Thinking Forward
Content Team
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Video | Unlocking investment to support net zero transition
Bruno Gardner, Head of Climate Change and Nature, and Connar McBain, Head of Group Public Affairs, join the podcast to explore how to unlock investment to support net zero transition.
Thinking Forward TeamAugust 07, 2025
Read more38 mins read -
Video | How can psychology support financial planning?
Alex Murguia, CEO of RISA joins us from USA to discuss how the tool supports financial planning for his clients. How can the tool open the floor for a personalised discussion with clients? And how can psychology support advisers to delve deeper and understand their clients?
Thinking Forward TeamJuly 28, 2025
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Video | How do advised clients feel about retirement?
Rich Mayor, Senior Analyst at the Lang Cat, joins Louise Doherty, Head of Wholesale and Product Marketing at Standard Life, and Mike Ambery, Retirement Savings Director, as they take a fresh dive into our Retirement Voice 2024 data through the perspective of advisers.
Thinking Forward TeamJuly 22, 2025
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Video | What is the future of retirement income advice?
The past ten to 15 years has seen significant change in the retirement income advice market as the way people approach retirement has changed. Pete Cowell, Head of Annuities, Individual Retirement Solutions at Standard Life, and Billy Burrows, Founder of the Annuity Project and financial adviser, join us to discuss the changes and explore the future of retirement income advice.
Thinking Forward TeamJuly 08, 2025
Read more43 mins read -
Video | What is the future of modern retirement?
Dan Haylett, Director at TFP Financial Planning and Claire Altman, MD of Individual Retirement at Standard Life, talk about the more human side of retirement, what will the second half of your clients’ lives really look like?
Thinking Forward TeamJune 13, 2025
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Video | Private markets: what do they mean for pension savers?
The Mansion House compact marked a significant commitment amongst pension providers and other institutions in the UK towards improving outcomes for savers. Callum Stewart, Head of Investment Proposition at Standard Life, and Sam Murphy, Investment Director at Future Growth Capital joins us to discuss how investment in good quality private asset opportunities could improve retirement outcomes.
Thinking Forward TeamApril 15, 2025
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Video | Private markets: what is the opportunity for the UK pensions industry?
The UK pensions industry has historically allocated very little DC pension investment into private markets. Yet when we look to our peers in Australia and Canada this is much higher. What can we learn from our international peers and how can private market investment benefit customers? Michela Bariletti, Chief Credit Officer and Head of Investment Research at Phoenix Group joins us to discuss.
Thinking Forward TeamMarch 04, 2025
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Video | 2025 macroeconomic outlook
2024 was hailed the year of the election, but what will the results mean for the economic outlook? And what trends can we anticipate for 2025? Find out in our discussion with Anthony O'Brien, Head of Market Strategy at Phoenix Group.
Thinking Forward TeamFebruary 25, 2025
Read more23 mins read -
Video | Pensions dashboards: how much difference will they really make?
Pensions dashboards should boost people's engagement with retirement savings. But a lot will depend on how you can access the data. And we might end up with more of them than we expect, say Sam Seaton, CEO at MoneyHub, and Matt Burrell, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Phoenix Group.
Thinking Forward TeamNovember 28, 2024
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Video | Retirement income: what help do people really need?
Making decisions about retirement income is tough. The stakes are high, the options plentiful – yet people often receive little or no help. So how can we change this situation? Find out in our discussion with Claire Altman, Managing Director, Individual Retirement at Standard Life, and Matt Burrell, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Phoenix Group.
Thinking Forward TeamNovember 26, 2024
Read more25 mins read -
Video | Former pensions ministers on regrets, successes and why the UK system has to change
Guy Opperman, former UK pensions minister, and Nick Sherry, former Australia pensions minister, discuss adequacy, Value for Money, Mansion House, trustee responsibilities – and a few broken bones along the way.
Thinking Forward TeamNovember 12, 2024
Read more40 mins read -
Video | The future of retirement income: what needs to change?
How can the pensions industry ensure people get the right guidance and advice when they retire? And are the right products available to provide both certainty and flexibility – and ultimately provide better outcomes? Find out in our discussion with Claire Altman, Managing Director, Individual Retirement at Standard Life.
Thinking Forward TeamOctober 22, 2024
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Video | Value for Money: should the UK emulate Australia's performance test?
Does the UK's Value for Money framework lack teeth? If so, what might we learn from Australia's more penal performance test? Find out in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.
Thinking Forward TeamSeptember 27, 2024
Read more24 mins read -
Video | The year of elections: what it means for pensions and investments
In Australia, illiquid investments are more common and average pension returns are higher. So what does this indicate about the likely success of Mansion House and the UK's pension investment aspirations? Find out in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.
Thinking Forward TeamSeptember 26, 2024
Read more29 mins read -
Video | Retirement solutions: lessons from Australia
When it comes to retirement income, how does the UK compare to other markets? Is it a global problem? And what are the short- and long-term solutions? Find out in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.
Thinking Forward TeamSeptember 25, 2024
Read more23 mins read -
Video | The year of elections: what it means for pensions and investments
This year national elections are due to be held in at least 64 countries representing around half of the world’s population, and over 60% of global economic output. To understand what this could mean for pensions and investments, we speak to Anthony O'Brien, Head of Market Strategy.
Thinking Forward TeamSeptember 17, 2024
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Video | UK political and economic trends: what these mean for pension reform
What’s changed economically since the general election? How do overseas investors perceive the UK? And what pension reforms would we like to see in October’s Budget? Find out in our discussion with Anthony O’Brien, Head of Market Strategy at Phoenix Group.
Thinking Forward TeamSeptember 04, 2024
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Managing illiquids during a BPA transaction: what are your options?
How an insurer values an illiquid asset as part of a bulk annuity transaction might differ greatly from a trustee’s valuation.
Thinking Forward TeamAugust 28, 2024
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Spending and saving habits in the US: lessons for the UK
Emergency savings, spending behaviours during retirement, why some really retirees return to work, and how retirement products can cater for the “100-year life”.
Thinking Forward TeamAugust 28, 2024
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Auto-enrolment: how increasing contribution rates could boost the UK economy
Increasing pensions investment into private asset classes is critical to supporting competitive and high-growth sectors.
Thinking Forward TeamAugust 21, 2024
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Video | Saving habits: what can we learn from the US?
What a lot of people get wrong about emergency savings, how spending habits change during retirement – and why some retirees really return to work.
Thinking Forward TeamJune 28, 2024
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Video | What the US presidential election could mean for UK pensions
We chatted to David John, US pensions and retirement expert, about Biden vs. Trump, ESG, pension reform, and why most people don't plan a lot for retirement.
Thinking Forward TeamJune 18, 2024
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Illiquid assets: what trustees should consider ahead of a bulk purchase annuity transaction
Trustees need to plan carefully for dealing with their illiquid assets before approaching the insurance market.
Thinking Forward TeamApril 18, 2024
Read more4 mins read -
Managing illiquid assets during bulk purchase annuity transaction
In the realms of bulk purchase annuities (BPA), managing illiquid assets was the hottest topic of 2023.
Thinking Forward TeamMarch 14, 2024
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New Zealand’s KiwiSaver: a template for auto-enrolment reform in the UK?
To help understand how auto-enrolment may evolve in the UK, here are some insights into New Zealand’s KiwiSaver – the world’s first auto-enrolment opt-out national savings scheme.
Thinking Forward TeamOctober 09, 2023
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Podcast | What the UK can learn about auto-enrolment from New Zealand
Two leading experts on pension reform discuss the merits of allowing pension withdrawals for home ownership, member engagement and financial education – and whether you really need tax incentives to encourage people to save for retirement.
Thinking Forward TeamSeptember 15, 2023
Read more38 mins read -
5 tips for improving your financial wellbeing programme
Financial wellbeing has been a hot topic in recent years, but what does the term actually mean? And how much difference do most financial wellbeing programmes actually make to employees’ lives?
Thinking Forward TeamJuly 26, 2023
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Video | Financial wellness: What UK employers can learn from the US
Financial wellness has been a hot topic in recent years, but what does it actually mean? And how can employers be sure the support they provide to employees really makes a difference?
Thinking Forward TeamJuly 07, 2023
Read more28 mins read -
6 trends that have reshaped the pensions landscape
Many future generations of pensioners are likely to face substantial financial difficulties in older age unless there’s policy action. So what are the challenges facing the UK pensions system, and how can they be overcome?
Thinking Forward TeamJune 21, 2023
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Video | The cost of living crisis – what comes next?
Are we facing another lost decade in living standards? What might this mean for interest rates, mortgage repayments and the labour market? Find out in our discussion with Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Thinking Forward TeamJune 05, 2023
Read more13 mins read -
Podcast | The cost of living crisis – what comes next?
Are we facing another lost decade in living standards? And, if so, what might this mean for interest rates, mortgage repayments and the labour market? Find out in our discussion with Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Thinking Forward TeamJune 05, 2023
Read more30 mins read -
Video | Challenges facing the UK pension system: is it time for a new review?
Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, explains the Pensions Review report, insufficient pension contributions, the State Pension age and why the UK pension system needs a review.
Thinking Forward TeamJune 01, 2023
Read more15 mins read -
Podcast | Challenges facing the UK pension system: is it time for a new review?
We speak to Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, about the Pensions Review report, insufficient pension contributions, the State Pension age – and why the UK pension system needs a review.
Thinking Forward TeamJune 01, 2023
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Video | OECD webinar on diversity, equity and inclusion in pensions
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development speaks to Standard Life about why pension systems must adapt as societies become more diverse.
Thinking Forward TeamFebruary 17, 2023
Read more49 mins read -
Diversity, equity and inclusion in asset-backed pensions
Analysis of what influences people's ability and willingness to save for retirement by looking at the views, attitudes and expectations of adults living in the UK.
Thinking Forward TeamFebruary 17, 2023
Read more6 mins read -
How to boost diversity, equity and inclusion in pensions systems
If we want to uncover how pension systems can become more inclusive, we must first understand what might influence people’s ability and willingness to save for retirement.
Thinking Forward TeamFebruary 17, 2023
Read more6 mins read -
How attitudes towards saving and retirement vary by age, gender and ethnicity
Generation, gender, ethnicity and employment status can all affect people’s ability and willingness to save for retirement – according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Thinking Forward TeamFebruary 17, 2023
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Podcast | Pension dashboards: what can we learn from Sweden and Denmark?
Two world-leading experts on pension dashboards explain how pension dashboards in the UK might affect engagement, and the importance of good data, robust controls, inclusivity, and managing expectations.
Thinking Forward TeamJanuary 11, 2023
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Value for money: what can the UK learn from Australia?
For many in Australia’s superannuation industry there is one principal measure of value for money: net benefit outcome.
Thinking Forward TeamDecember 21, 2022
Read more2 mins read -
Illiquid asset investments: can the UK emulate Australian superannuation?
Australian superannuation is cited as a model that the UK pensions industry might seek to emulate. But is it really that simple?
Thinking Forward TeamDecember 21, 2022
Read more2 mins read -
Pot for life: lessons from Australia’s stapling model
The Australian system doesn’t suffer as much from small pots as the UK, and members have more choice of fund. But this wasn’t achieved overnight.
Thinking Forward TeamDecember 21, 2022
Read more3 mins read -
Podcast | How the UK’s economic challenges may affect us in years to come
To help understand how auto-enrolment may evolve in the UK, here are some insights into New Zealand’s KiwiSaver – the world’s first auto-enrolment opt-out national savings scheme.
Thinking Forward TeamNovember 25, 2022
Read more34 mins read -
What the UK’s economic challenges mean for long-term savings and consumer behaviour
We spoke to Paul Johnson, Director at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, about rising inflation and falling household income, economic inactivity, the mounting tax burden and the future of the State Pension.
Thinking Forward TeamNovember 25, 2022
Read more6 mins read -
Podcast | What the Australian pensions system tells us about future reform in the UK
What has driven consolidation in Australian superannuation, retirement income policy shifts and infrastructure developments? To find out, we spoke to The Hon. Nick Sherry, an ex-Australian Pensions Minister for Superannuation and Senator for Tasmania.
Thinking Forward TeamAugust 01, 2022
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What the UK pensions industry can learn from Australia
Australia's superannuation sector is the fifth-largest pension system in the world, and can provide valuable lessons to the UK.
Thinking Forward TeamJuly 21, 2022
Read more3 mins read -
Pensions dashboards – your questions answered
By providing people with a consolidated view of all their pensions, the government dashboard could improve people’s engagement with their pensions.
Thinking Forward TeamJuly 19, 2022
Read more3 mins read -
Will pension dashboards boost user engagement?
To understand more about the challenges that may lie ahead for dashboards in the UK – but also the opportunities to boost user engagement and retirement planning – read about the lessons learnt from the Swedish pension dashboard.
Thinking Forward TeamMay 09, 2022
Read more2 mins read
