V-FM: The Pensions Podcast

Hosted by vfmpensions

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Jul 2026

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About the show

The podcast from Darren Philp and Nico Aspinall talking all things pensions and investments.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 11, 2026Episode 1711 hr 19 min

VFM Pensions #171: Pot for life with Nexum's Joao Cabral

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat with the Founder of Nexum Pensions, Joao Cabral. The podcast focuses on the work that Nexum is doing to enable people to have a pension pot for life, giving choice to where people send their pension contributions. Joao is a true innovator - having been part of the Octopus Money team - and is developing technology solutions to help make this a reality. We also discuss industry pushback against the Government's general levy that funds pensions regulation, find out how Joao got into pensions and, of course, discover what value for money means to him.

September 7, 2026Episode 1701 hr 21 min

VFM Pensions #170: Another VFM consultation

The podcast is back from its summer break... In this episode of V-FM Pensions hosts Darren and Nico chat through some of the key themes from the Government's latest (hopefully last?) consultation on the new VFM framework. What's changed for the better? What's still cause for concern? What's missing? This season opener discusses all that and more.

July 24, 2026Episode 1691 hr 30 min

V-FM Pensions #169: A train ride up north with Richard Smith

In this episode of V-FM Pensions hosts Darren and Nico chat to dashboard guru Richard Smith, in the last episode of the season before we take a short summer break*. As well catching up with how dashboards are progressing (we're getting closer!!), the podcast takes a trip up North from Kings Cross to Edinburgh as Richard talks us through the dashboard customer journey that is now being tested. * fear not, we've got a couple of specials planned...

July 17, 2026Episode 1681 hr 15 min

V-FM Pensions #168: TPR's Ben Gunnee

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico chat to The Pensions Regulator's Ben Gunnee. As well as being an Arsenal fan, Ben is TPR's Executive Director for Market Oversight and is responsible for TPR's engagement and interaction with industry. In a wide ranging discussion we chat about TPR's Corporate Strategy, DB endgame and surplus release, Collective Defined Contribution, and some of the key themes in DC, picking up a discussion on private markets. We also hear how Ben ended up at TPR and, of course, find out what value for money means to him. The key question though... which the podcast didn't quite resolve... egg on pizza? Is Nico a lone egg man, or are there others out there?

July 10, 2026Episode 1671 hr 16 min

V-FM Pensions #167: Fulcrum''s Matt Roberts returns to the podcast

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico are joined (again) by Matt Roberts, Head of Alternative Solutions, at Fulcrum Asset Management. As well as Darren ranting about FIFA and the lack of democracy in the UK, the podcast discusses resilience, value for money and why the future of pension investing is about far more than chasing returns. We chat about whether productive investment can help create a virtuous circle of stronger economic growth and better retirement outcomes, what the UK's shrinking public markets mean for DC savers, and challenge some of the assumptions driving the private markets debate. In a wide ranging episode, we also discuss natural capital, venture capital, governance, and systemic risk.

July 3, 2026Episode 1661 hr 11 min

V-FM Pensions #166: A UAE special with Mohammed Ali Yasin

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Nico and Darren chat to Mohammed Ali Yasin from Lunate Capital and Ghaf Benefits about the UAE's end of service benefits system and how it compares to the UK pensions landscape. We chatted through how the UAE system has evolved from paying expats (a significant majority of the UAE's population) a lump sum based on years of service with balances sitting unfunded on employer balance sheets, to one allowing contributions to be invested. We discuss with Mohammed what the future holds for the development of the UAE system, and, of course, find out what value for money means to him.

June 26, 2026Episode 1651 hr 21 min

V-FM Pensions #165: Hyman's Kathryn Fleming

In this episode of V-FM Pensions hosts Darren and Nico chat to Hymans Robertson's Head of DC Kathryn Fleming. Kathryn is a PPI Trustee and co-chair of the Pension Equity Group's Data and Research Workstream. We chat about the work of the Pensions Commission, including the recent PEG report arguing that a financial safety net needs to be introduced to support any future reforms. We talk adequacy, fairness and affordability, and discuss what more employers can do to support better retirement outcomes. We touch on early access to pension saving, CDC, and manage to get in a dig about DC chair's statements. We also find out how Kathryn got into pensions and, of course, ask what value for money means to her.

June 19, 2026Episode 1641 hr 24 min

V-FM Pensions #164: SEI's Steve Charlton

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico are joined by SEI's Head of DC, EMEA and Asia, Steve Charlton. Steve chats about SEI’s investment-led approach to running a master trust, and how the business has evolved from its roots as a technology firm into asset management and pensions. We cover some of the big issues currently shaping the DC landscape, including the role of AI and technology, Mansion House and the debate around mandation, private markets, investment philosophy, and the Government’s continued push for greater scale in DC workplace pensions. We also find out about Steve's career and how he got into pensions, and, of course, hear what value for money means to him.

June 12, 2026Episode 1631 hr 28 min

V-FM Pensions #163: Former Pensions Minister Paul Maynard

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico are joined by Paul Maynard, former Pensions Minister and MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys. In a wide ranging chat about pensions, politics and what really happens inside government, we cover pension dashboards, Mansion House, productive finance, consolidation, tax relief, the Pensions Commission and why policy often looks very different from the ministerial hot seat. Paul also brings a powerful constituency perspective, challenging some baked in industry assumptions as he does so. We discuss how Paul got into politics and pensions and, of course, find out what value for money means to him.

June 5, 2026Episode 1621 hr 9 min

V-FM Pensions #162: Darren and Nico catch up

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Darren and Nico catch up on a whole host of topics that are currently making the pensions news. We talk about Retirement CDC, Pensions UK Retirement Living Standards, the PPI Megafunds report, and start to unpack some of the key themes from the Pensions Commission's interim report.