Savers are at risk of losing out if Value For Money framework is not included on pension dashboards

B&CE, provider of The People’s Pension¹ which serves 1 in 6 workers across the UK, has warned that savers are at risk of losing out if the proposed Value For Money (VFM) framework is not included on pension dashboards.

New research² from the leading pension provider has found that more than two out of five pension holders (43%) are likely to move their savings from one pension provider to another if they could do so via a website that allowed them to see all their pensions in one place. But more than four in 10 (45%) wouldn’t know what to look for when switching pension providers, which risks them making a decision which could lead to a poorer retirement outcome.

When asked what would influence their decision if choosing to move providers, more than a third of pension savers (36%) said saving money on charges would be a factor, 34 per cent would be swayed by the rate of return promoted by the pension fund, and more than one in 10 (12%) would consider moving to a company with a better website or app.

Following the recent launch of the Government’s consultation of the draft Pension Dashboards Regulations³, B&CE believes that the Value For Money Framework⁴, currently in development by the FCA and TPR, should be included on pension dashboards to ensure savers have transparent and comparable information before making a decision. It is also calling for the new VFM regulations to be applied to the retail market as well as workplace pensions, following research from The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) which found a significant charging gap between members of uncapped retail schemes and capped master trusts⁵.

Commenting on the research findings, Phil Brown, director of policy at B&CE, provider of The People’s Pension, said:

“The Government’s recent announcement detailing further regulations for pension dashboards will allow the industry to take the next big step towards making this hugely important innovation a reality. Our research shows that seeing all their pensions in one place may make it more likely for savers to transfer their savings to one provider, but they have little idea of what to look for to make the best decision for them.

“It’s vital for the FCA and TPR’s Value For Money framework to be clearly displayed on the platform, otherwise savers will not know for sure what’s the right move for them. Pension dashboards have the potential to revolutionise pension saving but this will only happen if consumers are provided with complete transparency.”

ENDS