• Are you a pension Winger, Planner, or Late Bloomer? New Standard Life research reveals Britain’s pension personalities
  • More than a third (36%) of UK non-retired DC pension savers are pension ‘Wingers’, taking a largely hands-off approach to saving for retirement
  • Younger savers are most likely to be Wingers, with 45% of 18–34-year-olds falling into the group
  • Just a quarter (26%) of Wingers feel on track for the retirement they want, compared with two thirds (67%) of ‘Planners’
  • Standard Life analysis shows increasing employee pension contributions from 5% to 8% could add around £95,000 to an illustrative retirement pot over a working lifetime

More than a third of pension savers are ‘winging it’ when it comes to their retirement savings, as new analysis from Standard Life, a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income, shows how taking a more active approach to retirement saving could make a £95,000 difference over a working lifetime.

With Pension Engagement Season underway, new Standard Life research¹, has identified three distinct pension personalities among UK non-retired Defined Contribution (DC) pension savers – Wingers, Planners and Late Bloomers – revealing very different approaches to preparing for retirement.

The personalities are based on how people describe their current approach to retirement saving. Wingers are more likely to leave their pension alone, put off thinking about retirement or feel unsure where to start. Planners take a more active approach, such as regularly reviewing their pension or looking for ways to improve their savings. Late Bloomers may have paid less attention to retirement in the past but are now beginning to take it more seriously.

Meet the Wingers – over a third (36%) of pension savers

The most common pension personality is the Winger, accounting for more than a third (36%) of pension savers surveyed. Wingers are particularly common among younger savers, with 45% of 18–34-year-olds falling into this category, compared with 35% of those aged 35–54 and 26% of over-55s. Women are also more likely than men to be Wingers (40% versus 33%). 

Their hands-off approach is reflected in how closely they monitor their retirement savings. Almost one in five (18%) never review their pension, only 10% know exactly how much they have saved, and just over a fifth (22%) know exactly how much they personally contribute. Unsurprisingly, this lower engagement is accompanied by lower confidence, with only 26% feeling on track for the retirement they want.
 

Meet the Planners – over a quarter (29%) of pension savers

Over a quarter (29%) pension savers are Planners, taking a more active role in managing their retirement savings through regular reviews, checking progress and seeking opportunities to improve their outcomes. Men are more likely to be Planners than women (35% versus 23%), while the proportion changes little by age, ranging from 28% to 31% across generations. Planners are also particularly common among those with private or SIPP pensions, where 45% fall into this category.

Their higher engagement is evident in their understanding of their finances. Almost six in 10 (59%) regularly review their pension, more than a third (37%) know exactly how much they have saved and almost half (49%) know exactly how much they personally contribute. This stronger grasp of their retirement savings is reflected in confidence levels, with two thirds (67%) saying they feel on track for the retirement they want.
 

Meet the Late Bloomers – a quarter (25%) of pension savers

A quarter (25%) of pension savers are Late Bloomers - people who may have paid less attention to retirement saving in the past but are now becoming more engaged, often after a change in circumstances or a growing awareness of the need to plan ahead. They are most common among Gen X, with 30% of 46–61-year-olds falling into this category, compared with 23% of Millennials and 20% of Gen Z. Women are also slightly more likely than men to be Late Bloomers (27% versus 22%).

Their engagement levels tend to sit between those of Wingers and Planners. Two in five (40%) regularly review their pension, while 19% know exactly how much they have saved and 35% know exactly how much they personally contribute. This is reflected in their outlook for retirement: just under two in five (37%) believe they are on track for the retirement they want, putting them ahead of Wingers but still some way behind Planners.

Respondents were classified into pension personality groups according to their answers to a range of questions on pension engagement, attitudes and behaviours. 10% of respondents were not classified into any group.
 

What could these behaviours mean for retirement savings?

Standard Life analysis² shows how these different approaches could add up over a working lifetime. Someone taking a Winger-style approach, sticking to minimum auto-enrolment contributions of 5% from the employee and 3% from their employer throughout their career, could build a retirement pot of around £252,000 by age 68, in today’s prices.

Taking a more Planner-style approach and increasing contributions earlier could make a significant difference over time. Someone starting work at 22 on £30,000 and increasing their employee contribution from 5% to 6% could build around £283,000 by age 68. Increasing this further to 8% could result in around £347,000, adjusted for inflation – £95,000 more than sticking with minimum contributions throughout.

For Late Bloomers, starting to pay closer attention later in life can still make a difference. Someone making minimum contributions from 22, then increasing their contributions by 2% at the age of 50, could build a pot of £274,000 by the age of 68 allowing for inflation.

Personality type and behaviour Total retirement fund at age 68*
Winger: pension saving from 22, minimum 5% auto enrolment employee contribution, 3% employer contribution £252,000
Planner: pension saving from 22, 6% employee contribution, 3% employer contribution  £283,000
Planner: pension saving from 22, 8% employee contribution, 3% employer contribution   £347,000
Late Bloomer: 5% auto enrolment contribution from 22 to 50, 7% employee contribution from 50, 3% employer contribution £274,000

 *Assumptions: Starting salary £30,000, 5% employee and 3% employer monthly contributions, 3.5% annual salary growth, 5% annual investment growth. Figures are reduced to take effect 2% inflation. Annual Management Charge of 0.75% assumed. The figures are an illustration and are not guaranteed. Earning limits not applied.

Most of us can probably recognise a bit of the Winger in ourselves. Retirement can feel a long way off and there are plenty of more immediate demands on our money, so it can be easy to leave a pension ticking away in the background without giving it much thought. Of course, few people fit neatly into a single pension personality, and many of us will recognise aspects of several of them at different stages of our lives. But understanding the habits and behaviours that influence how we engage with retirement saving can be a helpful reminder to take stock and check whether we're doing enough for our future selves.

You don’t need to become a pension expert to make a difference. Simply knowing roughly what you’ve saved, checking what you’re paying in and seeing whether you’re on track are all useful places to start. Taking small steps to engage with your financial future today can lead to better outcomes later on. Our analysis shows that increasing contributions by even one percentage point early in your career could add thousands of pounds over time.

If you're more of a Late Bloomer, the message isn't that you've missed the boat. Everyone's journey to retirement is different, but starting to pay attention today can still make a meaningful difference, and Pension Engagement Season is a good prompt to check in. A few minutes spent looking at your pension today could be something your future self is very glad you did.

- Emma Furlonger, Managing Director for Workplace Pensions

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Notes to editors:

1 - Opinium surveyed 4,000 UK adults between 11 and 18 August 2026. Quotas and post-weighting were applied to make the sample nationally representative. 

The pension personality analysis is based on respondents with a defined contribution (DC) workplace pension or private/SIPP pension who are not retired.

Respondents were asked which statement best described their current approach to retirement saving. Responses were grouped into three pension personalities:

Planners selected one of three statements reflecting proactive engagement: regularly looking for ways to improve their retirement savings; having a clear retirement plan and regularly reviewing their pension to make sure they are on track; or checking their pension when their circumstances change.

Late Bloomers selected one of three statements reflecting increased engagement after previously paying less attention: taking retirement more seriously now than when they were younger; wishing they had started thinking about their pension sooner and now trying to catch up; or a recent life change prompting them to pay more attention.

Wingers selected one of four statements reflecting a more hands-off or uncertain approach: assuming their workplace pension is taking care of itself; feeling retirement is too far away to think about; knowing they should spend more time thinking about their pension but tending to leave it alone; or not knowing where to start.

A further 7% of respondents selected “none of these” and 3% selected “don’t know” and are not included in the three pension personality groups.


2- Calculations assume the following:

Starting Salary £30,000
Starting Age 22
Employer Contribution 5.00%
Employee Contribution 3.00%
Investment Growth 5.00%
Annual Investment Charge 0.75%

Calculations are intended only for the sole purpose of providing an illustration regarding the projection of savings and pensions. They should not be used with the intention to give an accurate representation of real-world outcomes.


About Standard Life

Standard Life is a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement saving and income. We are proud to manage around c£317bn in assets on behalf of our 12 million customers, and we champion the belief that everyone's journey to and through retirement can be better.  

With our focus entirely on retirement savings and income we want to be the business that people trust to guide their retirement journey, helping our customers achieve better outcomes and greater financial security in later life. 

As a FTSE 100-listed group we are using our size, expertise and influence to shape the world our customers will retire into, and are committed to helping three million more customers by 2035, take action towards a better retirement.  

Standard Life is a responsible investor with a clear commitment to supporting a more sustainable future. The Group has achieved its net zero goal across its emissions for 2025 and is working towards net zero investment portfolios by 2050 or sooner.

Standard Life is recognised as a leading employer, with long-standing accreditation as a Living Wage Employer, Living Pension Employer and Carer Positive Exemplary Employer and in 2025 became one of Britain’s Most Admired Companies in 2025.