the latest on:
• Looking into the future; where will the biggest growth be and where can the highest returns be made?
• Actively managing your portfolio to ensure that it continues to outperform the market
• Finding leverage in 2009 for private equity deals
• Effectively fundraising in 2009 to meet your funding deadlines
• Putting capital to work to optimise private equity returns & build recession proof portfolios

Call the booking hotline on +44 (0)20 7368 9465 or visit Capital Creation London

Barnett Waddingham’s Seminar Programme 2008/9
Seminar topics

September 2008 – Risk sharing pension schemes
Exploring the middle ground between DB (the employer bears all the risks) and DC (the employee bears all the risks).

October 2008 – Life expectancy
Barnett Waddingham considers the latest investigations and trends in longevity.

November 2008 – Pension benefits for senor executives
Summarising how the new tax regime has affected the provision of pension benefits for senior executives, outlining the actions needed to be taken by 5 April 2009 and discussing the pension planning opportunities that are available for senior executives.

January 2009 – IAS19 and FRS17 update
The latest developments in accounting standards including a review of the assumptions used to value pension liabilities for accounting purposes and how these assumptions are set.

February 2009 – How to manage investment risk
Diversification – new opportunities for an old idea.

March 2009 – Selling pension liabilities
Barnett Waddingham looks at the options available to those companies trying to off-load some or all of their pension liabilities.

April 2009 – Scheme Funding
The second round of actuarial valuations under the “Scheme Funding” regime is underway. Barnett Waddingham review experience to date and the funding issues facing trustees and employers in the future. They also consider the approach taken by the Pensions Regulator and whether this approach is changing.

May 2009 – Raising standards in pension administration
People, IT systems, procedures, risk controls and member communication are all important, but don’t forget the data!

Please see http://www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/about/index.aspx?did=38 for more details.

vent To have your industry events listed for free in Pensions Age magazine or on the Pensions Age website email marek.handzel@pensions-age.com or ellie.bennett@pensonsage.com