Barclays Corporate and Employer Solutions (C&ES) has launched a defined contribution (DC) investment consultancy for employers and pension trustees.
The consultancy forms part of the organisation’s pensions platform, which was launched in September with Aegon and Zurich.
Its aim is to improve the investment outcomes and structure for employees, provide a wider selection of pension investments, and to help trustees and HR professionals address the challenges of preparing employees for retirement.
The consultancy’s key features include:
- A suite of governed and researched default strategies with proprietary asset allocation, designed by Barclays’ wealth management team.
- An investment approach aligned with Barclays’ behavioural finance philosophy that takes into account the risk capacity and tolerance of pension scheme members.
- Bespoke profiling of the workforce using Barclays’ behavioural investment insight and risk appetite assessment derived from a database of tens of thousands of individuals.
- In-depth governance oversight to ensure plan sponsors and trustees are fully compliant with all aspects of regulatory guidance and auto-enrolment legislation.
- Wider guided and governed fund architecture for DC pension members.
Katharine Photiou (pictured), head of workplace savings at Barclays C&ES, said: “Our view is that traditional retirement planning and DC investment strategies do not do enough to take account of an individual’s needs or adapt to changing market conditions.
“Our [consultancy] provides a range of investment options designed to meet the needs of different types of members, allowing them to invest in a way they are comfortable with and which meets their expectations.”
