The Investment Association

As we look ahead to the Budget, in partnership with Opinium, we have carried out research into attitudes towards and understanding of financial literacy, pensions, and investing across the UK. Our research has found that concerns around retirement grow with age, but younger generations are already reporting higher engagement with and investment into their pensions. As part of our Budget submission we have therefore urged the Chancellor to focus on creating a culture of inclusive investment to improve UK households' financial resilience. This includes boosting pension growth and building on the success of auto-enrolment by recognising that contribution levels of 8% are not high enough for most people, and act now to look at appropriate saving rates for different groups, including the self-employed. To find out more: https://lnkd.in/e-Ma43Fe

We are proud that our Investment20/20 team has been shortlisted for City AM’s prestigious Dragon’s Awards. This award recognises the unique opportunities that Investment20/20 provides for the next generation as they enter into the investment management industry. By recruiting new talent, we can utilise their fresh perspectives and skill set to ensure the industry remains a match-fit for the years to come. 

We are just four weeks out from our annual Culture & Inclusion Conference on Thursday 21 November, kindly hosted by M&G Investments and in partnership with Covington & Burling LLP.   Our final session of the day will focus on the proposed changes introduced in the new Employment Rights Bill. At over 150 pages and encompassing 28 employment measures, this ambitious Bill represents a notable shift from current practices. However, while the scope is extensive, many details remain undecided - left to future consultations and secondary legislation. Our expert industry panel will outline the key considerations of the Bill, examine its implications for investment managers, and provide practical insights on how to prepare for this transformation in employment law. We look forward to hearing from speakers including Chris Bracebridge, Rachel Weallans & Isabel Lovett. To find out more about our speakers and the full agenda, click here: https://bit.ly/47zaT39

Our Director of Regulation, Innovation, and Strategy, Jonathan Lipkin, spoke to Adrien Paredes-Vanheule from L'AGEFI at the European Finance Forum about the differences in regulation between the European Union and the United Kingdom. Jonathan and Adrien touch on the Overseas Fund Regime, the implementation of SFDR and SDR, and T+1, among other topics. To watch the discussion, click here: https://lnkd.in/eep8H2w8

As the first 100 days of the Labour Government passes, read the latest op-ed from our CEO, Chris Cummings, on need for the government to create an Inclusive Investment Strategy to expand investment access for households, boost investment levels, and direct funds into productive UK assets.

IAEngine, the IA’s FinTech hub, is delighted to invite you to #EmTechGlobal2025 on the 25th March 2025! 🌟 Join us to celebrate innovation on the global stage and hear from cutting-edge FinTechs and leading voices from across the Investment Management industry. Early bird tickets available now! https://lnkd.in/dpH6cgAq

NEW: Today we have published a position paper on T+1 Settlement in the UK, EU and Switzerland. Key recommendations include: ⏳ Supervisory bodies and policymakers in the UK, EU and Switzerland should work on a shared timeline. 🗓 The UK, EU and Switzerland should transition to T+1 settlement on a date in Autumn 2026. 💡 Should one or more jurisdictions only be able to transition at a later date before the end of 2027, others should move their transition date to align. Alex Chow, Investment Operations Policy Lead at the IA, commented: “Driving greater global alignment on settlement cycles will foster a more robust financial ecosystem, increase investor confidence and improve the competitiveness of UK and European capital markets. We look forward to continuing our work with the UK’s Accelerated Settlement Taskforce on this project.” Read the full position paper below 👇

Carol Thomas, Head of Sustainability and Responsible Investments at the Investment Association, recently spoke to Carmen Reichman at FT Adviser about the Financial Conduct Authority's new Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and naming and marketing rules. The Q&A covers implementation of the new regime, how labels might be applied in the passive space and to bonds, and the ongoing collaboration between industry and regulator. Find out more and read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ejRHhFV4

Fantastic to see Galina Dimitrova, Director of Investment and Capital Markets at The Investment Association featured as part of this year’s Financial News 100 Women in Finance list!   Since joining the Investment Association 10 years ago, Galina has played an instrumental role in the industry’s contribution to climate action, as well as representing investors' interests in the efficient functioning and modernisation of markets and supporting our members to ensure that the UK remains a globally attractive place for companies to list and do business.    Congratulations to IA Board Members, Nasreen Kasenally from UBS Asset Management, Sarah Melvin from BlackRock, Ann Prendergast from State Street Global Advisors and Karen Zachary from Lansdowne Partners who are also featured in this year’s list. Read the full list of FN100 Women in Finance 2024 here: https://lnkd.in/ejHM3GBk

Want to learn more about the long-terms benefits, enablers and potential barriers to AI adoption in the investment management industry? In the latest episode of the IA Talks AI podcast, James King, Senior Policy Adviser at The Investment Association, speaks to Derrick Hastie, CTO of Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), and delves deep into the final report from the Technology Working Group, ‘Artificial Intelligence: Current and future usage within investment management’. Listen to the conversation here : https://lnkd.in/gYuAx453 Head to our website to find out more about The Investment Association's Innovation & Operations Unit: https://lnkd.in/emZafetp