The SEI Master Trust has been granted authorisation by The Pensions Regulator.
The SEI Master Trust, which launched in 2007, is designed to adapt to the specific needs of each new client and leverages SEI’s extensive manager-of-managers investment program.
Allan Course, Capital Cranfield Pension Trustees Limited and Chair of the Trustees of the SEI Master Trust, says: “We are delighted to have our authorisation confirmed by the Regulator. However, as Trustees, our role extends far beyond meeting regulatory requirements. Throughout the authorisation process our primary focus remained on delivering the best possible outcomes for the thousands of members for whom we are responsible. We have continued to challenge ourselves, our advisers and our specialist providers to enhance and develop every aspect of the Master Trust in order to achieve this. We are therefore delighted that, with our authorisation now confirmed, the benefits of SEI Master Trust membership can be shared with an even wider audience.”
Steve Charlton, Managing Director of Defined Contribution, EMEA and Asia for SEI’s UK Institutional Group, says: “Master Trust authorisation ensures some fundamental protections for members – ones they should have been able to take for granted – are now more firmly established across the industry. With a robust authorisation and supervisory regime now in place, we are delighted that the industry can focus on the biggest influencers to improve outcomes, namely each scheme’s contribution and investment approach. Throughout the authorisation process, we have continued to develop the design, implementation and communication of these hugely important aspects of our proposition. We look forward to sharing these developments with our prospective clients and their advisers over the coming weeks and months.”
The SEI Master Trust has been designed to adapt to the specific and changing needs of each client by bringing a personalised approach to client service, investment management and member engagement. For employers who want a solution that delivers the best possible outcomes for their employees, SEI provides customised services and solutions including:
• Client Service: SEI’s service adapts to meet each employer’s specific requirements. This includes the frequency, method and content of employer engagement, preferred payroll and administration processes, and the most appropriate investment solution for members.
• Default strategies: Glide paths are tailored to member demographics and target outcomes, incorporating active, factor-based and passive investments as appropriate. With drawdown available to all members in-scheme, glide paths can integrate default income levels and retirement pathways.
• Investment options: Each section’s risk-rated funds are designed to suit the profile of its members, whether they are saving for retirement or drawing an income. SEI’s manager-of-managers platform removes the need to blend or white label by providing access to leading fund managers across all asset classes and geographies. In addition to the SEI investment options, the fund range is complemented by specialist active, factor-based and passive funds.
• Member engagement: Using an integrated multi-channel communications approach, SEl engages with employees using whichever methods will best elicit the desired responses. By embracing behavioural insights that help members get the most from their pension, SEI aims to optimise their contributions and investment strategy throughout their member journey.
