Mercer DC Master Trust puts your pension savings in safe hands

At Mercer we use our expertise and global experience to deliver a workplace defined contribution (DC) pension that achieves good retirement outcomes for members. Our DC master trust manages your savings and helps you plan for your retirement.
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What is a DC master trust?

A DC master trust is a workplace pension scheme that looks after the retirement savings of employees from multiple employers.

Master trusts are looked after by professional trustees and operate within strict regulations to ensure their members’ savings are protected and managed to the highest standard. The Mercer DC Master Trust is one of only 36 authorised master trusts in the UK.

Pooling multiple pension arrangements together delivers cost savings to you while also providing lots of market-leading tools to help you plan and support your financial wellbeing in retirement.

A comparison between pension schemes outside of, and in a master trust

A comparison between pension schemes outside of, and in a master trust. An employer's scheme outside of a master trust has its own trustee board and members. A master trust has multiple employers but collective trustees and members.
A comparison between pension schemes outside of, and in a master trust. An employer's scheme outside of a master trust has its own trustee board and members. A master trust has multiple employers but collective trustees and members.

Our DC master trust helps you secure the retirement you deserve

Mercer is a large global consultancy firm, employing more than 25,000 colleagues in over 40 countries.

At Mercer we have over 25 years’ experience of running master trusts around the world. We’ve been doing it since 2014 in the UK.

The primary role of the Mercer DC Master Trust is to ensure your pension savings are well looked after and to help you fund the retirement you deserve.

If you’re a member of the Mercer DC Master Trust, you can view and manage your retirement savings via our Mercer Money website and app.

Mercer Money can help you see the big picture by letting you securely connect all your financial accounts to create an overview of your finances in near real-time, across all devices.

When it comes to investing their retirement savings, some people prefer to have the work done for them and others like to take control and set their own strategy. The investment choices we offer you are designed to cater for all members, regardless of where they sit on this spectrum. All members benefit from access to Mercer’s proven investment expertise.

If you don’t want to choose your investments

If you don’t select an investment option in the Mercer DC Master Trust, your retirement savings will be invested in the Mercer SmartPath™.

This investment strategy is designed to build your retirement savings throughout your working life and then gradually reduce your exposure to risk as you approach retirement.

As the date you are due to start taking your retirement savings nears, your savings will be switched to a fund that reflects:

  • The way you intend to take your retirement savings
  • When you will start to take them
Diagram shows investment strategy options for pre and post 8 years to retirement. When there is more than 8 years to retirement then growth/balance risk fund is shown options following that are target drawdown, target annuity, target cash. When there 8 years or less to retirement options following that are target drawdown, target annuity, target cash.

Setting your own investment strategy

If you prefer to choose your own investments, the Mercer DC Master Trust has you covered. It has a broad fund range that is monitored and regularly updated to reflect Mercer’s best investment ideas.

This includes a choice of funds to suit all attitudes to risk and funds that invest in all the main types of investment assets.

  • Mercer Defensive Fund
  • Mercer Moderate Growth Fund
  • Mercer Growth Fund
  • Mercer High Growth Fund

  • Mercer Active UK Equity Fund
  • Mercer Active Global Equity Fund
  • Mercer Active Global Low Volatility Equity Fund
  • Mercer Active Global Small Cap Equity Fund
  • Mercer Sustainable Global Equity Fund
  • Mercer Active Emerging Markets Equity Fund
  • Mercer Active Emerging Markets Debt Fund
  • Mercer Active UK Property Fund
  • Mercer Absolute Return Fixed Income Fund
  • Mercer Global Listed Infrastructure Equity Fund
  • Mercer Cash / Mercer Active Money Market Fund

  • Mercer Diversified Growth Fund
  • Mercer Passive Global Equity Fund
  • Mercer Passive UK Equity Fund
  • Mercer Passive Overseas Equity Fund
  • Mercer Passive Emerging Markets Equity Fund
  • Mercer Shariah Fund
  • Mercer Passive Over 5 Year Index-Linked Gilt Fund
  • Mercer Passive Over 15 Year Gilt Fund
  • Mercer Passive UK Corporate Bond Fund
  • Mercer Passive Sustainable Global Equity Fund
  • Mercer Pre-Retirement Fund
  • Mercer Inflation-Linked Pre-Retirement Fund
  • Mercer Diversified Retirement Fund

Your retirement savings are invested for a long time and could become one of the most valuable pots of money you have. We recognise that many members care about the wider impact their investments have, which is why the Mercer DC Master Trust only uses funds that are invested responsibly.

Responsible investment ensures that environmental, social & governance (ESG) factors (both risks and opportunities) are taken into consideration when making investment decisions. It is also about engaging with the companies in which your savings are invested.

Net-zero commitment

Consistent with our sustainable investment approach, we have committed to a target of net-zero absolute carbon emissions by 20501 for our multi-asset funds and plan to reduce portfolio carbon emissions by at least 45% from 2019 baseline levels by 20302. This includes the Mercer Growth Fund used within our default investment option.

1Defined as absolute carbon emissions, per $1 million of assets under management and Scope 1&2 emissions.

2Per dollar of assets under management. While the funds continue to maintain an investment objective of seeking long-term growth of capital and income, they also promote environmental characteristics through progressive decarbonisation with a view to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

If you’ve been approached by someone offering to “unlock” your retirement savings before you reach age 55, or promising guaranteed high investment returns if you transfer your pension pot, you’ve probably been contacted by a scammer.

These scams are widespread and have left thousands of Britons out of pocket in their retirement. In 2017 alone, Action Fraud reported hearing from 253 people who, between them, had lost £23 million to pension scammers. That’s an average loss of £91,000 per victim.

If you’ve been tempted by an offer to transfer your pension savings it’s essential you check it’s legitimate. Once you’ve handed over your savings it will probably be too late to act.

The Financial Conduct Authority website fca.org.uk/scamsmart explains how pension scams work, how to avoid them and what to do if you suspect you’re being targeted by a scammer. It also provides a warning list of firms known to be running scams or operating without authorisation.

If you’ve applied to transfer your pension savings elsewhere but are having doubts about the legitimacy of the transaction, contact your plan administrator to see if they’re able to stop the transfer before it takes place.

Five tell-tale signs of a pension scam

  1. You’ve received a cold call or another unsolicited message about releasing your pension savings.
  2. You’ve been told you must act quickly because the offer’s only available for a limited period.
  3. You’ve been promised returns that seem too good to be true.
  4. You’ve been approached by someone claiming to be from Pension Wise, the Money and Pensions Service, or another legitimate sounding organisation.
  5. The contact details for the organisation the person claims to be from are mobile numbers or a PO box postal address.

Protect yourself

You should consult an authorised financial adviser before making any irreversible decisions like transferring your pension pot.

This information is based on our current understanding of legislation, taxation and HMRC practice which may change in the future. It is for information only and is not personal financial advice. If you require financial advice you should seek this from an authorised financial adviser. The value of investments can go down as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest.
The Mercer DC Master Trust puts your pension in the safe hands of our experts. It invests your savings to guide you towards the retirement you deserve and help you manage your money now and after you stop work.
Tom Curtis

Workplace Savings Strategy & Commercial Leader

Get started to make the most of the Mercer DC Master Trust

If your employer’s pension scheme is part of our DC master trust, here’s a checklist to help you make the most of the benefits it offers.

  • Sign up for Mercer Money to manage the full range of your finances – from savings to payments – and track your journey to retirement.
  • Link your pension accounts to get a consolidated view of your position today, and use our modelling tools to see if you are on track for the future you deserve.
  • Consider whether you want to choose your own investments or let Mercer SmartPath guide you towards retirement.
  • If you want to choose your investments, find out about the range of funds available to you in the Mercer DC Master Trust.
  • Read up on protecting your pension from scammers. Don’t make any decision about transferring your pension pot without talking to an authorised financial adviser.

These actions will help you plan your future, protect your savings and work towards the retirement you hope to achieve.

Contact details

If you are a member of the Mercer Master Trust you can log in to view your retirement savings using the details provided to you on any documentation we have sent to you. If you are in doubt, contact the HR department at your employer.

Important notice:

This information is based on our current understanding of legislation, taxation and HMRC practice which may change in the future. It is for information only and is not personal financial advice. If you require financial advice you should seek this from an authorised financial adviser. The value of investments can go down as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest.
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