Transfer figures soar as £10bn leaves DB schemes in three months

'Intense scrutiny'

Hope William-Smith
clock • 2 min read

Close to £10bn was transferred out of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the last quarter of 2019, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This figures came as part of ONS data released on Monday (29 June) that also showed the total was over £5bn higher for Q4 than in Q3 last year. The ONS data also revealed a total £127bn has now been transferred out of UK occupational schemes since 2015. AJ Bell senior analyst Tom Selby said: "The scale of individual DB transfer activity in recent years has been staggering, driven by a perfect storm of persistently low gilt yields, the greater flexibility in defined contribution schemes (DC) created by pension freedoms, and uncertainty about the future of many companies sponsoring thes...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Retirement

PA360: The 'human' element of retirement planning becoming ever more important

PA360: The 'human' element of retirement planning becoming ever more important

Retirement panel on client-centric approaches

Isabel Baxter
clock 02 May 2025 • 3 min read
'Urgent action' needed on Gen Z pension saving barriers: PPI report

'Urgent action' needed on Gen Z pension saving barriers: PPI report

Generation faces retirement challenges

Jasmine Urquhart
clock 26 February 2025 • 3 min read
Advisers concerned about regulatory scrutiny in decumulation phase

Advisers concerned about regulatory scrutiny in decumulation phase

Retirement planning ‘dominates’ client advice requests

Isabel Baxter
clock 27 November 2024 • 3 min read