For comment from the ACA, please contact:
David Robertson on 020 3102 6761 or david.robertson@aca.org.uk
Our most recent news releases are featured below. Releases issued in earlier years are archived in date order.
For comment from the ACA, please contact:
David Robertson on 020 3102 6761 or david.robertson@aca.org.uk
Our most recent news releases are featured below. Releases issued in earlier years are archived in date order.
Our Chair, Stewart Hastie, commented on the IFS Pensions Review report published today as follows: more »»
Our Chair, Stewart Hastie, commented on the IFS Pensions Review report published today as follows:
Following the Court of Appeal Virgin Media judgment, over the last six months, a joint working group of Industry bodies – including the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA), the Association of Pension Lawyers (APL) and the Society of Pension Professionals Read More ... more »»
Following the Court of Appeal Virgin Media judgment, over the last six months, a joint working group of Industry bodies – including the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA), the Association of Pension Lawyers (APL) and the Society of Pension Professionals Read More …
We welcomed and commented on the Pension Schemes Bill published today as follows: more »»
We welcomed and commented on the Pension Schemes Bill published today as follows:
Following the publication of the Government’s latest Pensions Review announcements, we commented as follows: more »»
Following the publication of the Government’s latest Pensions Review announcements, we commented as follows:
Speaking at the annual Chair’s Dinner, ACA Chair, Stewart Hastie opened by welcoming the Pension Minister’s recent announcement, committing to the reforms necessary to enable greater collective pension funds to be created … both whole of life and decumulation only. Read More ... more »»
Speaking at the annual Chair’s Dinner, ACA Chair, Stewart Hastie opened by welcoming the Pension Minister’s recent announcement, committing to the reforms necessary to enable greater collective pension funds to be created … both whole of life and decumulation only. Read More …
With UK schemes in sustained funding health (over 84% in funding surplus and over half in buy-out surplus), we say it’s positive that TPR has started to suggest schemes consider what to do with surplus. More… more »»
With UK schemes in sustained funding health (over 84% in funding surplus and over half in buy-out surplus), we say it’s positive that TPR has started to suggest schemes consider what to do with surplus. More…
In a paper ‘Unlocking DB pensions surplus’ sent to the Chancellor and Pensions Minister at the end of last week, we welcomed Government initiatives to increase flexibility for DB schemes in surplus and set out essential elements for how this Read More ... more »»
In a paper ‘Unlocking DB pensions surplus’ sent to the Chancellor and Pensions Minister at the end of last week, we welcomed Government initiatives to increase flexibility for DB schemes in surplus and set out essential elements for how this Read More …
In our response to the FCA consultation on the ‘Advice Guidance Boundary Review’ we say that we would like clarity regarding how trust-based schemes will be able to confidently make the most of targeted support, even if this is to Read More ... more »»
In our response to the FCA consultation on the ‘Advice Guidance Boundary Review’ we say that we would like clarity regarding how trust-based schemes will be able to confidently make the most of targeted support, even if this is to Read More …
In our response to the HMRC Inheritance Tax on pensions: liability, reporting and payment consultation, we welcome the fact that HMRC has provided more time for implementation, but say that radical changes to the proposals will be required if they Read More ... more »»
In our response to the HMRC Inheritance Tax on pensions: liability, reporting and payment consultation, we welcome the fact that HMRC has provided more time for implementation, but say that radical changes to the proposals will be required if they Read More …
In our response to the DWP consultation ‘Pensions Investment Review: Unlocking the UK pensions market for growth’ we say that, whilst the Association supports the drive for scale and investment in productive assets, the proposals outlined in the consultation could Read More ... more »»
In our response to the DWP consultation ‘Pensions Investment Review: Unlocking the UK pensions market for growth’ we say that, whilst the Association supports the drive for scale and investment in productive assets, the proposals outlined in the consultation could Read More …
We are looking for essays of no more than 1,500 words on exploring innovative ideas to improve the provision, public understanding and take-up of longer-term and shorter-term pension and savings and/or overall savings adequacy at all levels of UK society. This must be presented in writing although entrants can support their essay with a video if they so wish.
The winner of the Essay Prize will receive an award of £3,000 and the two runners-up will receive awards of £1,500 each. The Winners will have the opportunity to present their entries at the ACA Bloomfield Lecture being held on 3 November 2026 at a central London venue.
The winning essay submission also will be published in The Actuary journal, alongside articles from leading writers working in the insurance, savings and pension industries from across the world.
Your essay must be:
The prize winners may be requested to grant permission for the ACA to have the right to publish or reproduce at any time all or part of the award-winning entries.
Your word count:
Use of generative AI tools: your essay must be your sole creation and original work. AI may be used for research, proofreading and checking spelling and grammar. If an entrant chooses to use generative AI, the entrant is responsible for checking the accuracy of the output. Entrants are not permitted to use any AI programme to write all or part of an essay to enter this competition. Any essay which has been written, in part or in whole, by ChatGPT or similar programmes will be excluded from the marking and judging process and ineligible. The view of the judges will be final.
References should be inserted using the Harvard style referencing system.
Reworked coursework, journals or articles: each essay must be an original piece of work written by the entrant for the competition without peer review or editing by anyone else. All essays must be the individual unpublished work of the entrant.
When the essay is submitted and at the date of the close of the competition, you must satisfy the following criteria:
The administration team and the judges have the final decision as to whether an essay is eligible. No correspondence will be entered into.
Essays will be evaluated for:
Judges for the competition will be drawn from senior professionals, academics and commentators working in the pensions and savings world.
The essay must be the sole creation and original work of the entrant. Entrants are expected already to be aware of and to follow any plagiarism guidance and policies of the academic and professional training institutions to which they currently belong or have belonged. The ACA guidance reproduces and adapts information from other such policies for the purposes of its Essay Competition. The ACA is grateful to both institutions for permission to do so.
Plagiarism occurs where an entrant copies from any other source (published or unpublished) in an unauthorised manner and attempts to present that work as if it were the entrant’s own in order to obtain an unfair advantage.
Examples of plagiarism include:
Quotations from recognised sources are usually acceptable but must be clearly acknowledged and a reference given for the source (i.e. sources must be cited). The following situations almost always require citation:
In the case of any doubt, citation is recommended.
The ACA may proactively seek out instances of plagiarism, for example by the use of an electronic plagiarism detection system or service to scan submitted essays.
Any entry which is found not to be the sole creation and original work of the entrant (“plagiarism”) will be disqualified from the 75th Anniversary ‘Future of Pensions’ Essay Competition.
Our purposes for processing your data: we will process your personal data for the purposes of administering this essay competition and (in the case of successful entrants) publicising and promoting future such competitions. Our lawful basis for this processing data is ‘legitimate interests’ on the basis that individuals would have a reasonable expectation that we will process the personal data they have provided, which include the provision of initiatives to support education and training and to promote innovation in actuarial and related fields. Please go to our privacy statement for more details.
Association of Consulting Actuaries
Second Floor (206) • 40 Gracechurch Street • London EC3V 0BT
Tel: 020 3102 6763 • www.aca.org.uk • david.robertson@aca.org.uk