News and insights

Top tips when remortgaging

• 18 Sep 2023
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute read

Mortgage costs are the single biggest spend in most people’s monthly budget. With mortgage rates still high and the cost of living still putting pressure on everyone’s finances, it’s vital to get the best possible deal when arranging your next mortgage.

Staying ahead of the pack when buying your home

• 11 Sep 2023
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute read

The house buying process can sometimes be a minefield, especially for the uninitiated. With the ongoing higher mortgage rates, and with some providers having fewer mortgage products and requiring extra checks, it pays to know the inside track to ensure your next house move goes as smoothly as possible

Managing money worries

• 12 May 2023
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

Financial anxiety not only impacts our financial health, but if left unchecked it can affect our mental wellbeing too. Inflation levels, the rising cost of living and higher mortgage and rent costs have presented us all with more challenges when managing our money recently.

Getting ahead of the pack with your next mortgage

• 02 May 2023
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute read

The mortgage market has seen its fair share of volatility recently, so here are some tips from our mortgage advice team to help you get ahead of the pack on the long and winding road to your first or next mortgage.

Minding the gap

• 01 Mar 2023
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

Closing the gender gap involves many factors, including tackling the fundamental and widespread gender gap when it comes to financial health, smaller average pension pots, lower amounts of savings, and decreased financial confidence. Here's what women can do to help themselves, as well as what you can do to support the women in your life.

A roof over your head

• 06 Feb 2023
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

There are a number of actions you can take to find reassurance and seek help if your housing costs are a worry. This concern is not uncommon, with rent or mortgage repayments the biggest monthly cost for most people, and the rising cost of living putting even more pressure on people’s budgets.

What are you giving up this year?

• 31 Jan 2023
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

The start of a year is often a time for trimming our budgets to rebalance after the heavier expenses of December, and revisiting savings plans to refocus on new or changed goals. With the cost of living still biting for many in the UK, if are you planning a finance refresh this year, did you know that there is a recommended priority order that may help?

Make sure employees know the impact of cutting pension contributions

• 21 Sep 2022
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

Some of your employees may be considering pausing or cancelling their pension contributions due to the spiralling cost of living. Here's how employers can sensitively explain how pausing pension contributions is a short term decision which will impact long-term savings.

The changing retirement landscape

• 01 Jun 2022
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute read

Since the upheaval of 2020 many workers are now worried that their income may not last through retirement. It is therefore more important than ever that all employees have a good understanding of their retirement income needs and a plan in place to achieve this.

Seven things to consider when talking to employees about phased retirement

• 25 May 2022
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

For people who wish to retire early, but don’t have enough in their pension pot to do so, phased retirement could be the answer. But what sort of things do employers and employees need to think about when discussing phased retirement? How does it work, and how can employers talk to their employees about it?

Could you retain staff longer by helping them to retire earlier?

• 18 May 2022
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

It may seem counter-productive, but by arming employees with the tools to retire earlier, you could actually persuade them to stay on for longer. This means that employers continue to benefit from the skills and experience of older employees, while the employee feels valued and supported.

Seven ways to help employees navigate uncertainty

• 08 Apr 2022
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

Recent world events have meant that many things currently feel difficult to manage and beyond our control. So what can employers do to help their people navigate through the uncertainty and feel confident about their finances during this difficult time?

Why workplace financial-wellbeing support matters

• 05 Apr 2022
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

Life has thrown a number of challenges our way over the last few years and 39% of UK workers have reported feeling increasingly worried about their finances as a result of the pandemic. So why does workplace financial-wellbeing support matter so much?

How employers can help in troubled times

• 31 Mar 2022
• Financial education
• 2 minute read

These are difficult, unprecedented times It is important that people develop resilience and feel mastery over the situation, and employers are in a unique position to help them do this.

Managing finances in a time of turbulence

• 25 Feb 2022
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Right now, the need for people to have access to reliable and reputable financial education and advice has never been more acute.

Phased retirement: why it can be a win-win for both employers and employees

• 23 Dec 2021
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

It is unclear how long the trend towards early retirement will persist and it may recede with the pandemic. Nevertheless, in light of the ongoing labour shortage in the UK, organisations should consider how disruption to normal retirement patterns is likely to impact on their business, particularly their talent management strategy, over the short to medium term.

The lifetime allowance and the annual allowance: what employers should know

• 25 Nov 2021
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Helping your employees to understand both the lifetime allowance and the annual allowance is key to supporting their pension planning, as well as their long-term financial wellbeing.

Energy: building on a long-term relationship

• 15 Nov 2021
• Case studies
• 4 minute read

Enhancing a financial wellbeing programme to reflect new benefits and meet the evolving needs of a complex employee demographic.

Retirement is more than a workplace pension: How to help employees of every age plan for their golden years

• 11 Oct 2021
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

Retirement is a monumental event in anyone’s life. Not only does it have far-reaching financial implications, it is also a major lifestyle change that can have consequences for people’s mental and physical health. 

Help your employees make their finances greener

• 17 Sep 2021
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

When it comes to spending, saving and investing money, it’s possible for your people to bolster their personal finances whilst still having a positive impact on the environment.

How can employers help to boost the mental, physical and financial resilience of their teams?

• 06 Aug 2021
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

While some people seem to be naturally better than others at bouncing back from adversity, everyone has the capability to boost their own resilience. So how can employers support their employees with this?

How to manage friendships at work

• 21 Jul 2021
• Financial wellbeing
• 3 minute read

Most of us would agree that, generally speaking, promoting friendship is a very good idea. But what about friendship in the specific context of the workplace?

What is responsible investment and why does it matter to your workplace?

• 15 Jul 2021
• Financial education
• 3 minute read

A survey of over 2,000 investors, conducted by Close Brothers Asset Management, offers further insight into investors’ thought processes around responsible investment.

Launching financial wellbeing through a pandemic

• 14 Jun 2021
• Case studies
• 3 minute read

How a FTSE100 company launched its financial wellbeing programme during a pandemic

Pharmaceuticals: Pensions engagement

• 14 Jun 2021
• Case studies
• 3 minute read

How a key pharmaceutical company helped its UK employees make the right pension choices.

Embedding end-to-end financial education

• 14 Jun 2021
• Case studies
• 3 minute read

Supporting a client to drive financial wellbeing and implement a ‘hire to retire’ financial education programme.

Five ways to help your employees boost their numeracy

• 18 May 2021
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

According to charity National Numeracy, 49% of working-age adults have the same numeracy level that we expect of primary school children.

What is a succession plan – and why do you need one?

• 19 Jan 2021
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

As a business owner, the chances are you’re so caught up with the daily demands of running a company that you haven’t had the time and space to think about succession planning.

Helping employees set financial goals for the new year

• 04 Jan 2021
• Financial wellbeing
• 6 minute read

The New Year is a time to reflect on our financial situation while setting financial goals for the year to come. Here are some tips to help your employees.

Financial Education Provider of the Year award 2020

• 22 Oct 2020
• For employers
• 1 minute read

We are delighted to have won the Financial Education Provider of the Year award at the Workplace Savings and Benefits 2020 Awards.

Return to work strategies: The significance of financial wellbeing for employees with money worries

• 12 Oct 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

During these challenging times, it's vital that you continue to support your employees and make financial wellbeing a priority when looking ahead at your post COVID-19 return to work strategies.

Looking after your employees post-lockdown: mental health and work

• 28 Aug 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

Conducting a regular wellbeing check-in with staff is just one way to ensure you’re looking after your employees post-lockdown and making people feel supported as they get used to adjusting their routines again

The gender pay gap - how employers can help

• 07 Aug 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

The OECD has suggested that releasing the untapped potential of women could increase the global economy by 10% by 2030. In the UK alone, Britain sacrifices about £123bn a year because of lost productivity associated with unequal compensation.

Managing employees’ financial stress: How to support your team during the COVID-19 crisis

• 01 Jul 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

The financial pressure of the COVID-19 crisis can harm employees’ mental health and, consequently, their engagement. How can employers support their employees’ financial wellbeing during hard times?

Managing Remote Employees: How to Support and Engage Your Team

• 28 May 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

Before coronavirus hit our nation, it was reported that 1.7 million people said they worked mainly from home. In this article we look at tips for managing remote teams and how to encourage remote employee mental health and financial wellbeing.

Why financial education for employees is a must-have benefit in 2020

• 22 May 2020
• Financial education
• 6 minute read

Financial education for employees is no longer simply a perk. It’s becoming a necessity, and a benefit that could sway the mind of a high-performer, making all the difference between choosing a position with your company or with a competitor.

Giving financial wellbeing the focus it deserves

• 20 May 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

Mental health awareness week couldn’t have come at a more significant time as the day to day realities of living in lockdown begin to take their toll. It is imperative that we continue to find ways to protect our own mental health as well as support our employees.

Coronavirus and money worries webinar

• 04 May 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 15 minute watch

A short recorded webinar from Ronak Paw, Financial Planner, on how to cope with money worries during the pandemic.

Using the COVID-19 lockdown to improve financial wellbeing

• 04 May 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 19 minute watch

A short webinar on using the time in lockdown to spring clean your finances and improve your financial wellbeing.

Coronavirus: impact on pensions and retirement

• 29 Apr 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 4.5 minute watch

If you are approaching retirement, Daniel Swift, Financial Planner, explains how you can respond to the recent market falls.

Coronavirus: How to cope with money worries

• 28 Apr 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 6 minute watch

Andrew Walters, Financial Planner, explains some budgeting techniques that can help you make the most of your money.

Managing debt

• 27 Apr 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute watch

Most people will have some debt at some point in their life. Watch our short video on common types of debt and how to manage it.

What is financial wellbeing?

• 27 Apr 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute watch

Our 2019 research aimed to quantify employee financial wellbeing and the results were surprising. Watch the summary video.

Budgeting

• 27 Apr 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute watch

If you want to get somewhere, it's good to know your starting point. It's not different with your money. Watch our short video on budgeting now.

A taste of financial education

• 27 Apr 2020
• Financial education
• 2 minute watch

See a selection of the online resources we have on offer for employers in this short video.

Protecting your financial wellbeing

• 23 Apr 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute watch

Many people worry about their finances at one point or another - here are some useful tips to help you manage your money during difficult times.

Money Talks - online learning

• 23 Apr 2020
• Financial education
• 1.5 minute watch

Providing employees with comprehensive financial education at the touch of a button.

The importance of financial protection

• 07 Apr 2020
• Financial education
• 2 minute watch

Learn more about the benefits of financial protection - You might feel confident that you're able to provide for your needs and those of your loved ones, but life can deliver sudden setbacks.

Financial factors affecting employee wellbeing

• 01 Apr 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

If you’re striving to be more proactive with financial wellbeing in the workplace, you’ll want to know what financial factors are impacting the health and wellbeing of your employees.

How to protect employee health and wellbeing during coronavirus outbreak

• 31 Mar 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

These are unprecedented times for your employees. Employers need to know how to protect employee health and wellbeing during this pandemic.

Financial wellbeing at work: The top 5 benefits

• 04 Mar 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

How does your business benefit from improved financial wellbeing at work? Let’s explore how employee lives and outlooks improve with organisational education and assistance.

15 employee engagement strategies employers need to know

• 28 Feb 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 6 minute read

If you’re looking for effective ways to boost levels of employee engagement, we have 15 employee engagement strategies you need to consider implementing today.

The importance of financial protection for employees

• 20 Feb 2020
• Financial education
• 5 minute read

We explore the importance of financial protection, why you should discuss it with your employees and what forms of financial protection you should highlight.

8 ways of measuring employee financial wellbeing

• 23 Jan 2020
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

Here are 8 ways of measuring employee financial wellbeing to ensure your financial wellbeing initiatives are truly working and benefiting your workforce.

Practical ways to improve financial wellbeing for employees

• 23 Dec 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 6 minute read

Because employee wellbeing is more than just physical, we have collected our top tips on how you can improve financial wellbeing for your employees.

Six ways to tackle employees’ financial stress this Christmas

• 05 Dec 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

When more than three quarters of the 94% of employees who admit to worrying about money say that financial worry impacts them at work, we can’t expect a Christmas miracle of productivity.

How to encourage employees to talk about financial wellbeing at work

• 21 Nov 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 4 minute read

How can you encourage employees to open up and discuss financial wellbeing at work? Here we explore how to improve communication in this area.

Constant money worries impact millennials’ job performance

• 24 Sep 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 2 minute read

House buying still a pipe dream for many employees

• 30 May 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• minute read

Homeownership remains an aspiration for 65% of non-homeowners.

Employees fear for their financial wellbeing in retirement

• 21 May 2019
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Are you out of touch with your employees’ financial wellbeing?

• 25 Apr 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 6 minute read

Employers underestimating the impact of poor employee financial wellbeing

• 23 Apr 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 5 minute read

Women twice as likely as men to worry about meeting day-to-day living costs

• 18 Apr 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 7 minute read

25 million UK employees affected by money worries while at work

• 15 Mar 2019
• Financial wellbeing
• 6 minute read

Step 7 - Retirement

• 23 Jan 2019
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Step 6 – Tax

• 08 Jan 2019
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Step 5 – Savings and investments

• 26 Nov 2018
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Managing annual and lifetime pension allowances

• 25 Nov 2018
• Financial education
• 2 minute watch

Annual allowance: big tax bills aren't the only issue that needs fixing

• 25 Nov 2018
• Financial education
• 2 minute read

Step 3 – Protection

• 20 Sep 2018
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Step 4 - Property

• 20 Sep 2018
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Step 2 – Managing debt

• 15 Aug 2018
• Financial education
• 2 minute read

Senior executive retirement programme

• 01 Jul 2018
• Financial education
• 2 minute watch

Step 1 – Planning and budgeting

• 14 Jun 2018
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Seven steps to financial wellness

• 10 May 2018
• Financial education
• 3 minute read

The lifetime savings challenge

• 23 Apr 2018
• Financial education
• 1 minute read

Employers – your role as a financial educator

• 16 Apr 2018
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

One in four employers plan to launch financial education initiatives in next three years

• 02 Feb 2018
• Financial education
• 5 minute read

Are you ready to step up to the Lifetime Savings Challenge?

• 08 Dec 2017
• Financial education
• 5 minute read

Interactive financial education

• 01 Dec 2017
• Financial education
• 1 minute watch

Employee health at risk from poor financial wellbeing

• 21 Nov 2017
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Who saves the most? 18 to 34 year olds? 35 to 54 year olds? The over-55s?

• 14 Nov 2017
• Financial education
• 5 minute read

Gender savings gap leaves half of female workers feeling financially unprepared for retirement

• 13 Nov 2017
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

As savings crisis looms, employers failing to tackle employee knowledge

• 13 Nov 2017
• Financial education
• 4 minute read

Ten ways to improve your financial wellbeing programme

• 18 Oct 2017
• Financial education
• 5 minute read

The Lifetime Savings Challenge video

• 01 Oct 2017
• Financial education
• 3.5 minute watch