Freddie Findlater: Passivity is no longer an option

Inertia has become a key policy mechanism

clock • 4 min read

The time has come for the financial services sector to instil a more engaged, less passive type of behaviour in its clients and customers, argues Freddie Findlater

Only 10% of eligible workers are currently opted-out of auto-enrolment - a statistic the financial services sector has been quick to claim as a victory. But how accurate is this picture? Where pensions are concerned, the key policy mechanism, driven by the government's behavioural unit, has been inertia - where we essentially rely on employees being too lazy to actively leave the workplace scheme to which they have been enrolled. Until now, we have been relying on passivity in the belief engagement and action would be negative in the form of opt-outs. From next year, however, the mini...

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