Welcome to the 2023 edition of Master Trusts Unpacked. In this report, we look back at the performance during 2022 and see how the big sell-offs in equity and bond markets and the fall in Sterling has impacted the different master trust default strategies.

We hope that this report can help employers who are considering reviewing or selecting a master trust to understand some of the differences in approach to default design and how this can impact performance in different market conditions.

We also highlight some of the risks of a lack of diversification and how this has impacted performance during 2022.

Looking ahead to 2023, we expect investment markets to remain volatile, which will provide tricky conditions for master trusts to navigate. We may see the gap widening between master trusts if lessons are not learnt from 2022.

We hope you enjoy reading the report.

What's inside?

We examine: 

• Performance during 2022 and see how the big sell offs in equity and bond markets and the fall in Sterling has impacted the different master trust default strategies.
• The risks of a lack of diversification and how this has impacted performance during 2022.
• How important investment design is in delivering good outcomes for members.