The Pensions Act 2004 introduced a requirement for trustees to be conversant with key documents relating to their pension schemes and to have knowledge and understanding of pensions and trust law and of the principles of scheme funding and investment.

The Pensions Regulator has issued ‘Trustee Knowledge & Understanding - The Foundation Indicative Syllabus’ which sets out principles with which trustees should be familiar and associated Guidance that sets out how trustees should go about meeting these requirements.

The Punter Southall Trustee Development Scorecard can be used to assess the training needs of individual and groups of trustees against the Pensions Regulator’s syllabus.  The scores from each trustee are reviewed and an appropriate programme of trustee training and development can be put together for the trustees.

Punter Southall also runs a range of trustee training courses from introductory training courses aimed at trustees who have not yet received any training or who wish to enhance their existing knowledge, through to advanced courses aimed at trustees who have had prior training and experience and wish to consider more detailed aspects of their responsibilities, particularly with regard to investment, to bespoke courses for trustee groups.

Please see the Events & Seminars section of our website for more details.

Punter Southall also worked with the Trustee & Pension Management Association (TPMA) to develop their ‘Introductory Course for Pension Trustees’ which covers all the areas specified by the Pensions Regulator.  The ‘Pension Trustees – Knowledge & Understanding’ book is also available.  Please see the TPMA’s website for more information: www.tpmaglobal.com