Marvin OnumonuTV star Ross Kemp and Bola Sol, a financial coach and pension trainer, have launched the fourth Pension Attention campaign, aimed at getting people to pay more attention to their pensions.
Coordinated by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Pensions UK and backed by major pension brands, the campaign uses a fitness theme to encourage the public to check their pension plans in the same way they track fitness goals.
Research found that in the past year, 37% of people in the UK made a healthy lifestyle change, and 30% set a new health or fitness goal.
However, only 29% organised their finances for later life.
On average, people checked their fitness progress more often than their pension balance, with many more likely to track daily steps or sleep than check their pension.
The campaign, now live, points people to pensionattention.co.uk, where Kemp and Sol break down the process into three steps: remember any old jobs or pensions, log in to check how much is in your pot, and work out what you might need for the future.
Kemp said: “A lot of us care about getting fit for the future – that’s why we hit the gym, eat better, and try to sleep more. But your pension is part of that too.
“With an easy three-step training plan, you could strengthen your pension and gain some serious pounds.
“Do your future self a favour and pay your pension some attention.”
Sol said: “Planning for retirement is a lot like getting fit: you can get the best results by starting early and sticking with it.
“Although people are enrolled in a workplace pension scheme, many lose track of old pots and don’t pay into them regularly.
“If you do one thing today, take some time to track down any pensions you may have paid into in previous jobs.
“For more information and our three-step pension training routine, visit the Pension Attention website.”
Pensions Minister Torsten Bell, said: “Most people check their fitness apps more than their pension balance, but both are important for a healthy future.
“We’re ramping up the pace of our pension reforms to make saving easier and ensure you get the most from every pound you’ve saved.
“In the meantime, I encourage everyone to take a few minutes out of their day to check their pension and plan for their retirement.”
Mark Smith, spokesperson for the campaign, said: “By teaming up with Ross Kemp and Bola Sol, we want to encourage the nation to focus on their pension saving just as much as they focus on their health and fitness goals.
“Our research shows many people aged 35-55 are eating well and staying active for the sake of their future selves, but few have taken steps to plan financially for later life.
“We hope that by aligning physical and financial fitness, we can engage those who may not have ever thought about their pensions before.”
Smith added: “As an industry, we have an important role to play in helping UK adults understand their pensions.
“By coming together – under a single umbrella – with a simple, bold and memorable campaign, we can build on the successes of the past three years and increase saver engagement in pensions.”
