Why Choose WBR Actuarial?
Meet our Chartered Actuaries
Our team of Chartered Actuaries combines in-depth experience with practical, hands-on expertise. Servicing the whole of the UK, they support clients to make confident decisions through clarity of advice
David Downie
Chief Actuarial Officer
David Downie
Chief Actuarial Officer
David left the sunny shores of Trinidad on a scholarship to pursue his education in the UK. He qualified as a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and has accrued over 30 years of experience in Pensions & Actuarial Consultancy and holds the Scheme Actuary certificate.
A pioneer, he developed the defined benefit small self-administered scheme and designed and created WBR’s DB SSAS which has proved a very successful alternative to a traditional SSAS given the right circumstances. David also gives time to many pension and actuarial industry committees and working parties. He advises Trustee Boards of larger corporate pension schemes and funeral plan trusts and assists solicitors when pension splitting on divorce is required, including providing independent expert reports for the courts.
David continues to support the Soca-Warriors the T&T national football team and with his wife has set up a small Christian charity – Advent Worldwide – to provide financial help with gifts of love and compassion to individuals and for ministry training.
Alan Finch
Director of Actuarial
Alan Finch
Director of Actuarial
Alan is Director of Actuarial at WBR Group, and has over 20 years Financial Services experience, including 8 years in the Wealth Management Division of Barclays.
He is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, holds a Scheme Actuary practising certificate and is Scheme Actuary to a number of Final Salary schemes.
In addition to this, Alan is a member of IFOA’s Pensions Consultations subcommittee, the ACA’s Consultation Subcommittee and the ACA’s Tax Subcommittee.
Alan has also served as honorary Secretary of the Association of Member-Directed Pension Schemes (AMPS).
Matthew Hill
Senior Actuary
Matthew Hill
Senior Actuary
Matthew is a Senior Actuary at WBR Actuarial with over 25 years of experience in pensions and investments. He is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and a Chartered Actuary. Since 2017, Matthew has served as a Senior Quality Assurance Representative for the IFoA’s Quality Assurance Scheme.
Matthew’s expertise encompasses a wide range of Defined Benefit pension schemes, including traditional Trustee work, assisting Trustees with the buy-in process, providing strategic investment advice (including journey plans), and company accounting.
Beyond his professional achievements, Matthew enjoys sailing, running, and playing chess.
Arti Kakkad
Actuarial Consultant
Arti Kakkad
Actuarial Consultant
Arti is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and a Chartered Actuary with over 17 years of experience in the pensions industry. She began her career in Defined Benefit (DB) pensions in 2007 and has since developed a wealth of expertise in both consultancy and public sector pensions.
At Willis Towers Watson, where she worked in both their London and Lisbon offices, her work in consultancy focused on delivering complex pension solutions for a diverse range of clients, helping them navigate the challenges of pension scheme management.
Having transitioned into the public sector working for the Government Actuary’s Department, Arti worked on shaping pensions policy and strategies within the public sector space. She has worked on the State Pension Age working party for the IFoA, shaping advice to the Government on the impact of varying state pension age. In her role at WBR Actuarial she will support clients through their DB pension management.
In addition to her actuarial qualifications, Arti is a qualified coach and is passionate about promoting good mental health in the workplace. She actively supports organizations in creating healthier work environments, fostering well-being, and encouraging a positive work culture.
Actuarial services we offer
WBR Actuarial distinguishes itself by offering a comprehensive suite of actuarial consultancy services for all types of occupational pension schemes and pre-paid funeral plans. In contrast to larger and often more costly actuarial consulting firms, we prioritise value for money alongside a commitment that ensures our clients have a clear understanding of our services and the benefits they can expect.
What We Do
Actuarial advice for trustees of defined benefit pension schemes
Our Scheme Actuaries provide ongoing advice in relation to the funding of the scheme and the terms underpinning members’ benefit options, as well as advice regarding “endgame” planning.
Regulatory reports for pre-paid funeral plans
All funeral plan providers in the UK are now regulated by the FCA and each year they will require a Solvency Assessment Report completed for any Pre Paid Funeral Trust that exists for the funeral plans sold.
Expert support for sponsors of defined benefit pension schemes
We provide pension scheme disclosures for accounting under UK, US or International GAAP, advice regarding scheme design and advice and assistance in connection with the sale or purchase of a business.
Pension Investment Consultancy
Boards of Trustees need appropriate advice on the asset allocations required to support their journey plan to either being able to buy in annuities, which leads on to an eventual winding up, or to reach the end target of being self sufficient so that all benefits can be paid as they fall due without any further financial support from the Sponsoring Employer.
Defined Benefit SSAS
The DB SSAS is one of our special designed corporate pension schemes that will grant the sponsoring employer the opportunity to make large pension contributions which target the maximum level of scheme pension for its Directors or senior staff.
SSAS actuarial services
With a multiple-member SSAS, there are unique opportunities for our actuaries to adopt certain strategies which will permit the members to maximise their benefits and the tax efficiency of the corporate pension scheme.
Projects WBR Actuarial have recently been involved in include:
- Developed a model and produced the IFRS17 disclosures for a Funeral Plan company. This was the first year that the company was subject to the disclosures. The work included allowing for the reinsurance contracts that were in place and proposing assumptions including the risk adjustment.
- Creating a unique solution for a large DC corporate pension scheme to convert to a SSAS and retain its existing investments which would have otherwise been subject to the Employer Related Investment restrictions.
- Guiding a Board of Trustees of a Final Salary Scheme through the journey of appropriate investment consultancy advice over a period of time which enabled the Scheme to implement a full Buy In of all benefits with a suitable Insurance Company.
- Completed a GMP conversion equalisation exercise for a Final Salary Scheme along with simplifying the benefits of the scheme to permit easier future administration of the pension benefits for the members of the Scheme.
- Advised a defined benefit scheme client regarding the breaking of an ongoing salary link, with appropriate compensation for affected members, to enable to the scheme to prepare for a buy-in insurance transaction.
- Another defined benefit scheme client was involved in a corporate transaction, as part of which the vendor wanted to be released from the parental guarantee put in place some years earlier. We helped the trustees to negotiate a substantial contribution into the pension scheme, in lieu of the guarantee, which has put the scheme into a position where it can afford to secure all its liabilities with an insurer.
