One-third of respondents would use ATMs to save into pensions

One-third (32%) of employees would be interested in depositing cash or cheques into their pension scheme at an ATM, according to research by Friends Life.

The research, Pensions: the solutions, was conducted with think tank Future Foundation into how to address the national pensions crisis.

Almost three in five (59%) of respondents in employment would be interested in a service that allowed them to easily check the value of their pension and expected retirement income at any time.

Around half (48%) of employees surveyed would be interested in a service that allowed them to add a small amount to their pension savings from their current account or salary at any time, with their employer also making a contribution, and the opportunity to adjust up or down how much they save into a pension scheme each month.

And 46% of 18-24s and 37% of 25-34s would be interested in an application that would show them how their spending habits are affecting their savings.

In response to the research, Friends Life is recommending a smartphone application that would allow employees instant access to real-time information on how much their pension is worth.

It is also recommending a channel changer pension, which would enable savers to manage their retirement pots through the red button on their TV remote controls.

Martin Palmer, head of corporate pension marketing at Friends Life, said: “The growing appetite for pension ATMs reveals a desire for people to have more opportunities to increase the amount they save.

“Although this solution would be complex to implement, there may be some lessons here for the industry that would allow us to develop solutions that give individuals more flexibility to change their pension contributions.

“The industry could also look into using the red button on their TV remote controls, effectively bringing pensions into people’s living rooms. This might enable savers to investigate how additional top-ups of pensions saving would affect the overall pot or it might even be used to make contributions from bank accounts.”

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