How Financial Advisers Can Capitalise on Couples’ Pension Planning Confusion

Recent research from Hargreaves Lansdown has exposed a critical gap in how couples approach retirement planning, revealing that over 70% are financially interdependent for their pension income. For UK financial advisers, this presents a significant opportunity to differentiate their practice, attract new clients, and build deeper relationships through specialised couples’ pension planning services.

The Market Opportunity: £2.8 Trillion in Pension Assets at Risk

The Hargreaves Lansdown survey of 1,300 people revealed striking imbalances in couples’ retirement planning:

IHT on Pensions and Consumer Duty: Strategic Marketing Opportunities for Financial Advisers

From 6 April 2027, most unused Defined Contribution (DC) pension assets will be included within estates for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes, ending their long-held IHT-free status. This significant regulatory shift is projected to make approximately 10,500 estates newly liable for IHT and see a further 38,500 estates paying increased IHT in the 2027-28 tax year alone—with an estimated £3.44 billion in additional revenue over the first three years.