Hard to believe we’re already halfway through the year! And it’s certainly proving to be a productive one for us here in CIS. From implementing service enhancements to forging key industry partnerships, we continue to build a platform proposition that meets the evolving needs of our trustee clients and their advisors.
Read on to find out more about the latest developments across the CIS business and in our market.
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New fund launches
With access to funds from more than 70 different fund manager groups, we regularly update our fund offering to ensure it meets the specific investment needs of the schemes we work with.
Over the past few months, we’ve added a number of new funds to the platform to support best-in-class investment solutions for trustees and their members. Recent additions include:
- abrdn American Equity Tracker Fund: Find out more
- Gresham House Multi Cap Income Fund: Find out more
- LGIM Under 5 Year Index Linked Gilts: Find out more
You can download our latest fund list here.
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Industry events
We continue to engage with our market to gain a deeper understanding of current and future challenges and changing trends, and to offer insights and solutions from a platform perspective.
In April, Strategic Relations and Business Development Manager Kieron Snow took part in Capita’s second roundtable of the year on the challenges and opportunities of DC investing, this time focusing on the decumulation or ‘spending’ phase. The discussions are summarized in a briefing note, which is available to access here.
In May, Head of CIS Jess Williams took part in Invesco’s DC roundtable, which brought together industry experts to discuss the latest regulations and trends shaping DC investment strategies throughout the member journey – from growth through to retirement and beyond. We look forward to sharing a summary of the conversation and conclusions reached once these have been published.
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CIS events
Earlier this month we hosted a thought leadership event that focused on Building Better Retirement Solutions for DC Savers.
Joined by a panel of experts - Tom Lovett, Head of FNZ Q-Hub, Richard Parkin, Head of Retirement at BNY Mellon Investment Management, and Mike Ambery, Retirement and Savings Director at Phoenix Group – we explored some of the challenges facing the industry when it comes to plugging the retirement solutions gap. We also discussed a number of options that are already available – or are being developed – to convert accumulated funds into a sustainable source of retirement income.
In case you missed it, you can access the event recording here.
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Industry insights – SDR and anti-greenwashing
Two new sets of regulations introduced this year – the anti-greenwashing rule and sustainable disclosure requirements (SDR) – aim to improve understanding of the sustainability features of investment products. However, there is still some uncertainty around how and when they will impact pension schemes.
In our latest blog for the DC Investment Forum (DCIF), Head of CIS Jess Williams discusses the key points for DC investors, including the use of new investment labels that aim to improve the consistency of naming and marketing of sustainable investments across the industry.
You can read the article in full here.
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Race for Life
Earlier this month the CIS team took part in the Battersea Park 5K Race for Life. We were joined by a number of clients, consultants and fund manager partners who ran, jogged or walked alongside us to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
Thank you to everyone who joined us on the night or sponsored us – we’ve smashed our fundraising targets and all donations will be matched by Phoenix Group.
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Looking ahead
Over the summer we’ll be completing the build of our new client reporting portal, which will provide secure, on-demand access to new and historic scheme reporting. More on this early in the Autumn, when we’ll be able to share details of the planned rollout.
We’re also looking forward to partnering with the PMI once again to host an exciting roundtable event on Securing the future for Britain’s lost generation of pensions. We’ll be joined by guest speaker Catherine Foot, who is Director of Phoenix Insights - a new think tank set up by Phoenix Group to transform the way society responds to the possibilities of longer lives. We have limited spaces available, so please do get in touch if this is of interest.
In the meantime, we’re hoping for some sunshine over the summer months! If you’re taking time off for a well-earned holiday, or simply looking forward to spending time with friends and family, we hope you have wonderful break and look forward to catching up with you all in the Autumn.