Pensions - Articles - Pension Quality Mark consults on Retirement Quality Mark

 The initial proposal outlined by the Board of PQM in the consultation document is that a Retirement Quality Mark (RQM) would assess retirement products provided by schemes and providers against the quality of their governance and communications.

  

 Adrian Boulding, Chair of the Pension Quality Mark Board, commented:
 “We believe a RQM could make a real difference to scheme members by ensuring strong governance to retirement products so they operate in the customers’ best interests – not just at the point of sale but on an on-going basis. It would ensure there are: high quality, clear and actionable member alerts; default investment arrangements for people who are reluctant to make decisions; and provide value for money for savers.

  

 “RQM can make a real difference by making drawdown plans much more useable for ordinary people who may not have financial

 expertise but who will be managing their own retirement income in future.

  

 “A RQM could also help trustees to help their scheme members make informed decisions, enabling effective signposting of good value products; and help the development of the market for retirement products by setting out what ‘good’ looks like.”

  

 The consultation paper invites views on a range of issues and can be downloaded from the PQM website here. The consultation will be open for nine weeks and close on Friday, 15 January 2016. The PQM Board will then analyse the responses before finalising its proposals following further discussions with stakeholders. It is anticipated that PQM will be open to accept applications for a Retirement Quality Mark towards the middle of 2016.