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Defined Benefit (DB) pensions quarterly webinars

9th September 2026 | 9:30 AM BST

This webinar will include a detailed economic overview and updates of the DB market, highlighting key macroeconomic trends including interest rates, inflation, funding levels, and the current liability and asset pricing environment.

Following these updates there will be 30-minute sessions on topics which are highly relevant to DB schemes.

Agenda
09.30 – 09.45: Economic overview

09.45 – 10.00: DB Market overview

10.00 – 10.30: Surplus: What the recent government consultations mean for trustees and sponsors

With six months to go until April 2027 join Marsh's surplus team to hear their views on the recent government consultations, the implications for trustees and sponsors, and the steps you need to consider as April approaches. The team will also touch on current market opportunities and whether some pension schemes should be moving quicker than others.

10.30 – 11.00:
Climate transition planning: A practical tool for journey planning and covenant strategy

The Government's manifesto and 2025 consultation signal that mandatory Paris-aligned transition plans may be on the way for UK pension schemes and FTSE 100 sponsors. This session explores how climate transition planning goes beyond compliance to strengthen trustee decision-making across funding, investment and covenant. We cover how climate scenario analysis can stress-test journey plans, how sponsor and insurer transition plans affect risk budgets, and how run-on schemes can spot correlation risk before it hits funding and covenant simultaneously. We also examine transition planning's role in surplus-sharing, refinancing, M&A and consolidator transactions.

11.00 – 11.30: AVCs on Buyout: Delivering Practical Solutions

AVCs can become a key issue as schemes move toward buy-in and buyout, particularly where trustees need to consider complex policy features without delaying the wider transaction. This session will focus on the main challenges and practical solution options for AVCs, including policies with guarantees and cases where only a very small number of members are involved. We will highlight the key decision points trustees should consider early, and how the right approach can help avoid unnecessary complications later in the buyout journey.
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