On 30 November 02010, more than 50 people gathered at Barnard’s Inn Hall to attend a round table discussion to launch Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow: The Future of Pensions by Con Keating. This publication is the second Finance Short in the Long Finance publications programme.

Con Keating was joined by panellists Colin Melvin (CEO, Hermes Equity Ownership Services) and Philip Sadler (Senior Research Fellow, Tomorrow’s Company). The panel session was chaired by Professor Michael Mainelli (Director, Z/Yen Group).

Con introduced the paper with the somewhat controversial statement that defined benefits (DB) pension schemes are sustainable over the long term. In short, all that is required is less erroneous analysis, better regulation and more innovative management of pension schemes. In particular, Con criticises the management cost of DB schemes as the sector is currently structured, especially smaller schemes which can cost around 7% per annum to service.