Actuaries play a key role advising on company pension schemes, which range from defined benefit, through risk-sharing, to defined contribution schemes set up under trust or contract. Actuaries advise pension scheme trustees and sponsoring companies, on issues including scheme funding, investment, accounting for pensions, scheme design, managing risk, defined contribution options and corporate transactions (where the pension scheme can fundamentally affect the outcome). Sometimes they advise scheme members, for example when complicated options arise due to tax changes or changes in their company’s pension arrangements.

Actuaries work with other specialists such as pensions lawyers and administrators to help keep schemes running well and meeting the needs of employers and scheme members. Throughout the ups and downs of the investment market and with rapidly changing legislation, regulation and guidance, an actuary is at hand to provide specialist advice, making financial sense of the future.

The Pensions Practice Executive Committee gives strategic direction to the profession's activities in the pensions arena. Through its subgroups, it provides resources and services to actuaries working in pensions. .

For enquiries about the work of the Pensions Practice Executive Committee, contact the Practice Manager, Martin Hewitt on +44 (0)20 7632 2185, or at martin.hewitt@actuaries.org.uk