According to a Prudential spokesman their "with profit" fund has increased in value by 91% over the past 5 years ending 2007. Bonus payouts do not reflect this stunning performance, and in the present financial climate then naturally we expect the fund to be much reduced in value, but measuring payouts against performance - not an easy job - it would seem the prudent Prudential managers should have a bit in reserve to operate the smoothing effect of keeping a little bit back during the good times to payout during the bad times, sadly lacking elsewhere.
Not only that, but were they not clever in refusing to distribute orphan funds last year?