Pension Resilience Benchmarks: The Marketing Opportunity Hidden in Plain Sight

Recent analysis from Hargreaves Lansdown has revealed a staggering variance in pension outcomes that presents both challenges and unprecedented opportunities for financial advisers. Depending on the benchmark used, between 16% and 79% of UK households are on track for pension resilience—a 63 percentage point gap that could transform how you position your advisory services.

This dramatic disparity isn’t just a statistical curiosity; it’s a wake-up call that reveals fundamental confusion in the retirement planning landscape and creates a powerful opportunity for advisers to differentiate themselves through clarity and expertise.

What Women Really Look for in a Financial Adviser

As women are set to hold nearly 60% of UK wealth by the end of 2025, new research from Unbiased reveals that the factors most influencing their choice of financial adviser aren’t gender—but clarity in communication, adviser credentials, and above all, trust. For financial planners seeking to grow and differentiate their practices, these findings present significant opportunities for strategic positioning.

The Research Findings: What Women Really Want

The study reveals three key priorities for female advice seekers:

The Opportunity for Advisers in Retirement Planning Confusion

Executive Summary

Recent findings from Standard Life reveal a significant insight into the UK’s retirement planning landscape: one in six UK adults are relying on gut instinct to estimate their retirement needs, whilst 39% haven’t calculated their requirements at all.

For financial planners, this statistic underscores a pressing need and a strategic opportunity. The reliance on intuition over informed planning suggests a widespread lack of financial literacy and awareness about retirement requirements. This gap presents an avenue for financial professionals to position themselves as essential guides in their clients’ financial journeys.