The Future of Reward in Financial Services
Executive compensation in 2026
Download CSC’s executive compensation report for insights into how financial services organizations are managing growing complexity in long-term incentive schemes, from regulatory pressure and outsourcing to technology and data management.
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Managing executive compensation is becoming more complex. As participation in long-term incentive schemes expands, financial services organizations must manage a growing variety of compensation plans, navigate multiple jurisdictions, meet greater reporting demands, and address rising expectations around pay transparency and control.
Based on a survey of 300 senior HR, rewards, and compensation leaders across financial services, CSC’s The Future of Reward in Financial Services report on executive compensation in 2026 explores how organizations are responding to growing administrative and regulatory complexity. It examines the key factors driving scheme complexity, where reporting and data challenges are intensifying, and why organizations are increasingly turning to outsourcing partners and technology platforms to improve consistency, visibility, and compliance.
What you’ll discover
Executive compensation is becoming more complex
Participation is widening, increasing administrative demands for HR, rewards, and compensation teams.
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86% say compensation scheme administration is now complex
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80% report increased participation in incentive schemes over the past three years
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Half say regulatory change will drive future complexity
Data and reporting are under pressure
Fragmented systems, multiple providers, and regulatory variation are making it harder to maintain consistency and oversight.
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66% cite using multiple service providers as a data and reporting challenge
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64% say operating across regulatory environments increases complexity
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35% cite manual record-keeping practices
Operating models are evolving
Organizations are rethinking compensation management, as systems and reporting demands become more complex.
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89% say in-house technology can’t keep pace with compensation demands
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77% of organizations use multiple outsourcing partners
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45% prioritize platform quality when selecting providers