20 years on, Boots clearly led the way with LDI

Headline news in 2001 is now good news for members, says James Mullins

clock • 3 min read
James Mullins is head of risk transfer solutions at Hymans Robertson
Image:

James Mullins is head of risk transfer solutions at Hymans Robertson

20 years ago, in the autumn of 2001, the Boots Pension Scheme hit the headlines because it had invested all of its assets in high quality long-dated bonds, selling over £1bn of equities in the process. I was only three years into my pensions career at the time but I remember being fascinated by this ground-breaking development.

At the time, it was a unique and surprising thing to do, because there was little focus on managing pension scheme investment risk. Indeed, in 2001, pension schemes in the UK invested 75% of their ...

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

Majority of DB schemes considering surplus extraction, L&G finds

Majority of DB schemes considering surplus extraction, L&G finds

Firm said ‘thorough preparation’ is key for schemes intending to complete a PRT deal

Holly Roach
clock 31 March 2026 • 3 min read
Buyout 'falls away' as run-on becomes 'dominant' endgame option for large schemes

Buyout 'falls away' as run-on becomes 'dominant' endgame option for large schemes

Research shows 70% of the largest DB schemes targeting run-on compared to 4% targeting buyout

Holly Roach
clock 30 March 2026 • 2 min read
Tender Watch: Barnett Waddingham and PIC expand partnership

Tender Watch: Barnett Waddingham and PIC expand partnership

PIC takes on full administration services for two schemes ahead of buyout

Professional Pensions
clock 12 March 2026 • 1 min read
Trustpilot