In the first issue of our new-look XPS Pensions News, we look at how trustees should respond to the current demand for transfers out of defined benefit schemes, and what actions they can take to minimise the risk of members making poor decisions.
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) estimates that 100,000 transfers out of defined benefit (DB) schemes took place in the 2017/18 financial year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published figures showing that £34bn was transferred out of occupational pension funds in 2017, a massive increase on the £13bn that was transferred out in each of the two previous years,with a record £10.6bn being transferred out just in the first quarter of 2018.
The key drivers for this trend have been the continuing high level of DB transfer values (as shown by the XPS Pensions Group Transfer Value Index) and the desire of members to be able to transfer out to access the flexibility available in defined contribution (DC) schemes. It is also possible that the number of ‘bad news’ stories about DB pensions, from BHS to Carillion, have contributed to some ‘rogue’ advisers seeking to encourage members to transfer out. Post ‘freedom and choice’, transferring out may sometimes be the right decision for DB pension scheme members who want to access the flexibility available in a DC arrangement, but there are risks of members being poorly advised, and even transferring their benefits into scam vehicles.