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Pensions & benefits

Pension risk transfer

When it comes to transferring pension risk there is only one chance to get it right.

Our clients have the confidence they're working with highly experienced, leading pension risk transfer industry experts. We can help on the whole journey, from designing pensions endgame strategy, effective preparation, deal structuring and negotiation, and managing a seamless post-transaction process – whether that be for a buy-in, buy-out, superfund transfer or longevity swap.

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Your goals and your members’ experience are at the heart of everything we do

LCP's experience in lead transaction adviser role

  • Deals over £100m in the last decade

    140+ buy ins/outs
    Over 40% more than the next leading advisory firm
  • Deals under £100m in the last decade

    130+ buy ins/outs
  • Buy-in/buy-out market share in 2023

    28%
    by volume
  • Buy-in/buy-out market share in 2024

    30%
    by volume (estimated)

Take a market-leading approach

As funding positions improve, more schemes are looking to insurance. As market volumes reach record levels, insurers are increasingly selective over which transactions they participate in. It’s more important than ever that to partner with an experienced pension risk transfer adviser, who can achieve traction in a busy marketplace and deliver the best outcomes for scheme members and other stakeholders.

LCP consistently advises on more transactions than any other adviser – from schemes of a few £m to the largest deals in the market. This gives us unparalleled visibility of pricing, terms and structuring innovations, and practical knowledge to ensure a smooth process. See here for more information on LCP's credentials and how we compare with other advisers. 

We leverage our strong, trusted relationships with insurers and reinsurers, to ensure our clients receive strong engagement. Our tried-and-tested streamlined process for buy-ins and buy-outs means even the smallest schemes can have confidence in a successful process.

  • Largest ever single buy-in transaction

    £6.5bn
    RSA Insurance Group
  • Largest ever full scheme insurance

    £7.5bn
    British Steel Pension Scheme
  • Largest ever volume of buy-ins

    £10bn
    ICI Pension Fund

Why LCP?

Well-resourced team

Our experienced and committed 60-strong core transaction team has the capacity to deliver your transaction within your desired timescales.

Strong relationships

Our proven track-record for well-run deals increases the chance insurers participate and prioritise your scheme.

Highly effective transactions

Deep experience, combined with strong project management, will ensure a smooth process with exceptional pricing and terms.

Specialist adviser

We slot in seamlessly with existing teams, providing unbiased advice with a sole focus on achieving your pension risk transfer objectives.

Insurer-side experience

Our team includes people who have held senior positions at insurers and reinsurers, as well within insurers’ administration teams. Their knowledge and personal insights are embedded within our transaction processes.

A joined-up, multi-disciplinary team

We work closely with other LCP specialists to provide you with holistic end-to-end advice, covering endgame strategy, data services, longevity modelling, post-transaction support, and member communications, as well as comprehensive due diligence on insurer financial strength, ESG credentials and administration capabilities.

Curious about pension risk transfer?

An insurance buy-in transaction involves purchasing a policy from an insurance company that matches the benefits due from the pension scheme. This policy is held as an asset of the scheme and provides a regular income to the scheme to cover the benefit payments that need to be made to members. It is a step towards eventually buying out the benefits completely with the insurance company ahead of winding up the scheme.

Pension scheme trustees may choose to “buy-out” some or all of their scheme’s expected future benefit payments by purchasing a bulk (ie one covering many individuals) annuity contract from an insurance company. The insurer then becomes responsible for meeting pension benefits due to scheme members (effected ultimately by allocating an individual annuity contract to each scheme member). Following a full buy-out, (ie one covering all scheme members) and having discharged all of the trustees’ liabilities, the pension scheme would normally be wound up.

Moving a scheme to wind-up is a complex process involving a number of interdependent workstreams and requires a thorough understanding of the processes involved. Key trustee steps to help ensure a seamless transition are:

  • Agreeing clear project plans, budgets and regular reporting with all parties to ensure a smooth move to wind-up.
  • Drawing on experienced project management support to help navigate the many interdependent workstreams.
  • Obtaining practical advice from experienced specialists on technical areas and common issues.
  • Initiating early discussions with the sponsor to ensure robust trustee protections at the end of the wind-up process.

A pension scheme wind-up may occur for various reasons, such as the sponsoring employer choosing to close the scheme or being unable to financially support it. Many defined benefit schemes are now closed to new members and have stopped building up new benefits. For lots of these schemes, increasing interest rates in recent years have significantly improved funding levels, and made it more affordable to secure insurance for all members’ benefits and wind-up the scheme.

Get in touch

If you would like to know more about our services and how we can help you with pensions and benefits.

Contact us

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