Industry experts warn of looming consumer finance crisis unless industry and policy-makers take urgent action

June 23, 2019

• Lack of savings threatens financial security and will push people into hardship and debt
• Financial services industry to unite with consumer groups to work with politicians to address saving crisis
• UK could reach a retirement tipping point by 2035 unless measures are taken now
• Saving benefits everyone and promotes growth, stability and prosperity for the future of the UK and its people
• People urged to take greater personal responsibility for securing their own financial well-being

An unprecedented grouping of leaders from across the UK financial services industry are warning of an impending consumer finance crisis unless action is taken to change people’s attitudes to saving. The industry grouping, which has created the Savings and Investment Policy project¹, (‘TSIP’, ‘the Project’), has this week published a review entitled, ‘Our Financial Future’, setting out how the UK is not only failing to save enough for day-to-day needs, but that it will reach a tipping point in 2035 when those entering retirement will be increasingly less-well-off than earlier generations. As a result, people will face substantially reduced living standards for the remainder of their retired lives.

However, the Savings and Investment Policy project believes there is a once in a generation opportunity to change people’s attitudes to saving and develop long-term policies to avert this looming social and economic crisis. The changes in the recent Budget give savers greater flexibility and choice. Those freedoms are very welcome but they do not address the fundamental issue that people are not saving enough money, early enough to fund their future.

This is the first time that the financial services industry has spoken with a single voice and worked with organisations that represent the consumers’ interests to create solutions that meet their needs and aspirations for the future. It highlights the significance of the issue and the belief that urgent action is required.

The Project, which is being managed by TISA² (the financial services industry membership association), wants to stimulate discussion and debate about the role saving plays in securing people’s financial future and also to underline how saving ensures growth, stability and prosperity for the UK as a whole. It will develop strategic proposals for new savings and investments policies to help rebuild consumer confidence and trust in long term savings. Its findings, conclusions and recommendations will be used to work with Government, key political parties, consumer groups and regulators to present a consistent view.

The Project seeks to develop strategic proposals on how to enhance consumer financial well-being and will be ready to share these across the political parties by September 2014. It will then start looking at how to help people change their financial behaviours so they can achieve greater financial security.

Tony Stenning, Chairman of the Savings and Investment Policy project and Head of UK Retail at BlackRock says: “Fear, confusion and a lack of understanding is exacerbating this problem through inactivity, apathy and disengagement. Today’s pensioners are benefiting from the ingrained savings habits and more generous pensions of the past – but the future is going to be different."

“Over the past 25 years both the State and employers have had to significantly reduce the levels of income that people can expect in retirement. This means people need to save more just to maintain the same standard of living as their parents, meanwhile given increasing longevity their retirement pot will also have to work much harder to support their longer lives. The generations impacted most are those aged 35 or younger as they face rising housing costs, less generous pensions and are saving less. If nothing changes are they destined to benefit from longer, healthier lives, yet suffer financial hardship in old age?”

The Project group believes that the UK is facing a savings dilemma that will have a profound impact on people who have failed to provide adequately for their own financial well-being. Indeed, the so-called ‘baby boomers’ will be the last generation to enjoy financial security during their lifetime, especially in retirement, unless behaviours change and action is taken. People under 35 will have only two-thirds of the time to save twice as much money with which to provide the retirement income their grandparents enjoyed.

It is often assumed that people will simply work until they are 75 years of age, but this carries significant social consequences with younger people competing against an older, more experienced workforce unless there was meaningful economic expansion. People can take steps now to save more, accept a more modest retirement or indeed work longer. Longevity is a blessing; it should not become a burden.

Project members want to demonstrate that saving makes it possible to buy a house, go on holiday, plan for retirement and buy that luxury item. The UK’s debt culture must be turned into a savings culture – it must be higher up the social, economic and political agenda. This is an issue that impacts society as whole, which is why there must be a unified response from the financial services industry, politicians from all the major parties and consumer groups to demystify savings and develop truly long-term policies for generations to come.

Please visit the Savings and Investment Policy project website, www.tisa.uk.com/savings-investments.html for further details about the project. Copies of the ‘Our Financial Future’ summary document and full review are available here http://www.tisa.uk.com/research-publications.html.

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For further information, please contact:
The Savings and Investments Policy project
Tony Stenning – Tel: +44 20 7743 2922, Mobile: +44 7841 220 365

Newgate Communications
Deborah Saw / Alistair Kellie – Tel: +4420 7680 6558, Mobile: +447801 234 598
Email: Deborah.saw@newgatecomms.com / Alistair.kellie@newgatecomms.com

Notes for Editors

Key findings from the review are:
• High levels of consumer consumption – even though each generation since the 1940s has been financially better-off, in relative terms they have spent more and saved less, reducing their financial security
• Credit has become easier to obtain and people have grown used to instant access to high cost items that in the past required them to save
• Debt is rising – many will never repay their debts (8.8 million people have been at least three months behind with their bills in the last six months or have said that they feel their debts are a heavy burden: MAS, November 2013)
• Cost of housing has risen dramatically, putting home ownership out of reach for a growing proportion of the population
• Cost of living for the basics is accounting for an increasing proportion of household income and requiring families to make cut backs in other areas
• The State is having to reduce the levels of benefits and pension that people will receive as we all live longer and this will increase the need for individuals to save for their retirement
• Employers have significantly reduced contribution levels to private pensions and this requires higher levels of consumer saving to deliver desired income levels in retirement. Auto-enrolment is an excellent initiative, bringing millions of people to long term saving for the first time, but the unintended risk is that people choose to save only the minimum or worse, choose to opt out entirely.

1. The Savings and Investments Policy project is working with a wide range of financial service companies, trade bodies and consumer groups to develop these pan-industry proposals. It is directed by an Executive Committee formed of 22 leading financial services companies including Aviva, AXA Wealth, BNY Mellon, Barclays, BlackRock, Charles Stanley, Citi, Fidelity, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Henderson, Intrinsic, L&G, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, NatWest, Northern Trust, Old Mutual, the international law firm, Pinsent Masons, Simply Biz, Threadneedle Investments, TISA and Zurich.

2. TISA is a not-for-profit membership association operating within the financial services industry. We represent the interests of over 145 member firms involved in the supply and distribution of savings and investment products and services.

TISA has a highly successful track record in working cooperatively with government, regulators, HMT, DWP and HMRC to improve the performance of the industry and the outcomes for consumers. Policy and regulation continues to be the major focus for our members with regard to corporate responsibility.
TISA and its members’ remit is evolving into a clearer focus on pro-active consultation in the regulatory world in order to influence policy and associated regulation before its creation, rather than reacting to issued policy directives. This will help to ensure a more considered policy creation from the authorities. www.tisa.uk.com