Royal London announces BPA transaction with the Premdor Crosby Pension Plan

Royal London, the UK's largest mutual life, pensions and investment provider, has completed a £16 million bulk purchase annuity (BPA) transaction with the Premdor Crosby Pension Plan.

This buy-in, which covers 181 members, is the first that Royal London has completed with BESTrustees as Chair of Trustees, and also with WTW on a scheme that is not one of their own staff pension arrangements. This buy-in also marks the first time that Royal London has used its deferred premium solution, with part of the premium deferred until 2026.

The Trustees were advised by WTW and Pinsent Masons under a sole insurer quote process. Royal London was advised by Hogan Lovells.

Royal London has now completed 12 transactions with external pension schemes across 2025, covering approximately 6,500 members and around £815 million of premium. External BPA transactions have ranged in size from this latest £16 million transaction, through to the £275m transaction with the Grant Thornton Pensions Fund.

Commenting on this latest transaction, Victoria Smith, BPA Origination Manager at Royal London said:

"The Royal London team are excited to announce this transaction with the Premdor Crosby Pension Plan. We've been working in close collaboration with the Trustees and their advisers in recent months to design and implement a tailored solution, which includes our first use of a deferred premium structure.

"We're looking forward to impressing the trustees and their members with our mutual-led delivery over the decades ahead."

Commenting on the transaction, Rachel Tranter, of BESTrustees said:

"It has been an absolute pleasure to have led the Trustees through this transaction. From the initial contact with Royal London and all through the process, the Royal London team have been excellent to deal with – responsive, accessible, pragmatic and innovative in their approach to helping the Trustees get the deal over the line. The Trustees' adviser team worked extremely well together to ensure a smooth transaction. I look forward to the next phase which has got off to a good start."

Commenting on the transaction, Tom Ashworth, Risk Transfer Director at WTW said:

"We're delighted to have advised the Trustees on this transaction. The scheme’s success was driven by strong collaboration and clear communication across all parties. A key feature of the transaction was the tailored deferred premium structure. Royal London agreeing such an approach for a smaller pension scheme is especially valuable as it enabled early execution whilst preserving liquidity and delivering certainty for both Trustees and members."