DB surplus falls 15% in October under 'more realistic' discount rate

Stephanie Baxter
clock • 2 min read

The UK's 5,945 defined benefit (DB) schemes had a £306bn surplus under realistic investment return assumptions by the end of October, according to First Actuarial.

Its monthly index, which looks at the best estimate expected returns on the underlying assets held by schemes, shows the aggregate surplus had fallen 15% from the £358bn recorded on 30 September. ...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Pensions

Become a Professional Pensions Lite Member today

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis and opinion from the industry
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our two daily news alerts
  • Hear from industry experts and other forward-thinking leaders

Are you a trustee, investment consultant or in-house pension and benefit scheme professional? You can apply for full complimentary access here

Join now

 

Already a Professional Pensions
member?

Login

More on Defined Benefit

Record low mortality in Q3, CMI says

Record low mortality in Q3, CMI says

Overall mortality in first three quarters of 2025 lower than same period of any other year

Jasmine Urquhart
clock 09 October 2025 • 1 min read
TPT to launch run-on DB superfund

TPT to launch run-on DB superfund

Organisation plans to distribute surplus to scheme members from year five onwards

Holly Roach
clock 09 October 2025 • 5 min read
Smaller DB schemes face greater exposure to climate risk, Broadstone finds

Smaller DB schemes face greater exposure to climate risk, Broadstone finds

Simplified investment strategies mean smaller schemes face nearly twice the risk of negative performance

Holly Roach
clock 07 October 2025 • 1 min read
Trustpilot