In this introduction, Steven Taylor considers how for sponsors of large, increasingly well funded schemes, the next round of pensions strategy decision making could be the most crucial yet. Whilst working collaboratively with trustees, sponsors will need to Lead the Way.

An insurance solution is a desirable endgame for many sponsors. Helen Draper discusses how for some an insurance buy-in may be closer than they think and sets out the planning steps they can take with trustees to best position their schemes.

The Pension Schemes Act 2021 introduced key new requirements for sponsors. Laura Amin describes how companies will need to respond to these challenges and that for some, the new rules could drive a desire for an early insurance exit.

Contingent funding has become an integral part of many large schemes’ self-sufficiency strategies. In this article Katie Peto describes how these mechanisms can help protect both sponsor and trustees over the long-term against upside and downside risks, often providing a win-win solution for all parties.

With their schemes increasingly well-funded, a key goal for many sponsors will be managing either a journey towards insurance or how best to manage (or dare we say it “access”) surpluses that arise. In this article, David Wrigley discusses how the former can be best managed and how the latter is driving innovation in funding and investment approaches.