Around three in 10 business owners do not have a pension independent of their business, according to Rathbones Group.

Research from the firm, based on a survey of 3,092 UK adults, also found that 44 per cent of business owners do not hold an ISA, although 95 per cent have savings or premium bonds, suggesting a bias towards short-term cash holdings over long-term investment. Looking specifically at entrepreneurs, nearly a quarter (24 per cent) said they do not have a pension, while more than a third (36 per cent) lack an ISA, reinforcing concerns around limited long-term financial planning. Rathbones Group senior financial planning director, Faye Church, warned that relying on a business sale to fund retirement is a “risky strategy”, given uncertainty around valuations, economic shocks and the ability to secure a sale. In addition, Rathbones Group senior investment director and head of Edinburgh office, Gordon Lawrie, noted that while business owners often face competing financial pressures, pensions remain one of the most tax-efficient ways to extract value from a company and invest for the future.

Hymans Robertson has launched a new service, Precision, aimed at helping defined benefit (DB) pension schemes improve data quality and readiness for key regulatory and strategic developments.

The service is designed to support trustees and sponsors in assessing whether scheme data is “fit for purpose”, amid increasing demands linked to endgame planning, GMP equalisation, pensions dashboards and expectations from The Pensions Regulator. Precision includes an initial ‘readiness review’ to identify data gaps and inconsistencies, followed by ‘rectification support’ to help schemes implement improvement plans, drawing on actuarial, data science and technology expertise. Hymans Robertson head of digital strategy, Scott Finnie, said many schemes are dealing with legacy systems, fragmented records and historical inconsistencies, meaning even well-run schemes can have unclear or incomplete data. He added that the service enables trustees to assess their data against multiple requirements, including endgame strategy, GMP equalisation, and dashboards, using a single, consistent approach to reduce duplication and improve efficiency.

Royal London has launched a targeted support ISA service, available through its mobile app, as part of efforts to help customers make more informed investment decisions.

The digital service is designed to help users understand whether investing is suitable for them and, where appropriate, provides free investment recommendations tailored to groups of customers with similar characteristics and financial goals. Royal London said it was the first provider to receive regulatory permissions to launch a targeted support service, having been closely involved in its development alongside the Financial Conduct Authority. Chief executive officer of advice at Royal London, Ben Hampton, said the service uses behavioural principles to encourage better financial decision-making and help customers build positive investment habits. He added that the offering aims to support long-term financial resilience, complementing workplace pensions and helping customers take practical steps towards a more secure retirement.

Aviva, Legal & General and Zurich have received their first Gold accreditations under the STAR programme for transfer performance across pensions, savings and investments.

The awards recognise improvements in transfer efficiency, transparency and service quality, with 59 organisations assessed across product categories including ISAs, personal pensions, occupational pensions and asset managers. The trio join consistent top performers such as Vanguard, Aegon and Rathbones, which have achieved five consecutive Gold ratings since the programme began. ABI assistant director and head of long-term savings policy, Rob Yuille, said the accreditations highlight the industry’s commitment to delivering faster, more reliable transfer processes and improving outcomes for consumers.

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