October 2025
16Oct

UK. Savers back pension reforms despite cost-of-living strains

Despite the cost-of-living strain, most savers are continuing to save into their pension, research from Pensions UK has found, with 4 per cent of savers having reduced pension contributions. The research showed that many are struggling, as 44 per cent of people say their financial situation is worse than 12 months ago, up from 34 per cent in 2024. As a result, many are cutting back on everyday spending, including eating out (39 per cent), takeaways (35 per cent), holidays (32...

October 16, 2025
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15Oct

Raising pension contribution levels ‘could boost financial security in the UK’

The UK’s retirement system could be improved by bringing more people, including the self-employed, into private pension schemes and raising the contribution levels required under automatic enrolment, according to a global report. The UK was graded “B” in the 17th annual Mercer CFA Institute global pension index – alongside several other countries such as Canada, New Zealand, France, Mexico, Belgium, Croatia, Germany and Ireland. Countries which received an “A” grade included the Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark, Singapore and Israel. Those rated “B-plus”...

October 15, 2025
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14Oct

UK. Major pension changes expected by 2035; DC concerns remain centre stage

Whilst most Pensions UK members are confident that the pension industry will successfully adapt to any changes over the next decade, many remain concerned over defined contribution (DC) outcomes and political uncertainty. Research from Pensions UK found that nearly half (44 per cent) of its members expect to see a very significant change in the pensions industry by 2035, or sooner, with over a quarter (28 per cent) expecting to see very significant changes within the next five years. Yet most...

October 14, 2025
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08Oct

UK. DB pension surpluses continue to stand at record levels, up £48bn year-on-year in September

XPS Group estimates UK DB pension schemes maintained a £222bn aggregate surplus against long-term funding targets, up £2bn in September 2025 and £48bn year-on-year. Aggregate scheme assets saw a small rise in September 2025, as matching assets rose in value as bond yields decreased. Growth assets such as global equities also displayed positive performance. Aggregate scheme liabilities also increased, driven by a slight reduction in gilt yields. New analysis from XPS Group shows UK pension schemes continued to enjoy...

October 8, 2025
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07Oct

UK. Six key challenges for the revived Pensions Commission

Aon has warned that the government’s revived Pensions Commission will face major structural hurdles if it hopes to deliver meaningful reform to the UK’s pension system. In a new paper exploring the aims of the Pensions Commission, Matthew Arends, head of UK retirement policy at Aon, argued that the commission’s narrow remit may stop it from addressing the root causes of poor retirement adequacy. He warned that by being instructed to “build on the foundation of the state pension” rather than...

October 7, 2025
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07Oct

Reimagining pensions for Gen Z

Two recent Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) reports shed light on the shifting landscape of UK retirement. The concerns of Gen Z explores the financial realities of the youngest working cohort, while the generations deep-dive in the UK Pensions Framework 2025 provides a system-wide assessment of adequacy, sustainability and fairness. Together they reveal that, despite reforms such as automatic enrolment (AE), younger adults face structural obstacles that could leave them with lower retirement incomes than previous generations. Many Gen Z workers begin their...

October 7, 2025
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06Oct

UK. How pension reform is reshaping retirement income

The UK’s retirement market stands once again at the brink of profound change. The FCA’s December 2024 consultation paper – creatively titled CP24/27: Advice Guidance Boundary Review: Proposed Targeted Support Reforms for Pensions – paired with the upcoming Pensions Schemes Bill 2025, represents a regulatory double act poised to transform how retirement income solutions are delivered. This approach represents a critical evolution beyond existing Pension Freedoms (2015) legislation, where retirees frequently struggled with overwhelming choice, leading to premature withdrawals or complete indecision. Guided...

October 6, 2025
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03Oct

UK and European pension funds laying the groundwork for VC surge

UK and European pension funds are laying the groundwork to become a more significant source of venture capital (VC) funding, according to a report from Venture Connections, European Women in VC and Pensions for Purpose, with Nordic pension funds the most active, despite growing momentum in the UK. The report, Mapping Pension Funds Attitudes to Venture & Growth in Europe, suggested that pension funds have the chance to help savers benefit and support long-term economic renewal, estimating that while only...

October 3, 2025
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September 2025
30Sep

UK. Pension disaster as nearly half of pots overdrawn in ‘real risk’ to retirement savings

Fresh analysis of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) figures shows pension withdrawals at unsustainable rates have reached record levels. In 2024/25, 45 per cent of all retirement savings pots were accessed at eight per cent or higher. Financial experts generally regard four per cent as a prudent annual drawdown rate, meaning many retirees are drawing down at double the recommended pace. The findings come from consultancy firm Broadstone, which compiled eight years of FCA retirement income market data. The 45 per cent figure is...

September 30, 2025
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29Sep

UK. Gen Z need £3m plus for comfortable retirement

Young people typically now in their 20s, known as Generation Z, are likely to need at least £3 million to retire comfortably due to the erosive impact of inflation, according to new analysis by Rathbones Group, one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms. The calculations, based on the amount needed for a ‘comfortable’ retirement as defined by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), show that a 25-year-old today would need a pension pot of £3.1 million to retire at age...

September 29, 2025
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