10 Sep 2018

White paper: The Rules of Engagement

Auto-enrolment and pension freedoms are widely recognised as having transformed the UK’s pension system for the better. However, they’re based on incompatible underlying approaches; one uses inertia to create good outcomes for individuals without the need for them to take any action, the other is built around giving the same individuals the freedom to choose how and when they access their retirement savings.

1538166468_Therulesofengagement.png 1538166954_Therulesofengagement1.png 1538166954_Therulesofengagement2.png 1538166954_Therulesofengagement3.png 1538166954_Therulesofengagement4.png

This disconnect, how to help investors transition from disengagement to engagement, is the subject of this policy paper. Hargreaves Lansdown wrote it after analysing the engagement levels of almost 60,000 active members of workplace pensions.

Ultimately, engagement is not necessarily about the range of different tools and calculators used by pension providers, it’s about getting results that change the financial future for pension savers.

Key findings

People are prepared to take control of their own retirement. In fact, 73 per cent of pension members are engaging with their retirement planning, based on seven factors varying from setting up online access to increasing their contribution level.
Ultimately, engagement is not necessarily about the range of different tools and calculators used by pension providers, it’s about getting results that change the financial future for pension savers.
Trends show that pensions get more interesting the larger people’s pots grow. Only half of people engage with a pension pot under £5,000 but that jumps to three quarters with a pension of £5,000-£10,000.

The paper has three main topic areas: why engage?; measuring engagement – focus on results; and where now, and where next for engagement?

Hargreaves Lansdown is a secure, FTSE 100 company helping UK savers and investors for 35 years. Over one million people already trust us to help them save and invest with confidence.