top of page


DB Trustee Checklist: Is "Wait and See" a Surplus Governance Strategy?
If you're a trustee of a DB scheme in surplus, you're probably being cautious about distribution. That's understandable - it's safer to wait, see what others do, avoid being first-movers. But here's the question: Are you being appropriately cautious because you have a robust framework telling you to wait? Or are you defaulting to inaction because you lack  a framework to make confident decisions? There's a crucial difference. Use this checklist to assess which camp you're in.

Charles Marandu
Nov 145 min read
Â
Â
Â


Case Study: Boutique Asset Manager
Helping a new entrant to gain insight, manage risk and drive marketability for a new product. Background  Boutique asset manager looking to launch a new alternatives investment product providing capital direct-to-consumer. Transformational business model intending to disrupt an established industry. Capital to be supplied by institutional investors, including UK pension funds in exchange for income and capital returns.   Early engagement occured ahead of the launch of the

Charles Marandu
Oct 16, 20242 min read
Â
Â
Â


How distributable is your DB surplus?
How distributable is your scheme's current DB surplus? This interactive tool helps to illuminate this

Synthesis Enterprise Analytics
Oct 151 min read
Â
Â
Â


Isn't Surplus Management the same as Journey Planning?
"Isn't Surplus Management the same as Journey Planning - why do anything different?"Â As a pioneer of the Journey Planning approach...

Charles Marandu
Sep 232 min read
Â
Â
Â


The Centrality of Covenant in DB Surplus Management: From Principles to Practice
Why is covenant central to managing DB pension surpluses? Find out more in this post

Charles Marandu
Sep 52 min read
Â
Â
Â


How much surplus will be released from UK DB Schemes?
EXCLUSIVE - How much will DB schemes release in surplus? Our view differs from the UK Government- we explain here why.

Charles Marandu
Jun 273 min read
Â
Â
Â


The DB Endgame - To Buyout or To Run-on?
EXCLUSIVE - How should DB scheme trustees and sponsors think about the trade offs between buyout and run-on endgames?

Charles Marandu
May 235 min read
Â
Â
Â


A Strategic Framework for DB Surplus Management- White Paper
EXCLUSIVE - White paper introducing a dynamic and strategic Surplus Management Framework to help Trustees and Sponsor navigate the balance between asset distribution and member security.

Charles Marandu
Mar 185 min read
Â
Â
Â


Consolidation in UK Pensions - video discussion
A discussion of the trends, potential benefits and drawbacks of consolidation in UK pensions

Charles Marandu
Jul 26, 20241 min read
Â
Â
Â


Diversification? Are We Having a LTAF?
Traditionally, UK DC pension schemes have focused on investing in daily-traded assets like listed equities and bonds. This focus limited...

Charles Marandu
May 3, 20244 min read
Â
Â
Â


Governance and the Art of Organisational Success
Over the years I have worked closely with pension fund chairs and trustee boards in a wide range of situations - from the best of times...

Charles Marandu
Apr 24, 20243 min read
Â
Â
Â


Leveraging an Investment Portfolio - Not a Free Lunch!
The Financial Times (FT) recently published an article highlighting that 8 large US pension plans with assets totalling circa $1.5trn are...

Synthesis Enterprise Blog
Jan 22, 20242 min read
Â
Â
Â


Are Pension Funds Considering Bitcoin allocations?
Bitcoin (BTC) is the world’s original and most highly valued of the cryptocurrencies, and one which continues to grow over time in...

Synthesis Enterprise Blog
Dec 4, 20233 min read
Â
Â
Â


Mansion House Reforms and the Generation of DB Surplus
In 2023, the UK Government announced its intention to act to unlock barriers to investment in productive private assets such as UK...

Synthesis Enterprise Blog
Nov 27, 20232 min read
Â
Â
Â
bottom of page
