Latest insight articles

Stewardship is critical to how Standard Life and our asset managers deliver sustainable value for our customers and stakeholders, and make a difference to society.

With greater support more unpaid carers will be able to continue working and saving for their retirements for longer.

Fostering learning throughout our lives is good for individuals, employers and the economy.

Discover what Mohamad has learnt at Standard Life as a Business Manager in Corporate Affairs & Brand Function.

Find out how a Power of Attorney helped colleague Diane Webb support her uncle – and how this legal document can help make life simpler, through all the twists and turns.

Our colleague Lynn Forrest understands the value of a Power of Attorney – and the challenges you can face when there isn’t one in place. Read her story.

Teaming up with Carers UK to highlight why Power of Attorney matters.

Retirement is evolving. Societal shifts, regulatory changes and economic uncertainty are reshaping how people approach their later years. Find out more

Retirement isn’t as straightforward as it was. It once marked a fixed point in life, find out how it's evolved into a more dynamic, personal journey.

Explore the progress we’ve made on our net zero journey so far.

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.

Fundraising for our charity partner, Carers UK

Discover how Lois helps shape the culture as our Culture Manager.

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?

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.

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.

Women in the UK are on track to have less in their retirement savings than men, affecting their ability to have the kind of retirement they want.

In honour of Armed Forces Week, Simon Ing—Standard Life colleague and a proud veteran with 19 years of service in the British Military—sits down with Kirsty Dunlop, Marketing Risk Manager.

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?

Find out how Matt’s work supports our customers on their journey to and through retirement.

Discover how Diane's passion for helping others led her to become Digital Inclusion Manager at Standard Life.

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.

Donna discusses her 25 year career at Standard Life, from early days on the graduate scheme, to becoming Head of Master Trust at Standard Life.

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.

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.

Working less than full-time shouldn’t mean you have to compromise on your career ambitions or potential. Here’s how to make part-time working, work for you.

Evey talks about her journey into the world of pensions and how the work she does supports our customers on their journey to and through retirement.

The role of EBCs is likely to prove essential in providing advice on the relative strengths and weakness of different master trusts.

Discover how Karen’s passion for helping others led her to become Vulnerable Customer Lead at Standard Life, part of Standard Life.

Vulnerability is a complex issue with varied causes, but removing any barriers to disclosure means people can get support when they need it most.

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.

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.

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.

Better support for 50+ year olds in the workforce could help millions have a better quality of retirement and unlock billions in economic value.

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.

It was Mandy’s personal experience that inspired her to put menopause support on the Standard Life wellbeing agenda.

In Australia they don't suffer from small pots and employees have more to say over the choice of pension fund. But not everything about their system is rosy. Find out more in our discussion with John Greenwood, Editor at Corporate Adviser, and Paul Leandro, Partner at Barnett Waddingham.

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.

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.

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.

The way we think about work needs to change to make sure everyone can better save for their retirement

As the world of work and the retirement landscape changes, how can we make sure pensions are fit for the future?

The way pensions are invested can have a positive impact on climate change while also managing the risks and maximising the opportunities of climate change for our customers.

Work is core part of our everyday life. That’s why it’s important to get it right and find a career that makes sense.

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.

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.

Emergency savings, spending behaviours during retirement, why some really retirees return to work, and how retirement products can cater for the “100-year life”.

How an insurer values an illiquid asset as part of a bulk annuity transaction might differ greatly from a trustee’s valuation.

Increasing pensions investment into private asset classes is critical to supporting competitive and high-growth sectors.

There are many ways to remove illiquid assets before completing a buy-in or buy-out. But there is no perfect solution for all schemes. Find out more.

If default pension contribution rates are insufficient, could technology help to tailor rates more to individual needs?

What a lot of people get wrong about emergency savings, how spending habits change during retirement – and why some retirees really return to work.

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.

Leah talks about her experience working at Standard Life and being the co-chair of the colleague Pride Network.

We're proposing the introduction of a "Matching Adjustment sandbox", targeted at facilitating more flexible and innovative investments in annuity funds

We’re working hard to understand and respond to the needs of those who may be in vulnerable circumstances

If you asked 15 year old me what I wanted to do when I grew up, it would’ve been to play international cricket for Ireland. I’d be most shocked to discover female professional contracts were not a thing (yet) and I wouldn’t have known about career options in financial services, or really any jobs that involved being indoors all day.

Laura’s story is one of finding a fence seemingly too great to hurdle but through a determination to get to the other side, an opening soon appeared.

Employees now have the right to request flexible working from their first day in a new job.

Trustees need to plan carefully for dealing with their illiquid assets before approaching the insurance market.

For lots of women, having children means having a lower income. Employers can help tackle this problem by providing more flexible working conditions.

As activity in the secondary market increases, it’s vital that ceding trustees are fully involved and act independently.

Creating a supportive and inclusive work environment for all our colleagues

In the realms of bulk purchase annuities (BPA), managing illiquid assets was the hottest topic of 2023.

Creating a supportive and inclusive workplace for women benefits all employees

A key cause of the pensions savings gap is that women’s pension incomes are, on average, 40% lower than men’s. Women are often seen as the primary caregiver and as such are more likely to go into part-time work to be available for family commitments, resulting in lower pension contributions over time.

Understanding people’s needs and attitudes can help build a more inclusive retirement savings system. Do we understand people as well as we might think?

Midlife MOTs can give people the confidence to steer their own lives

What exactly does ‘net zero’ mean, and why is it important for the pensions industry?

Our new framework outlines tests for determining the economic conditions that would allow for default contribution rates to increase. Find out more.

Helping people save enough to have the retirement they want

Future generations of older people are more likely to live in a rented home than they are today. So what might this mean for their retirement plans?

With people living longer lives, it's critical we act quickly to help more women enjoy sustained fulfilling careers for as long as they wish

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.

Artificial intelligence is set to reshape all our lives. Find out how trustees understand its limitations, use appropriate protection, and keep pace.

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.

Being online is essential to thriving in today’s society, but 1 in 5 people in the UK don’t have basic digital skills

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?

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Over the years, we have seen several changes to the state pension age, affecting those approaching retirement as well as younger people.

As a long-term savings and retirement business, we’re perfectly positioned to explain what’s needed for a properly funded retirement, including what the UK government’s pension ‘triple lock’ means for you.

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.

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.

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).

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development speaks to Standard Life about why pension systems must adapt as societies become more diverse.

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.

For many in Australia’s superannuation industry there is one principal measure of value for money: net benefit outcome.

Australian superannuation is cited as a model that the UK pensions industry might seek to emulate. But is it really that simple?

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.

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.

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.

Since its introduction in 2012, workplace auto-enrolment has been a huge success in helping people across the UK save and prepare for retirement.

This year, the gap between job vacancies and people looking for work is larger than ever before.

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.

Australia's superannuation sector is the fifth-largest pension system in the world, and can provide valuable lessons to the UK.

By providing people with a consolidated view of all their pensions, the government dashboard could improve people’s engagement with their pensions.

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.

We've looked hard at how we can positively influence the outcome of the Game of Life for the benefit of our customers, our colleagues and our communities.

There are three fundamental areas that we need to address: health, housing, and work.

Why five more years of healthy life is a win-win for business and society