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About the survey
Most IPPs/ISPs are set up to provide savings or retirement benefits for expatriates who are not covered by any home country plans and/or not participating in a local host country retirement plan. Out of the total number of IPPs and ISPs in our survey, around 10% were set up in the last 3 years, with 16 plans set up in 2021. IPPs/ISPs are being set up for multiple purposes and we expect this trend to continue, leading to more diverse memberships in the future.
As in prior years, the overall objective of the majority of plans is to provide income at retirement (Figure 1).
Around half of IPPs and ISPs in our survey offer up to 10 investment funds for members to choose from. ESG is an emerging focus for IPPs and ISPs, with 166 plans indicating they have reviewed the fund range in the past 12 months for ESG considerations.
The largest concentration sponsoring IPPs/ISPs continues to be from Banking and Finance, followed by Oil and Gas, and Consumer Goods and Retail.
The total assets under management for these plans grew by 7%, and are estimated to be around US$18.4 billion, compared with US$17.2 billion in last year’s survey. The IPPs/ISPs in our survey have a total membership that ranges from fewer than 10 members to up to 19,000 members spread across the globe.
Three-quarters of IPPs and ISPs in our survey offer immediate vesting, even though incorporating vesting criteria into the IPP/ISP design can encourage employee retention. Where vesting rules do exist, a phased vesting schedule is slightly more popular than a flat vesting schedule.
Defined contribution (DC) plans remain the most prevalent design basis, with defined benefit (DB) plans still in operation but typically closed to new members and falling in numbers.
The number of IPPs and ISPs that offer access to external fund managers (as opposed to internal funds only, which are typically limited to the provider’s proprietary investments) increased from last year’s survey and continue to be the most popular offerings.
Lump sum payments (55% of responses) continue to be the most popular form of distribution, though 39% now also allow members to choose between a lump sum and drawdown, which was not really offered 10 years ago.
Providers continue to invest in technology to improve administration platforms and enhance the member experience, for example through the use of mobile apps. Financial wellbeing services are increasingly being offered by providers to maintain and accumulate assets in the future.
Trust-based vehicles continue to be the most popular way to segregate and protect member assets. Contract-based plans are also common, which may be due to the historic cost of trust provision as well as a general aversion to trusts in certain regions, such as the Channel Islands. For contract-based arrangements, Luxembourg is the most common domicile.
Lifestyle strategies or funds continue to feature in the investment offering, where 17% of those surveyed offer one lifestyle option, and 32% of IPPs and ISPs offer more than one lifestyle option to provide for different membership demographics, risk profiles or currencies.
Around half of IPPs and ISPs in our survey offer up to 10 investment funds for members to choose from. The remainder offer in excess of 10 investment options, with a significant number offering over 40 different investment funds.
For more detailed findings, please complete the form on the right to access the full 23-page report.
