Blogs & News
Why the triennial re-enrolment point is the right time to review your pension scheme
Bramwell Towse, Director of Corporate Solutions at Wren Sterling, describes what he has seen in the market as employers consider the suitability of their scheme at the triennial re-enrolment point The triennial re-enrolment of auto enrolment schemes is naturally leading to employers questioning the scheme that was put in place first time around. For the [...]
What is the value of financial advice? £40,000 apparently
According to Royal London and The International Longevity Centre, people who take financial advice are on average £40,000 better off than those who don’t.[i] Clearly, the value of advice is subjective down to an individual level, but this report explores the impact of receiving advice during the period 2001-2007 on consumer outcomes in 2012-14. It [...]
How to avoid a pension scam
Pension scams are becoming more frequent and costing victims an average of £91,000. According to recent data from Action Fraud, more than £23m was lost to scammers in 2017. Pension freedom has created many opportunities for scammers to target people approaching retirement with access to their retirement funds. Pension scams in numbers A total of [...]
How to fund a long-term retirement
With retirements that could span decades rather than years, Simon Morris, Head of Strategic Partners at Premier Asset Management, discusses an investment approach that retirees could consider when looking for a sustainable, long-term income stream to meet their needs. Providing a sustainable income One key issue for retirees is how they can obtain a decent, [...]
Case study: Helping a recruitment business understand its workforce and align employee benefits accordingly
Understanding workforces and translating this into a coherent employee benefits strategy is a big challenge for many businesses, but this is what Wren Sterling does through our demographic analysis and benefit recommendation process We help businesses, like a London-based recruitment consultancy, to solve: Weak employee engagement Declining years of service Rising recruitment costs The charts [...]
Will low savings account rates ever bounce back?
For years after the 2008 financial crisis we were all told that savings rates had dropped because the Bank of England base rate had dropped. Gone were the days of 4-5 per cent, while 0.25 became the new normal for easy access accounts. When the base rate was raised last year for the first time [...]
The Impact of Sequential Returns Risk on Retirement Income Planning
Why professional advice is essential for keeping clients on track in the face of sequential returns risk Assets fluctuate in value, it’s the nature of investing. But watching a new portfolio experience volatility can be painful for an investor who has prioritised retirement income planning. Long-term investors can choose to weather these ups and downs [...]