The industry-led engagement campaign is coordinated by the ABI and Pensions UK and supported by some of the most-recognised brands in the pensions industry. It sees Ross Kemp star in a fitness advert, calling on Brits to ‘gain pounds’ for the future, as nearly one in five (19%) UK adults prioritise getting fit and healthy over saving for later life.
New research finds that over the past 12 months, 37% of Brits have made a healthy lifestyle change, such as changing their diet or improving their sleep, and 30% have set a new health or fitness goal.
Yet, when it comes to financial health, fewer than one in three (29%) have organised their finances for later life.
In fact, on average, UK adults check their fitness progress more often than their pension balance – and they are more than twice as likely to track their daily steps and how many hours they’ve slept instead.i
The national pension engagement drive is urging the nation to act now and engage with their retirement plans. The campaign directs the public to pensionattention.co.uk, which includes three simple steps you can take today to help your future self, with Ross Kemp and Pension Trainer Bola Sol:
1. Stretch your mind back to any past employers or pensions
2. Check your form by logging into your pensions to see how much you’ve got
3. Work out how much you might need for the future
As in previous years, the campaign continues to call on the wider pensions industry to get in shape and support its goals. By working with employers, they can help promote the ‘pension fitness plan’ and get colleagues retirement ready. Everyone with a stake in helping the nation better understand how their pension works is encouraged to join in with the campaign. Resources are available to download from the campaign website.
TV star Ross Kemp said: “A lot of us care about getting fit for the future – that’s why we hit the gym, eat better, and try to sleep more. But your pension is part of that too. With an easy three-step training plan, you could strengthen your pension and gain some serious pounds. Do your future self a favour and pay your pension some attention.”
Also backing the campaign, financial coach and Pension Trainer Bola Sol commented: “Planning for retirement is a lot like getting fit: you can get the best results by starting early and sticking with it. Although people are enrolled in a workplace pension scheme, many lose track of old pots and don’t pay into them regularly. If you do one thing today, take some time to track down any pensions you may have paid into in previous jobs. For more information and our three-step pension training routine, visit the Pension Attention website.”
Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell said: “Most people check their fitness apps more than their pension balance, but both are important for a healthy future. We’re ramping up the pace of our pension reforms to make saving easier and ensure you get the most from every pound you’ve saved. In the meantime, I encourage everyone to take a few minutes out of their day to check their pension and plan for their retirement.”
Commenting on the campaign, Mark Smith, spokesperson for the Pension Attention campaign said: “By teaming up with Ross Kemp and Bola Sol, we want to encourage the nation to focus on their pension saving just as much as they focus on their health and fitness goals. Our research shows many people aged 35-55 are eating well and staying active for the sake of their future selves, but few have taken steps to plan financially for later life. We hope that by aligning physical and financial fitness, we can engage those who may not have ever thought about their pensions before. As an industry, we have an important role to play in helping UK adults understand their pensions. By coming together – under a single umbrella – with a simple, bold and memorable campaign, we can build on the successes of the past three years and increase saver engagement in pensions.”
This year’s campaign follows three award-winning campaigns, featuring rapper Big Zuu; TV presenter Timmy Mallett, and reality star Gemma Collins. The campaign seeks to grab consumer attention with a campaign unlike any other from the pensions industry.
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