I have had great fun exploring these 162 slides of information offered us by the FCA but collated by Ignition House. I didn’t know it was anything to do with Ignition until its boss reprimanded me for flattering the FCA to its face.

I’ve written 11 blogs, 10 were in sequence and the 11th took me back to the beginning which I originally skipped as thinking it a bit boring. By the end I found the beginning enthralling and it made me think of how auto-enrolled workplace pensions are doing what SERPS did (and so much better according to my friends who helped bring in the SERPS system in the 1970s, Read the rest from one to ten in order and then work out in your head whether auto-enrolment is doing anything that an unfunded earnings related pension could be doing better.

The FCA tell us how far DC “pots” are from being pensions (pt 1)

The FCA tell us how far DC “pots” are from being pensions (pt 1)

FCA show DB pay pensions – DC pay cash. Is that what we want? (Pt 2)

FCA show DB pay pensions – DC pay cash. Is that what we want? Pt 2

Are people thinking their retirement income inadequate? (pt 3)

Are people thinking their retirement income inadequate? (pt 3)

Engagement? Say “hello pension” – “goodbye tension”! (pt 4)

Engagement? Say “hello pension” – “goodbye tension”! pt 4

Pension money ready – waiting for a good idea to come along (pt 5)

Pension money ready – waiting for a good idea to come along (pt 5)

Muppetry when we’re accessing money for retirement? (pt 6)

Muppetry when we’re accessing money for retirement? (pt 6)

“I can’t be bothered?” – “I want to do it by myself”. (pt 7)

“I can’t be bothered?” – “I want to do it by myself”. (pt 7)

The chaotic results of “pension freedom” – thanks to Financial Lives. (pt 8)

The chaotic results of “pension freedom” – thanks to Financial Lives. (pt 8)

Trust in pension “providers”; FCA tell tales of consolidation (pt 9)

Trust in pension “providers”; FCA tell tales of consolidation (pt 9)

FCA’s Financial Lives on the smart decumulators and their advisors (pt 10)

FCA’s Financial Lives on the smart decumulators and their advisors (pt 10)

Auto-enrolment – the good news and the shortfall V SERPS (Pt 11)

Auto-enrolment – the good news and the shortfall V SERPS (Pt 11)

I’m not sure how this will helpful to anyone but me but I so want it to help me to understand what people feel and think about  and do with their pension pots and how this differs from what I imagined my retirement would be like 42 years ago when I started out as a financial advisor.

This is from an email I got from someone at the FCA I saw last Thursday. It is a simple statement

thank you for calling out the Financial Lives survey.

I have only read the pension section – there are many more and my life isn’t long enough!. If you want to have a flick through, here is the whole pension selection accessible from this page!

Here’s the link to download.