11 Sep 2026

What’s your 'SIPPing Point'?

Interactive investor launches a new campaign to help people engage with their pensions earlier.

Three-quarters (76%) of Britons only start thinking seriously about their pension after experiencing a major life event, according to new research from interactive investor, the UK’s leading flat-fee investment platform.

The findings mark the launch of interactive investor’s new ‘SIPPing Point’ campaign, which explores the life moments that prompt people to take greater control of their retirement savings, while encouraging and empowering them to start planning before life forces them to.

A SIPP (self-invested personal pension) is a tax-efficient pension account which can offer a wider choice of investments, control, and flexibility.

Britain’s ‘SIPPing Point’

Starting a first job is the most common trigger, cited by almost a quarter (24%) of respondents. However, this doesn’t mean that Britons are staying engaged with their pensions, as one third (33%) revealed that they engaged with their pension during their workplace onboarding – but they haven’t looked at it since.

One in five (21%) didn’t engage with their retirement savings until their midlife – at which point, they may find they aren’t on track for their dream retirement and may have missed out on decades of compounding and growth.

Other key ‘SIPPing Points’ include having children (13%) and getting on the property ladder (11%).

Life events aren’t the only things triggering pension engagement, as 18% started taking their pension seriously after discussing it with their family, friends, and parents.

The research also reveals that the average adult in the UK doesn’t actively engage with their pension until the age of 36: with major life milestones acting as the catalyst rather than proactive financial planning.

“For many people, it takes a major life event before pension saving suddenly feels real,” said Camilla Esmund, head of investor campaigns at Interactive Investor. “What we’re trying to do with this campaign is to change the culture around pension saving and make it something everyone can actively engage with earlier in whatever way makes sense for them as an individual, putting them in the driver’s seat of their financial future.”

Don’t wait for your ‘SIPPing Point’

Whatever your ‘SIPPing Point’ looks like, Interactive Investor is encouraging people not to wait until life forces them to think about retirement.

Esmund outlines some ideas here:

Take back control by doing a pension deepdive: How many pensions do you have? How are they invested? “Taking a look at your current pension pot(s) is a great first step. See where your pension is invested, look at performance, and check that your investments are pulling their weight and whether they align with your goals and timeframe. If anything is unclear and you’re still unsure, ask the provider.”
Review whether you're contributing enough for your retirement goals: “There are plenty of retirement calculators available to break down your pension and see if you’re on track for your ideal retirement. If you have a workplace pension scheme, if you choose to contribute a higher percentage of your income, some employers may match some or all the extra money you choose to contribute. If your employer offers salary sacrifice, you'll save national insurance on pension payments as well as income tax, helping to boost your take-home pay.”
Understand whether a SIPP could be right for you: “If you have multiple pension pots, consolidation may be an option to consider. You can merge all your pension pots within a SIPP, which can help make it much easier to keep track of your pension pot, going forward. It can also help you keep an eye on fees, too. Just be sure to check that you don’t lose any valuable benefits by doing so. Bear in mind that you will have to be prepared to make your own investment decisions, but there are educational tools on interactive investor to help. That said, there are also managed options out there, such as interactive investor’s managed portfolios.”

Review your pension regularly as your circumstances change: “Keeping an eye on your pension on a regular basis can help ensure that you’ll stay on track for your dream retirement, particularly when you go through significant life changes and your priorities change.”

Capital at risk. The value of investments made within a SIPP can fall as well as rise and you may end up with a fund at retirement that’s worth less than you invested. You can normally only access the money from age 55 (age 57 from 2028).

The ii SIPP is intended for customers who have sufficient knowledge and experience of investing to make their own investment decisions. If you are unsure about the suitability of a SIPP, or transferring any existing pension plan(s) into a SIPP, you should seek advice from an authorised financial advisor.