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Video | Private markets: what do they mean for pension savers?
The Mansion House compact marked a significant commitment amongst pension providers and other institutions in the UK towards improving outcomes for savers. Callum Stewart, Head of Investment Proposition at Standard Life, and Sam Murphy, Investment Director at Future Growth Capital joins us to discuss how investment in good quality private asset opportunities could improve retirement outcomes.April 15, 2025
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Video | Private markets: what is the opportunity for the UK pensions industry?
The UK pensions industry has historically allocated very little DC pension investment into private markets. Yet when we look to our peers in Australia and Canada this is much higher. What can we learn from our international peers and how can private market investment benefit customers? Michela Bariletti, Chief Credit Officer and Head of Investment Research at Phoenix Group joins us to discuss.March 04, 2025
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Video | 2025 macroeconomic outlook
2024 was hailed the year of the election, but what will the results mean for the economic outlook? And what trends can we anticipate for 2025? Find out in our discussion with Anthony O'Brien, Head of Market Strategy at Phoenix Group.February 25, 2025
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Value for money: what will this mean for the role of trustees?
The role of EBCs is likely to prove essential in providing advice on the relative strengths and weakness of different master trusts.
Donna WalshJanuary 22, 2025
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Video | Pensions dashboards: how much difference will they really make?
Pensions dashboards should boost people's engagement with retirement savings. But a lot will depend on how you can access the data. And we might end up with more of them than we expect, say Sam Seaton, CEO at MoneyHub, and Matt Burrell, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Phoenix Group.November 28, 2024
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Video | Retirement income: what help do people really need?
Making decisions about retirement income is tough. The stakes are high, the options plentiful – yet people often receive little or no help. So how can we change this situation? Find out in our discussion with Claire Altman, Managing Director, Individual Retirement at Standard Life, and Matt Burrell, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Phoenix Group.November 26, 2024
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Video | Former pensions ministers on regrets, successes and why the UK system has to change
Guy Opperman, former UK pensions minister, and Nick Sherry, former Australia pensions minister, discuss adequacy, Value for Money, Mansion House, trustee responsibilities – and a few broken bones along the way.November 12, 2024
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Video | The future of retirement income: what needs to change?
How can the pensions industry ensure people get the right guidance and advice when they retire? And are the right products available to provide both certainty and flexibility – and ultimately provide better outcomes? Find out in our discussion with Claire Altman, Managing Director, Individual Retirement at Standard Life.October 22, 2024
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Video | Small pots: does Australia’s stapling model provide the answers?
In Australia they don't suffer from small pots and employees have more say over the choice of pension fund. But not everything about their system is rosy. Find out more in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.September 30, 2024
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Video | Value for Money: should the UK emulate Australia's performance test?
Does the UK's Value for Money framework lack teeth? If so, what might we learn from Australia's more penal performance test? Find out in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.September 27, 2024
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Video | When it comes to illiquid investments, can the UK emulate Australia?
In Australia, illiquid investments are more common and average pension returns are higher. So what does this indicate about the likely success of Mansion House and the UK's investment aspirations? Find out in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.September 26, 2024
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Video | Retirement solutions: lessons from Australia
When it comes to retirement income, how does the UK compare to other markets? Is it a global problem? And what are the short- and long-term solutions? Find out in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.September 25, 2024
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Video | The year of elections: what it means for pensions and investments
This year national elections are due to be held in at least 64 countries – representing around half of the world’s population, and over 60% of global economic output. To understand what this could mean for pensions and investments, we speak to Anthony O'Brien, Head of Market Strategy at Phoenix Group.September 17, 2024
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Video | UK political and economic trends: what they mean for pension reform
What’s changed economically since the general election? How do overseas investors perceive the UK? And what pension reforms would we like to see in October’s Budget? Find out in our discussion with Anthony O’Brien, Head of Market Strategy at Phoenix Group.Read more13 mins read -
BPA transactions: will insurers accept illiquid assets?
How an insurer values an illiquid asset as part of a bulk annuity transaction might differ greatly from a trustee’s valuation.August 28, 2024
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Spending and saving habits in the US: lessons for the UK
Emergency savings, spending behaviours during retirement, why some really retirees return to work, and how retirement products can cater for the “100-year life”.August 28, 2024
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Auto-enrolment: how increasing contribution rates could boost the UK economy
Increasing pensions investment into private asset classes is critical to supporting competitive and high-growth sectors.
Mike AmberyAugust 21, 2024
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Managing illiquids during a BPA transaction: what are your options?
From deferring premium, making a secondary market sale through to delaying the time of a buy-out, there are many ways to remove illiquid assets before completing a buy-in or buy-out. But there is no perfect solution for all schemes.
Rhian LittlewoodJuly 25, 2024
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Improving pensions adequacy: is personalisation the key?
If default pension contribution rates are insufficient, could technology help to tailor rates more to individual needs?
Helen DeanJuly 19, 2024
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Video | Saving habits: what can we learn from the US?
What a lot of people get wrong about emergency savings, how spending habits change during retirement – and why some retirees really return to work.
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Video | What the US presidential election could mean for UK pensions
We chatted to David John, US pensions and retirement expert, about Biden vs. Trump, ESG, pension reform, and why most people don't plan a lot for retirement.
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Illiquid assets: what trustees should consider ahead of a bulk purchase annuity transaction
Trustees need to plan carefully for dealing with their illiquid assets before approaching the insurance market.
Kunal SoodApril 18, 2024
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How employers can help to tackle the ‘motherhood penalty’
For a lot of women, having children is associated with having a lower income. Employers can help to tackle this problem by providing more flexible working conditions.
Donna WalshApril 08, 2024
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Master trust secondary market: what’s the role of ceding trustees?
As activity in the secondary market increases, it’s vital that ceding trustees are fully involved and act independently.
Donna WalshMarch 27, 2024
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Managing illiquid assets during bulk purchase annuity transaction
In the realms of bulk purchase annuities (BPA), managing illiquid assets was the hottest topic of 2023.March 14, 2024
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How can Master Trust boards avoid confirmation bias?
By better understanding different people’s needs and attitudes, we can build a more inclusive retirement savings system. But do we understand other people as well as we might think?
Donna WalshJanuary 24, 2024
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Illiquid asset investments: can the UK emulate Australian superannuation?
Australian superannuation is sometimes cited as a model that the UK pensions industry might seek to emulate. But is it really that simple?
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Value for money: what can the UK learn from Australia?
For many in Australia’s superannuation industry there is one principal measure of value for money: net benefit outcome.
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Pot for life: lessons from Australia’s stapling model
The Australian system doesn’t suffer as much from small pots as the UK and members have more choice of fund. But this wasn’t achieved overnight.
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Auto-enrolment: how and when should default contribution rates rise to 12%?
Our new framework outlines tests for determining the economic conditions that would allow for default contribution rates to increase. It also outlines tests that would necessitate a pause.
Neil HughNovember 16, 2023
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Older renters: the elephant in the room when it comes to retirement?
Future generations of older people are more likely to live in a rented home than they are today. So what might this mean for their retirement plans?
Donna WalshNovember 13, 2023
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New Zealand’s KiwiSaver: a template for auto-enrolment reform in the UK?
To help understand how auto-enrolment may evolve in the UK, here are some insights into New Zealand’s KiwiSaver – the world’s first auto-enrolment opt-out national savings scheme.
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Should trustees be worried about the impact of artificial intelligence on Master Trusts?
Artificial intelligence is set to reshape all our lives – and this could include our pensions. Trustees therefore need to understand its limitations, ensure members’ information is appropriately protected, and keep pace as this technology evolves.
Donna WalshSeptember 18, 2023
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Podcast | What the UK can learn about auto-enrolment from New Zealand
Two leading experts on pension reform discuss the merits of allowing pension withdrawals for home ownership, member engagement and financial education – and whether you really need tax incentives to encourage people to save for retirement.
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5 tips for improving your financial wellbeing programme
Financial wellbeing has been a hot topic in recent years, but what does the term actually mean? And how much difference do most financial wellbeing programmes actually make to employees’ lives?
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Video | Financial wellness: What UK employers can learn from the US
Financial wellness has been a hot topic in recent years, but what does it actually mean? And how can employers be sure the support they provide to employees really makes a difference?
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6 trends that have reshaped the pensions landscape
Many future generations of pensioners are likely to face substantial financial difficulties in older age – unless there’s policy action. So what are the challenges facing the UK pensions system, and how can they be overcome?
Gail IzatJune 21, 2023
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Video | The cost of living crisis – what comes next?
Are we facing another lost decade in living standards? And, if so, what might this mean for interest rates, mortgage repayments and the labour market? Find out in our discussion with Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
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Podcast | The cost of living crisis – what comes next?
Are we facing another lost decade in living standards? And, if so, what might this mean for interest rates, mortgage repayments and the labour market? Find out in our discussion with Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
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Video | Challenges facing the UK pension system: is it time for a new review?
Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, explains the Pensions Review report, insufficient pension contributions, the State Pension age – and why the UK pension system needs a review.
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Podcast | Challenges facing the UK pension system: is it time for a new review?
We speak to Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, about the Pensions Review report, insufficient pension contributions, the State Pension age – and why the UK pension system needs a review.
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How attitudes towards saving and retirement vary by age, gender and ethnicity
Generation, gender, ethnicity and employment status can all affect people’s ability and willingness to save for retirement – according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
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How to boost diversity, equity and inclusion in pensions systems
If we want to uncover how pension systems can become more inclusive, we must first understand what might influence people’s ability and willingness to save for retirement.
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Diversity, equity and inclusion in asset-backed pensions: OECD Business and Finance Policy Papers
Analysis of what influences people's ability and willingness to save for retirement by looking at the views, attitudes and expectations of adults living in the UK.
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Video | OECD webinar on diversity, equity and inclusion in pensions
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development speaks to Standard Life about why pension systems must adapt as societies become more diverse.
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Podcast | Pension dashboards: what can we learn from Sweden and Denmark?
Two world-leading experts on pension dashboards explain how pension dashboards in the UK might affect engagement, and the importance of good data, robust controls, inclusivity, and managing expectations.
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What the UK’s economic challenges mean for long-term savings and consumer behaviour
We spoke to Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, about rising inflation and falling household income, economic inactivity, the mounting tax burden and the future of the State Pension.
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Podcast | How the UK’s economic challenges may affect us in years to come
We spoke to Paul Johnson, CBE, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, about public sector strikes, shrinking household incomes, rising taxes, economic inactivity and the challenges faced by younger people.
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Podcast | What the Australian pensions system tells us about future reform in the UK
What has driven consolidation in Australian superannuation, retirement income policy shifts and infrastructure developments? To find out, we spoke to The Hon. Nick Sherry, an ex-Australian Pensions Minister for Superannuation and Senator for Tasmania.
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What the UK pensions industry can learn from Australia
Australia's superannuation sector is the fifth-largest pension system in the world, and can provide valuable lessons to the UK.
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Pensions dashboards – your questions answered
By providing people with a consolidated view of all their pensions, the government dashboard could improve people’s engagement with their pensions.
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Will pension dashboards boost user engagement?
To understand more about the challenges that may lie ahead for dashboards in the UK – but also the opportunities to boost user engagement and retirement planning – read about the lessons learnt from the Swedish pension dashboard.
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The aims of Thinking Forward
We want to make financial security in retirement more achievable and widespread, and generally fairer. It's how we believe we can best support the long-term and diverse needs of savers, as well as supporting employers, advisers and trustees.
This is why we launched our thought leadership programme, Thinking Forward.
Through regular events and insights, we want to:
- Support our customers with innovative retirement income solutions
- Deliver better data- and insight-driven customer engagement and service
- Build propositions with financial inclusion in mind
- Invest responsibly
- Champion financial wellness
As well as conducting our own research, we will work with industry experts worldwide to ensure we bring a global perspective to help drive and develop solutions based on research and best practice.
Our joint research initiative with the OECD
We’re excited to have embarked on a three-year joint research initiative with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development