The Footsie climbs in early trade as oil prices ease, offering some respite after a volatile week, although Brent still hovers around $103 a barrel. Fresh questions over OpenAI’s revenue outlook have unsettled AI investors, reigniting concerns about valuations and the vast spending needed to build the technology. Gold rises as the dollar weakens and oil prices ease, while resilient Chinese exports help give mining stocks a spring in their step. Airtel Money begins conditional dealings in London at 196p a share, valuing the business at £5.3 billion and offering a welcome boost to the UK’s IPO market. Posted on Friday Oct 9
Speaking at the Professional Pensions Trustee Senate earlier today, Nausicaa Delfas, Chief Executive of The Pensions Regulator, set out why, with a clear reform agenda ahead, now is the time for trustees to act and take the decisions that will deliver a sustainable income in retirement for millions. Posted on Thursday Oct 8
Superfunds have moved to the top of the endgame shortlist among DB trustees surveyed, with 57% currently considering consolidation into a superfund as an endgame option for their scheme. Superfunds were ranked as the most commonly considered endgame option in the survey, ahead of capital-backed journey plans, buyout, DB master trust consolidation and run-on. Trustees surveyed expect the superfund market to gather pace, with 95% believing transactions will become more common over the next two years Posted on Thursday Oct 8
Aon has announced findings from its 2026 Defined Contribution Pension and Financial Wellbeing Survey – ‘Balancing the Value Equation’ suggest that many UK employers and trustees are entering a new era of pension regulation without a clear understanding of the retirement outcomes their pension arrangements are expected to deliver. Posted on Thursday Oct 8
The Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has backed the Government’s proposed 3.25% fixed rate for Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) revaluation from April 2027, while calling for an end to repeated consultations on what it describes as a routine, formulaic exercise. Posted on Thursday Oct 8
The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), the UK's leading independent authority on pensions and retirement policy, has published new research today projecting employees aged 45-54 could have smaller Defined Contribution (DC) pension pots than the generations surrounding them. Posted on Wednesday Oct 7
Neil Jones, tax and wealth planning specialist at Standard Life comments: "Six months out from the pensions IHT change, preparations for affected clients will be well underway, with the focus shifting to reviewing updated plans and making any final adjustments. Posted on Wednesday Oct 7
People still want to retire at 62, but now expect to work until almost 68, pushing the ‘Retirement Expectation Gap’ to a record 5.3 years. Renters face a retirement gap of 6.8 years, more than three times the 2.1 years faced by outright homeowners. Millennials and Gen Z want to retire earliest, at 61 and 60, but face the largest retirement gaps at 6.8 and 5.9 years respectively. 51% fear their retirement finances won’t last, while 48% feel their finances are mainly influenced by factors outside of their control. Those who have done a lot of financial planning have a Retirement Expectation Gap almost five years narrower than those who have done none Posted on Tuesday Oct 6
One in ten (11%) answers were potentially harmful: 57 of the 539 answers could lead a saver to lose money or make a mistake they cannot undo. Most were not factually wrong. Instead, they left out important information, used unclear language or missed relevant context Posted on Tuesday Oct 6
Only 16% of UK adults expect to stop work completely and enter full retirement. 30% expect to continue working in some capacity during later life. 41% say keeping their brain active is a key reason for continuing to work. 39% are not confident they can live comfortably in later life, rising to 45% among women Posted on Tuesday Oct 6
Seven in ten (70%) DB Pension trustees say third-party or administrator vulnerability is among the biggest cyber risks facing schemes. 60% have board-level reporting and clear responsibilities for cyber incidents. Fewer than half (44%) regularly test their incident response plans Posted on Monday Oct 5
76% of people aged 55-64 say they have already taken the lump sum from their pension, according to AJ Bell research. 23% of people who aren’t doing any work in retirement say they were still working when they took the first payment from their pension. Of those who say they have taken a lump sum from a pension, only 30% used the first payment to cover living costs. Meanwhile, 26% paid for home improvements, 21% spent it on a holiday, 19% paid off debt and 16% bought a new car41% of people say they have managed their pension well so far, while 38% of people say they haven’t. Budget speculation around the fate of tax-free cash has led to excess tax-free cash withdrawals which can harm retirement outcomes in the long term. Posted on Monday Oct 5
Broadstone finds a reduction to redress levels due to rising bond yields. A gain expected in most cases meaning that no redress is payable as the consumer is judged to be better off as a result of transferring. Cases where transfers occurred sometime ago or which have experienced poor investment returns may mean that redress is payable Posted on Monday Oct 5
Nearly one in three (31%) UK adults are not confident they are on track for the retirement lifestyle they want, according to new research from M&G. To help people better understand their approach to retirement saving and take practical action, M&G has launched a new Retirement Readiness Quiz that identifies four distinct pension personalities. Posted on Friday Oct 2
Iain McLellan, Director at Isio: “The State Pension triple lock has long been the elephant in the room. While it has played an important role in protecting pensioners’ incomes, most economists and actuaries recognise that maintaining it indefinitely raises difficult questions about affordability and intergenerational fairness. Posted on Wednesday Sep 30
PensionBee, Aegon and Hymans Robertson comment on Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, confirming the State Pension Triple Lock will end after the current Parliament. From April 2030, the State Pension will rise in line with either prices or 2.5%, with the savings used to help fund a new National Care Service. Burnham also pledged that the State Pension would retain its value relative to earnings over the longer term and that those on the lowest incomes would not be dragged into paying tax as a result. Posted on Tuesday Sep 29
One in six (16%) people with a private pension who have experienced a major life event increased their pension contributions as a result. Becoming self-employed is the strongest positive trigger, with 18% increasing contributions, followed by having children (11%). However, life moments can also put pension saving under pressure, with 37% reducing, pausing or stopping contributions, rising to 45% following a career break, 33% after becoming self-employed, and 21% after having children. Furthermore, almost one in five (19%) say they only review their pension following a major life event or financial change Posted on Tuesday Sep 29
With one month to go until the Budget, Chancellor John Healey is promising a “new confidence in Britain” and a “new age of industrialisation” putting growth at the heart of his economic message. But for households, confidence starts with knowing where they stand. PensionBee research found 57% of savers aren’t confident the government will protect their pension savings in this Budget – underlining the challenge for a Chancellor aiming to get Britain investing and growing. Posted on Tuesday Sep 29
Almost half of pension pots accessed for first time in 2025-26 were fully encashedMore than 300,000 people aged 55-64 completely emptied their pension pot70% of those cashing in their full pension pot did so without taking financial advice Posted on Monday Sep 28
The Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) is calling on HMRC to provide greater clarity and stronger transitional protections ahead of the increase in the Normal Minimum Pension Age (NMPA) from 55 to 57 in April 2028. Posted on Monday Sep 28
Confidence that pensions will provide enough to live comfortably in retirement remains low, while an increasing number of savers say they do not know whether they are on track, according to Trafalgar House’s 2026 Trust & Confidence Survey. Posted on Monday Sep 28
The FCA’s Retirement Income Market Data published this morning finds that the total value withdrawn from pension pots increased by 22% to £91.2 billion in the year ending 31 March 2026, up from £75.0 billion in the previous year. Posted on Monday Sep 28
Interest in skilled trades is rising, with research suggesting more than one in five people have considered retraining amid debate about AI and automation. Self-employed pension saving remains a major challenge, with the Pensions Commission saying just 4% of people relying solely on self-employment income save into a pension. Standard Life research found one in three (33%) people reduced, paused or stopped contributions after becoming self-employed, while almost one in five (18%) increased them Posted on Thursday Sep 24
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