Something of the spotlight (TT Sep08 p39-41)

During June and July 2008, Mercer and the ACT approached chief financial officers (CFOs) and treasurers for the fourth annual survey on managing pension financial risk. As in previous years, the survey sought to determine the extent to which this group viewed pension schemes and their deficits as significant corporate risk issues, and their perception of stakeholder attitudes towards such risks. This year, 89 responses were received, with FTSE-350 companies well represented. This article summarises those responses. Several of the questions asked were deliberately similar to those of previous years, but we have again tried to address additional issues that have become increasingly high profile over the last 12 months.