Start 2026 strong: practical ways to help your employees plan

The start of a new year is the perfect time to help employees take stock of what the future holds for them in terms of retirement and savings.

At New Year, many people take time to reflect on their health, personal goals and finances. As we step into 2026, it’s the perfect moment to encourage your employees to strengthen their financial wellbeing by getting to grips with their pension.

Small actions now could make a big difference to their future.

Here are some simple ways you can help boost understanding and engagement.

Reflecting on their pension progress

For many employees, the first step in making future plans could be as simple as finding out what they’ve saved already.

As Standard Life's 2025 Retirement Voice report on how people feel about their finances showed, almost half (47%) think their pension savings are mainly influenced by factors outside their control.

So understanding how much is currently in their pension pot, along with what that could mean for the future, is a simple way for them to feel more in control of their finances. If your workplace scheme is with Standard Life, employees can access the information easily using Standard Life's mobile app.

Reclaiming what’s theirs

Of course, the above doesn’t take into account any previous pensions the employee may have contributed to, then forgotten about or lost access to.

According to the Pensions Policy Institute, the average size of a lost pension pot for people aged between 55 and 75 is £13,620. It estimates the total number of missing pots to be 3.3 million, amounting to £31.1 billion worth of assets.

So, for those in the middle-to-late stages of their careers, or who have had several jobs, tracking down these lost funds could be very worthwhile.

The Government’s Pension Tracing Service is one way they can start the process. Or employees who are part of a Standard Life scheme can use its Pension Tracing Finder, which is available in the Tools section of Standard Life's mobile app. All they need to get started is the name of their previous employer.

Once they’ve tracked down any lost pots, they might want to consider making their pension easier to manage by combining them with their Standard Life plan.

If this is the right choice for them (and it won’t be for everyone – sometimes transfers can mean losing money due to giving up benefits and guarantees on previous plans), they can also do this via the app.

Are they on track for the retirement they want?

Many people are naturally inclined to look to the future at this time of year. Standard Life's latest Retirement Voice report revealed that nearly three-quarters (73%) of people are concerned that retirement in the future will be more complex than it is now.

One way you can help employees to find some clarity on their future is to guide them to work out how much money they’re going to need to have the retirement they want. If your workplace pension is with Standard Life, you can do this by pointing them towards the app, where they can use Standard Life's Retirement Income Tool to find out.

Ready to help members take the next step?

Standard Life has created a suite of campaign resources designed to guide employees through everything from checking their savings and reclaiming lost pots to planning for the retirement they want.

Click here for Ready to Go materials that can help you help them stick to their retirement resolutions.