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<p>Today, women retire with average pension savings of £69,000 compared to £205,000[1] for men. This gap of&nbsp; £136,000[2] worth of pension savings means that a woman would have to work an extra 19 years to be able to bridge it and to afford the same level of retirement savings as a man.&nbsp; The gender pension gap is twice the size of the gender pay gap, and affects a significant proportion of female savers in the UK.&nbsp;<br></p><p>In this blog, we look at the reasons why the gender pension gap exists and what female savers in the Scheme can do to improve their retirement outcomes.&nbsp;<br></p><h4>What is the gender pension gap?</h4><p>The gender pension gap is the difference in pension savings wealth between men and women at retirement age[3]. As it stands, the difference that exists is substantial, with the latest statistics estimating a gap of up to £136,000 or 19 years, as shown above. &nbsp;<br><br></p><h4>Why does the gender pension gap exist?</h4><p>There are multiple causes of the gender pension gap. We look at the main ones below. <br></p><h3><strong>Life events and subsequent career breaks</strong><br></h3><p>The career breaks women take to care for their families’ amount to £39,000 in lost pension savings, according to NOW: Pensions’ 2024 gender pensions gap report.&nbsp; This is because, in many cases, females pause their careers or to cut down on work in order to care for their children (this is also known as the ‘motherhood penalty’). <br></p><p>The 2023 Women and Retirement report, produced by Scottish Widows, shows that 44% of UK mothers spend all 5 working days looking after their children (compared to just 16% of fathers). The alternatives many women think about after having children are having a longer career break, doing part-time work, freelancing or taking on multiple jobs. However, this means that many women might not be earning enough to pay into a private or workplace pension. People in the UK need to earn at least £10,000 a year in order to meet the criteria for pension<a href="https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/auto-enrolment/automatic-enrolment-an-introduction" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable=""> </a> <a href="https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/auto-enrolment/automatic-enrolment-an-introduction" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">auto enrolment</a>. <br></p><p>The 2024 gender pensions gap report also shows that women are far more likely to take time out of work to care for an elderly or sick family member.<br></p><p>What is more, the fact that they’ll have worked less years throughout their life could also <a href="https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">disqualify them from receiving a State Pension</a> them from receiving a State Pension. To get any State Pension, people in the UK are required to have worked for 10 qualifying years. To get the full State Pension, 35 qualifying years of work are required. The 2023 Women and Retirement report also says that often women take around 10-year career gap to shoulder caring responsibilities which poses a real risk of not qualifying for any state pension further down the line. You can check your State <a href="https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">check your State Pension forecast</a> forecast on the government’s website. <br></p><blockquote><h3><strong>The gender pay gap</strong><strong></strong><br></h3></blockquote><p>The gender pay gap – the difference between the earnings of men and women – is deemed one of the major drivers of the pension gap. Women have been earning and still to this day earn on average less than men, although 2023 figures[4] show a slow decline over time. In April 2023, the gender pay gap stood at 7.7% according to the ONS.<br></p><p>The significant gap in income means women have less capacity to meet increasing financial demands. The 2023 Women and Retirement report, by Scottish Widows suggests that on average, women are paid 15% less per hour across all jobs in the UK. The report also highlights that only 59% of women aged 22-65 are saving into a private pension, compared to 71% of men, while 62% of men are also expecting to be able to draw from other long-term savings sources in retirement, compared to just 50% of women.</p><p>It’s not all doom and gloom for females, though. The 2024 pension gap report shows a positive tendency of more women undertaking higher education, and therefore entering the workforce with higher salaries. If the trend continues, the gender pay gap is likely to reduce further over the coming years, as more young women go on higher education. This could mean better retirement outcomes too. </p><blockquote><h3><strong>The current auto enrolment criteria</strong><strong></strong><br></h3></blockquote><p>Women are more than twice as likely as men to miss out on being automatically put into a workplace pension, according to 2023 analysis published by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Around 100,000 more young female workers than young male workers are currently locked out of auto enrolment due to their age and earnings.<br></p><p>As it currently stands, to qualify for auto enrolment, a worker must be 22-years-old and earn at least £10,000 a year.<br></p><p>There are active proposals to reduce the qualifying auto enrolment age to 18. If the age and earning restrictions were removed entirely, around 885,000 young female workers would become eligible for auto enrolment.</p><blockquote><h3><strong>Lack of awareness in women of pension entitlement upon divorce</strong><strong></strong><br></h3></blockquote><p>Recent research[5] shows that 60% of divorced women in the UK didn’t discuss pension assets during their divorce, while over a quarter thought they are not part of the proceedings. This has cost female divorcees an average of up to £77,000 in pension money. The research has found the reason for this is women’s lack of understanding of their entitlement at the time of divorce. <br></p><p>The figures are worrying, considering the retirement income can be one of the most valuable assets people possess after the family home. Moreover, many women won't benefit from the sacrifices to their careers and earnings they make for their families if pension wealth is not shared at the time of divorce.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>What to do make the most of your pension with the Scheme<br></h4><p>While the gender pension gap will continue to exist for quite some time, there are some simple steps you can take to ensure you’re making the most of saving for retirement with the RPS. </p><blockquote><h3><strong>Keep track of your pension</strong></h3><p><strong></strong>Do you know how much you’ve saved into your pension so far? If you don’t, find out now! Request an estimate of your pension benefits (to do this you’d need to <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">log into your myRPS account</a>), then use the tools on our website to see whether you’re on track to have the retirement you hope for.</p></blockquote><ul><li>DB members, use <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/retirement-budgeting-calculator" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">the Retirement Budgeting Calculator</a>&nbsp;and the Pension Planner to see how much you’ll need when you retire and how changing the age at which you wish to retire and some other factors might impact your retirement income</li><li>IWDC members, you can also use the Retirement Budgeting Calculator on our website but you should also log into your myRPS account and check out the Retirement Modeller – a handy tool to help give you an idea of what your pot might be worth when you come to take it<br></li></ul><blockquote><h3><strong>Think twice before stopping your pension contributions</strong><strong></strong><br></h3></blockquote><p>If you’re looking for ways to give your bank account a bit of a breather, a temporary pause on your pension payments may look like a possible solution. However, it’s important you think long and hard before you make the decision as you’d miss out on some valuable benefits. <br></p><p>Here’s why stopping your pension contributions might not be a good idea even at times of financial strain:&nbsp; <br></p><ul><li>You’d lose out on contributions from your employer (for DB members this is at least 60% of the money you put in normally).</li><li>You’d miss out on tax relief from the government.</li><li>You’d interrupt the compounding effect that happens when you have money invested for a long period of time. &nbsp;</li><li>You may never start saving again once you’ve had a flavour of having some extra money in your pocket each month. </li></ul><blockquote><h3><strong>Set some goals and be proactive</strong><strong></strong><br></h3></blockquote><p>It may help to set some saving goals to help get where you want to be financially when you retire. The Scheme offers pension top up arrangements called <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/saving-more-BRASS-AVC-Extra/saving-more-with-BRASS" data-sf-ec-immutable="">BRASS</a> (for DB members) and <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/saving-more-BRASS-AVC-Extra/save-more-AVC-Extra" data-sf-ec-immutable="">AVC Extra</a> (for IWDC members and top contributors of BRASS) for members who wish to pay extra towards their pension. It’s a fantastic way to give your pension a bit of a boost, as you get tax relief on what you put in. You can save as little as £2 per week if you wish, and you don’t need to save a set amount every month. Check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/y3YlPE8G5Z8" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">recent video</a>&nbsp;on saving more with BRASS. <br></p><p>If you happen to receive a bonus or a pay increase, for example, think about paying more into your pension if you can. <br></p><p>For ideas to help you manage your money, you can use the MoneyFit tool in your <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">your myRPS account</a> account. It gives you a personal action plan with helpful tips and advice, to help you free up more money and save more into your pension. <br></p><blockquote><h3><strong>Check in with your pension regularly</strong><strong></strong><br></h3></blockquote><p>In the same way you check your bank or social media accounts, make time for checking in with your pension on a regular basis. It helps to know where you’re at with saving for retirement as it means you are more likely to incorporate retirement planning into your thought process before making a financial decision. <br></p><p>Your pension will provide for you when you stop work one day, but you need to take care of it now and help it grow so you have enough to enjoy a decent life in retirement.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Works cited:</strong></p><div><div id="ftn1"><p>[1] NOW: Pensions’ 2024 gender pensions gap report <a href="https://www.nowpensions.com/app/uploads/2024/02/gender-pensions-gap-report-24.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable="">https://www.nowpensions.com/app/uploads/2024/02/gender-pensions-gap-report-24.pdf</a> </p></div><div id="ftn2"><p>[2] NOW: Pensions’ 2024 gender pensions gap report <a href="https://www.nowpensions.com/app/uploads/2024/02/gender-pensions-gap-report-24.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable="">https://www.nowpensions.com/app/uploads/2024/02/gender-pensions-gap-report-24.pdf</a> </p></div><div id="ftn3"><p>[3] There’s information on the different types of retirement on your member website <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/Im-planning-to-take-my-pension/when-to-retire" data-sf-ec-immutable="">https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/Im-planning-to-take-my-pension/when-to-retire</a> </p></div><div id="ftn4"><p>[4] ONS:&nbsp;Gender pay gap in the UK: 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/genderpaygapintheuk/2023" data-sf-ec-immutable="">https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/genderpaygapintheuk/2023</a> </p></div><div id="ftn5"><p>[5] Research conducted by law firm Stowe Family Law&nbsp;</p></div></div>

<p>The 2023-24 tax year ends on 5 April 2024.</p> <p>Here’s some of the reasons you might consider saving more before the tax year is up. And a few top tips on how you can do it, including making <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/saving-more">Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs).</a></p> <p>We can’t help decide what’s best for you, but the below information should make sure you have the information you need to make a decision.</p> <h2>Why you might want to save more:</h2> <h4>Use up your Annual Allowance (AA)</h4> <p>The <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/pension-tax-limits">Annual Allowance (AA)</a> is the limit on your pension savings that benefit from tax relief each year. It means the most you can save tax-free towards all your pension arrangements in a single tax year is the lower of either 100% of your earnings, or £60,000. Unless you’re affected by the <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/pension-tax-limits">Tapered Annual Allowance (TAA)</a>, or the <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/pension-tax-limits">Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA).</a></p> <p>When the new tax year starts, your Annual Allowance will renew. So, if you can afford to, you might think about paying more into your Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) pension now, to use up your remaining Annual Allowance before the new tax year.</p> <p>If you’ve used your Annual Allowance for this tax year, you can carry forward any unused Annual Allowance from the previous 3 years. This may mean you can pay more into your pension, without having to pay an extra tax charge. </p> <h4>To make the most of tax relief</h4> <p>A fantastic thing about saving with your RPS pension is that its tax efficient, because the money you pay in is taken from your salary before tax is deducted. This means you pay less tax on your salary.</p> <p>For example, if you’re a basic-rate tax payer (who pays 20% income tax) and want to put £100 into your pension, it would actually only cost you £80. That’s because the other £20 comes from tax relief.</p> <p>If you’re a higher-rate tax payer you’ll get 40% tax relief, and additional-rate tax payers get 45%. But there are limits on the amount of pension saving that benefit from tax relief each year. <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/pension-tax-limits">You can learn about the limits here</a>. </p> <h4>To make use of any spare cash</h4> <p>If you’ve received a bonus, a monetary gift or if you have some cash to spare, why not consider doing a good thing for your future by paying it into your pension? </p> <h4>Hold onto your tax-free Personal Allowance</h4> <p>Your Personal Allowance is the amount of income you don’t have to pay tax on. The standard Personal Allowance for the 2023-24 tax year is £12,570.</p> <p>Did you know, your Personal Allowance reduces by £1 for every £2 that your income is above £100,000. And, if you have an income of £125,140 or above, you do not get a Personal Allowance. You can <a href="https://www.gov.uk/income-tax-rates" target="_blank">learn more about this at Gov.uk</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>It’s handy to know the money you pay into your pension doesn’t count as an income. So, you might think about paying more into your pension to keep your Personal Allowance, and save more for your future. </p> <h4>Keep your Child Benefit if you’re a working parent </h4> <p>Child Benefit can help you with the costs of your children. And, as the cost-of-living increases, every penny helps to meet the demands of busy family life.&nbsp;</p> <p>If you or your partner earn over £50,000 a year, you may have to pay the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-tax-charge" target="_blank">High Income Child Benefit Charge</a>. And if you earn over £60,000, due to the tax charge, it’s likely you’ll end up with no extra money from Child Benefit. To see if this applies to you, try the government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-tax-calculator" target="_blank">Child Benefit tax calculator</a>.</p> <p>Remember, the money you pay into your pension doesn’t count as an income. So to get your Child Benefit back, you might think about paying more money into your pension, and save more for your loved ones’ future at the same time.</p> <p>Plus, you’ll automatically get National Insurance (NI) credits if you claim Child Benefit and your child is under 12. The amount of State Pension you’ll get is based on the amount of qualifying years on your NI record, so claiming your Child Benefit could help build up your qualifying years.</p> <h2>How you can save more:</h2> <p>Saving more into your pension while you’re working could mean you have more money when you retire. Here’s a few ideas for how you can do it…</p> <h4>Boost your savings with Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs)</h4> <p>You can <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/saving-more">save more into your RPS pension by making AVCs</a>. These extra payments are made on top of your normal pension contributions to help boost your savings even further. And, making AVCs could help you use up your Annual Allowance. You’ll get tax relief on your AVCs, just like you do with your regular pension contributions.</p> <p>You can make regular AVCs, or one-off payments if you prefer. The great thing about AVCs is that you can decide how much you want to pay in, starting from as little as £2 a week or £10 a month. And, you can stop paying AVCs at any time.</p> <p>If you’re a defined benefit (DB) member the main AVC arrangement is BRASS, and you can <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/iwdc-members/Im-still-working/saving-more">learn how it works here</a>. If you're an&nbsp;Industry-Wide Defined Contribution (IWDC) member,&nbsp;<strong></strong><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/iwdc-members/Im-still-working/saving-more">you can learn how to save more here</a>.</p> <h4>Check your State Pension and consider voluntary contributions </h4> <p>The full new State Pension for 2023-24 is currently £203.85 per week, that’s around £10,600 a year. But, if you have gaps in your NI record, it might mean you’re unable to get your full State Pension entitlement. You can <a href="https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record" target="_blank">check your NI record here</a>.</p> <p>If you have a shortfall in NI qualifying years, you may be able to build up your NI record by paying voluntary contributions, if you’re eligible.</p> <p>There’s no time like the present to check if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions, as the deadline is 5 April each year. You can normally buy up to 6 years. But, until 5 April 2025, you may be able to buy any missing NI years from 2006 to 2016. You can learn more about <a href="https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/your-national-insurance-record-and-your-state-pension" target="_blank">gaps in your NI record, and making voluntary contributions here</a>. </p> <h4>Create some positive pension habits</h4> <p>There are other ways to maximise your pension savings, even if you can’t afford to pay more in at the moment. You could make some positive pension habits, such as:</p> <ul> <li>Making a regular note in your diary to <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login">log into your myRPS account</a> and manage your pension</li> <li>Requesting a free estimate of your pension benefits to see what you might expect in future</li> <li>Reviewing your investments, if you have them</li> <li>Taking <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/guidance-advice">financial guidance or advice</a> where needed</li> </ul> <p>For ideas to help you manage your money, you can use the MoneyFit tool in your myRPS account. It gives you a personal action plan with helpful tips and advice, to help you free up more money and save more into your pension. It’s completely anonymous, and free of charge. <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login">Log in to try MoneyFit today.</a> </p>

<p>Figures released by the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) show that over £26 million was lost to pension scams between 2020 and 2022. During the same time, 1,595 pension scams were reported in England and Wales. The damage equates to an average loss of £16,500 per pensioner. That’s the equivalent of a full year’s living expenses for a pensioner with a moderate standard of living, in line with the Retirement Living <a href="https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Retirement Living Standards (RLS)</a>Standards (RLS). </p><h4><br>Robbing savers of their security and future<br></h4><p>The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has released their updated <a href="https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">RLS</a> this month. The RLS are a benchmark that shows what life after work could look like at 3 different levels – minimum, moderate and comfortable. According to the RLS, a single person needs £14,400 to be able to afford a ‘minimum’ standard of living. This means that single retirees who were living at a minimum standard and have been scammed during the pandemic will have been robbed off the money they need to live on for a whole year. This would have undoubtedly had a detrimental impact on people’s lives depriving them from the future they’ve spent a lifetime investing in.<br></p><h4><br>Scams take advantage of world events<br></h4><p>The Covid-19 pandemic grouped with the cost of living crisis seem to have created the perfect ecosystem for scammers to thrive in and become even more dangerous. <br></p><p>In the midst of the pandemic, in 2021, reports of pension scams increased by 45%, according to the Money &amp; Pensions Service (MAPS). Evidently, fraudsters tried - and on many occasions succeeded – in taking advantage of the widespread anxiety caused by the pandemic.<br></p><p>The cost of living crisis could also be one of the reasons for the increasing prevalence of pension scams. Often, fraudsters prey on people’s vulnerability and anxiety for meeting financial demands. They take advantage of the urgency and desperation some savers experience. <br></p><p>They are ruthless and will use every opportunity they get to trick you out of your pension. Staying vigilant and wise to the increasingly sophisticated methods used by scammers even at times of extreme financial constraints is exceptionally important. <br></p><p>Pension scams are extremely dangerous, however since the cost of living crisis struck, other types of scams have occurred too. For example, those offering ‘help’ with:<br></p><ul><li>fuel bills</li><li>devices to reduce power and fuel consumption</li><li>access to government grants and non-existent loans<br></li></ul><p>So keep your guard up at all times, no matter which aspect of life you’re being approached about.<br></p><h4><br>How to protect yourself<br></h4><p>Put your critical thinking cap on and question and check every offer no matter how big or small it is. </p><p>Recognising a scam is half the battle so here are a few tips on what to do if you’re being approached:<br></p><ul><li>Reject out-of-the-blue emails, calls and contact. Callers may claim they’re from government-backed bodies to trick you into giving them information. </li><li>Check who you’re dealing with. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t and it only takes a few minutes to check. It could cost you your savings if you don’t.</li><li>Avoid ‘investment deals’, ‘free pension reviews’ and early access to your pension before age 55.</li><li>Don’t fall for professional-looking websites or brochures.</li><li>Never feel rushed into making a decision. Take your time to check things over, even if you miss out on a ‘great’ deal.</li><li>Fraudsters are only getting smarter so you must stay vigilant.<br><br></li></ul><h4>Here’s what to do if you think you’re being targeted <br></h4><ul><li>Learn what <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/pension-scams" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">red flags to look out for</a> and beware at all times! We’ve provided a handy<a href="/pension-essentials/pension-scams"> list of 10 ways to protect yourself</a> - check it out.&nbsp;</li><li>If you’re looking to turn to an independent financial adviser (IFA), make sure the financial adviser you choose is on the FCA <a href="https://register.fca.org.uk/s/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">FCA approved register</a> register. To find a list of IFAs in your local area visit <a href="https://www.unbiased.co.uk/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Unbiased</a>.</li><li>Visit <a href="https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/money-troubles/scams/a-beginners-guide-to-scams" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">MoneyHelper</a> for some useful information on the different types of scams and how to protect yourself</li><li>Report fraud any time of day and night on the <a href="https://reporting.actionfraud.police.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Action Fraud website</a> or by calling 0300 123 2040 Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm. If you are calling from abroad call +44 300 123 2040.<br></li></ul><h4><br>A lot of crime goes unreported – do your bit<br></h4><p>The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimates that less than 1 in 5 instances of scams are reported.<br></p><p>One of the reasons for this is the trauma of lost savings and the shame victims feel. People feel embarrassed if they are being tricked so hearing the stories of others can act as a catalyst for more people to come forward and share their story. <br></p><p>If you’ve been scammed and want to share your story to help other victims or to protect those that are yet to be targeted, turn to <a href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Action Fraud</a> Fraud. The Pension Regulator has said that the delay in realising people have been scammed makes scamming attractive to criminals. This is why it is important we all do what we can to prevent scams. <br></p>

<p>There were more than 30 news updates posted on the site this year, covering everything from tax and investments, to financial wellbeing and retirement planning. Thousands of you read them, and we’ve listed the 5 most popular below. </p><p>You can read all of these stories and more on the news pages - <a href="/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates">railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates</a> - and we’ll be keeping you updated throughout the next year too!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>1.&nbsp;Understanding your death benefits<strong></strong></h4><p>Back in January, we ran a news story explaining what you can do to help make sure your loved ones can benefit from your pension when you die. Namely…</p><ol><li><strong>Making your nominations</strong><strong></strong></li><li><strong>Making sure your family know who to contact about your pension when you die </strong><strong></strong></li></ol><p>This coincided with the launch of a new webpage outlining how to report a member’s death and explaining what happens once the Scheme has been notified that a member has died. You can read more using the links below: </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/01/18/understanding-your-death-benefits" data-sf-ec-immutable="">News story on understanding your death benefits</a> </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/reporting-a-death" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Webpage for reporting a death</a> </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>2. Now’s the time to check your details </strong><strong></strong></h4><p>This article was a look ahead to the launch of pensions dashboards, with a request to please make sure your details are up to date. </p><p>While the Pensions Dashboards project has been delayed by the Government, it is still important for you to make sure your details are correct, otherwise your information might not match correctly with the dashboards once they’re in place. </p><p>You can find out more about the dashboards and what information they will use on the original news story – <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/04/05/nows-the-time-to-check-your-details" data-sf-ec-immutable="">now’s the time to check your details</a>&nbsp; </p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><h4><strong>3. How the Spring Budget affects you and your pension</strong></h4><p>Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt presented his Spring Budget on March 15 2023.&nbsp; It included several changes affecting pensions, particularly that:&nbsp; </p><ul><li>The Lifetime Allowance (LTA) would be abolished</li><li>The Annual Allowance would increase from £40,000 to £60,000</li><li>The threshold for those affected by the Tapered Annual Allowance would increase from £240,000 to £260,000</li><li>The Money Purchase Annual Allowance would increase from £4,000 to £10,000</li><li>The most you would be able to take as a tax-free lump sum would be £268,275 (unless you have Lifetime Allowance protections)</li></ul><p>There have been many changes in the Government since then, but this story remains the most read news item on the site this year. </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/03/15/spring-budget-announcements" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Remind yourself of what was said in the Spring Budget announcements</a> article.&nbsp; But please bear in mind that details around the LTA are still being finalised.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>4. Free will writing initiative continues in 2023</h4><p>Death features in our countdown for a second time, but this one was all about how to have a will drafted or updated free of charge. This charity initiative usually runs twice a year and is targeted primarily at those aged 55 and over. </p><p>If you want to find out more, check out the story from March or when the initiative ran again in October and look out for further updates in 2024.</p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/03/06/free-will-writing-initiative-continues-in-2023" data-sf-ec-immutable="">March news story</a></p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/10/06/free-wills-month" data-sf-ec-immutable="">October news story</a> </p><p>It’s important to remember that&nbsp;your will does not cover any death benefits payable from your RPS pension. You should separately update your nominations in your&nbsp;<a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">myRPS account</a>&nbsp;to say where you’d like any lump sum death benefit payments from your pension to go if you die before you claim them. This cannot be covered in your will, as your railways pension is separate to the rest of your estate.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>5. Changes to your website... coming soon!</h4><p>The fifth most popular news story this year offered a preview of the changes being made to the RPS member website, including:</p><ul><li><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto; white-space: inherit; font-size: inherit">a bigger menu to let you see at a glance, what’s available and where you need to go</span></li><li>a full review of all of the information on the site to make it clearer and more relevant for you</li><li>links at the bottom of each of the pages to direct you to other relevant information you might want to check out</li><li>separate sections for members of the defined benefit (DB) Sections of the Scheme and for the Industry-Wide Defined Contribution (IWDC) Section</li><li>quick links on the homepage links making it easier for you to find the most popular pages </li></ul><p>All of these changes are now in place. You can read more about them, and why they were done in:</p><ul><li><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/07/03/changes-to-your-website-coming-soon!" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">the original news story, changes to your website coming soon</a>! </li><li><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/07/25/introducing-your-new-look-website" data-sf-ec-immutable="">the follow up article, introducing your new look website</a> </li></ul><p>We’d also still love to hear what you think about the new look site, via the short survey at - <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RPS-web-feedback" data-sf-ec-immutable="">surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RPS-web-feedback</a> </p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>You’re a preserved member (sometimes known as a deferred member) if:</p><ul><li>You HAVE stopped paying into the Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) </li></ul><p>But</p><ul><li>You HAVE NOT yet started taking your pension or transferred out. </li></ul><p>This means that even though you are no longer putting money into your pension, the benefits you have built up so far, remain in the Scheme until you are ready to take them. That’s why it’s so important that you understand your options and know what being a preserved member means for you. </p><p>Look below for a summary of what you really need to know as a preserved DB or IWDC member in the RPS. </p><p>If you’re not sure whether you’re in the DB or IWDC Sections of the Scheme you can <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">log in to your myRPS account</a> anytime to find out. <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/register" data-sf-ec-immutable="">You can also register for an account</a> for free if you haven’t already.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>I’m a Defined Benefit (DB) preserved member – what do I need to know?</h2><h4><strong>1. Your pension will be based on when you stopped paying in</strong></h4><p>The RPS defined benefit Sections are mostly ‘final salary’ schemes. They give you a regular, guaranteed annual income for life, based on your salary and how long you’ve been a member of the scheme. This is, payable from a specified date, however, you may have scope to take it early or late. &nbsp;</p><p>The DB part of the Scheme also includes some Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) arrangements where your pension is based on your earnings right across your membership.&nbsp;</p><p>In both cases, as a preserved member, your pension will be based on your final or final average salary, and length of membership at the point you stopped paying in. </p><p>Even though you’re no longer paying in, your preserved pension may still increase, in line with the Scheme rules to protect it against inflation. </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/im-still-working/new-to-the-scheme" data-sf-ec-immutable="">For more general information on how a DB scheme works, visit the I’m new to the Scheme page.</a></p><h4>2. You cannot pay into BRASS, but your previous AVCs remain invested.</h4><p>As a preserved member you can no longer pay into your pension, either in the form of regular contributions, or Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs). </p><p>However, any AVCs you have already paid into BRASS or AVC Extra, will remain invested. This means their value can go up or down. </p><p>You should keep an eye on your fund choices to make sure they’re still suitable for you. </p><p>As a preserved member you can still check and change your BRASS or AVC Extra funds at anytime. <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/saving-more-BRASS-AVC-Extra/managing-my-BRASS" data-sf-ec-immutable="">You can find out how to do that on the managing my BRASS page.</a> </p><p>You may also be able to transfer the money in your BRASS pot or AVC Extra funds to another&nbsp;arrangement. For more information, check the <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/rayn/guides-for-db-members---active-and-preserved/transfer-options.pdf?sfvrsn=54d41644_13">Read as You Need guide to transfer options for DB members</a>.</p><h4>3. Your loved ones could be taken care of when you die.</h4><p>If you die before taking your pension, a tax-free lump sum could be paid to those you care about. For preserved members, this lump sum is typically the lower of either:&nbsp; </p><ul data-list="1" data-level="1"><li>5 times your yearly basic pension or</li><li>4 times your Pay (this is Final Average Pay for some sections)</li></ul><p>Plus, any BRASS and AVC extra funds.</p><p>You can tell the Trustee who you would like the lump sum to be paid to, by making a nomination when you&nbsp;<a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">log in to your myRPS account</a>. You should also remember to update your nominations if/when your circumstances change. The Trustee will take your wishes into consideration, when deciding who should receive the payment.</p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/nominations" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Find out who you can nominate, and how, on the nominations page</a> </p><p>Your dependants, such as your family, may also be eligible to get a pension.</p><h4>4. You may be able to transfer if you want to</h4><p>If you join another Section of the RPS, for example if you change employers, then you may be able to transfer your preserved benefits from your previous section into your new ‘active’ section. </p><p>If you do this within 15 months of leaving your previous section then special terms may apply. </p><p>You may also be able to transfer your benefits to another scheme all together, as long as that scheme accepts transfers in and is registered with HMRC. </p><p>You should think this through carefully before making a decision and consider that a transfer may not be in your best interests. You may want – or need – to get advice first.</p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/transferring-my-pension" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Visit the transferring in or out page for more information.</a></p><h4>5. You decide WHEN to take your pension.</h4><p>Your Normal Retirement Age (NRA) is usually between 60 and 65 years old and will depend on the rules of your RPS section. You can find your NRA by logging into your myRPS account and looking at your ‘membership details’ or in your Member Guide. </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Early retirement </span></p><p>You may be able to start taking your pension before you reach your NRA, with the Trustee’s agreement. This is known as early retirement and is usually allowed for members aged over 55. In some cases, this may be from age 50 if you have a Protected Pension Age (PPA) and have not previously opted-out of the RPS. You can read more about PPA and how it might affect your pension <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/Im-planning-to-take-my-pension/when-to-retire" data-sf-ec-immutable="">You can find this on the when to retire page.</a></p><p>If you take your pension before your NRA, your payments will be lower as early retirement factors are applied, which reduces your pension, reflecting the fact that it will be paid for longer. There are different early retirement factors for preserved members, which means the reduction may be greater than taking your pension on leaving service early as an active member. The reduction can be significant, and you can request an estimate by logging into your myRPS account. </p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Late retirement </span></p><p>As a preserved member your pension will be paid at your NRA, unless you choose to defer payment. </p><p>Deferring payment is where you opt to take your pension at a later date, which is known as late retirement. </p><p>You would typically need to apply for this between 3 months before, and 3 months after your NRA. And you must start taking your pension before the age of 75. </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/Im-planning-to-take-my-pension/when-to-retire" data-sf-ec-immutable="">You can read more on the when to retire page.</a></p><h4>6. You need to keep your details up to date.</h4><h4><strong></strong></h4><p>As a preserved member, keeping track of your pension could help you plan for the future and make sure you know what income you might have when you stop work. </p><p>We’ll send you a statement every year, so you can see how much your pension might be worth. You can also request an estimate or use the Pension Planner in your myRPS account.&nbsp; </p><p>It’s important you keep your details up to date so we can continue to contact you about your pension and please remember to let us know if any circumstances change. </p><p><a data-sf-ec-immutable=""></a><a href="/login">You can update your details quickly and easily by logging into your myRPS account</a>.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>I’m a IWDC preserved member - what do I need to know?</h2><h4>1. The value of your pension pot can go up or down.</h4><p>As a member of the IWDC Section, you and your employer pay in money into a 'pot' known as your Personal Retirement Account (PRA). The money in your PRA is then invested into the funds or strategies you select, with the aim of helping it to grow over time.&nbsp;</p><p>As a <strong>preserved</strong> IWDC member, you and your employer are no longer paying money into this pot, however, the money you’ve paid in so far, is still invested. This means that the value of your PRA could continue to go up or down depending on how your investments perform. </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/iwdc-members/managing-investments/how-investments-work" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Find out more on the how investments work page.</a></p><h4>2.&nbsp;You decide where your pot is invested.<strong> </strong></h4><p>You can still manage, or change, where your PRA is invested. And you should keep an eye on your investment choices, to make sure they are right for you. </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/iwdc-members/managing-investments/fund-choices" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Read more about your options on the my fund choices page</a></p><h4>3. You can set, or change, your Target Retirement Age (TRA), where applicable<strong> </strong></h4><p>If you choose to invest in a Lifestyle strategy, you should set a Target Retirement Age (TRA). This is&nbsp;the age that you are planning to take your IWDC pot.&nbsp;As you get within 10 years of your TRA, your money will gradually be moved into lower-risk funds to help protect the value of the pension pot you've already built up. You can set or change your TRA by logging in to your myRPS account. Please remember to review your TRA regularly in case your retirement plans change. </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/iwdc-members/managing-investments/target-retirement-age" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Find out more on the My Target Retirement Age page.</a> </p><h4>4. Your loved ones could be taken care of when you die.<strong> </strong></h4><p>If you die while you’re a preserved IWDC member of the RPS, the value of your pension pot will be paid to your beneficiaries at the Trustees’ discretion. </p><p>You can let the Trustees know who you consider your beneficiaries to be by making a nomination or updating your nominations if your circumstances change. </p><p>There is no lump-sum death benefit payable for a preserved member. </p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/nominations" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Find out who you can nominate, and how, on the nominations page</a> </p><h4>5. You can transfer your pension pot, if you want to<strong> </strong></h4><p>If you join a DB Section of the RPS, for example if you move employer, then you may be able to transfer your IWDC pot into your new Section. </p><p>Alternatively, you may be able to transfer your PRA to another scheme, as long as the scheme accepts transfers in and is registered with HMRC. </p><p>You should think this through carefully before making a decision and consider that a transfer may not be in your best interests. You may want – or need – to get advice first.</p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/pension-essentials/transferring-my-pension" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Visit the transferring in or out page for more information.</a> </p><h4>6. You decide WHEN to take your PRA. </h4><p>Your Pension Age is the age at which your pension pot is normally paid. Your Pension Age is set by your employer and is usually between 60 and 65. You can find out which Pension Age applies to you by checking your Key Features leaflet. This is available in the My Library area when you log in to your myRPS account.&nbsp;</p><p>Your Target Retirement Age (TRA) is the age you plan to take your IWDC pot.&nbsp;It’s important because your investments will automatically move into lower risk investments 10 years before your TRA if you’ve chosen to invest in a Lifestyle fund. Your chosen TRA could be earlier or later than your Pension Age, if you plan to take your pot at a different time.&nbsp;</p><p>If you are considering taking your IWDC pot before your Pension Age, you may be able to take it from age 55 or 57 depending on when you joined the Scheme, or at age 50 if you have a Protected Pension Age.&nbsp;</p><p>You may have a Protected Pension Age (PPA) if you were an active member of the Scheme on 5 April 2006. This gives you the right to apply for your pension pot from age 50.&nbsp; However, if you opted out of the RPS after that date, you may have lost your PPA and the earliest you can take your PRA is age 55.</p><p>Preserved members must take their pot before age 75.</p><p><a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/iwdc-members/im-planning-to-take-my-iwdc-pot/when-to-retire" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Find out more on the when to retire page.</a> </p><h4>7. You decide HOW to take your PRA </h4><p>There are 3 main ways to take your pension pot.&nbsp;You can:</p><ol><li>get a flexible income, taking it a bit at a time. This is known as drawdown</li><li>get a regular, secure income, known as an annuity</li><li>take all of the money in your IWDC pot as a cash lump sum.&nbsp; This is known as total encashment&nbsp;</li></ol><p>You can normally take up to 25% (but no more than £268,275) of your pension pot as a tax-free lump sum and then choose one, or a combination of these options for the remaining amount of your pension pot. You do not have&nbsp;to take a tax-free lump sum if you don’t want to.&nbsp;</p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto; white-space: inherit"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto; white-space: inherit"></span><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto; white-space: inherit">The choice is yours, but there are some restrictions that may apply in certain circumstances. For example, if you take your pot before age 55, you would have to take it as cash. If you wanted to use your PRA for annuity or drawdown, then you would have to transfer it to another provider, however you may not be able to access these options with the new provider until you reach age 55.</span><br></p><p><a href="/iwdc-members/im-planning-to-take-my-iwdc-pot/how-i-can-take-my-iwdc-pot">Read more on the how I can take my IWDC pot page.</a></p><h4>8. Staying up to date today, could help you tomorrow</h4><p>As a preserved member, keeping track of your pension pot, could help you plan for the future and make sure you know what income you might have when you stop work. </p><p>We’ll send you a statement every year, so you can see the current value of your PRA and how it’s invested. </p><p>You can also request an estimate or use the Retirement Modeller in your myRPS account to get an idea of what your pot might be worth when you retire and the ways you could consider taking it. </p><p>It’s important you keep your details up to date so we can continue to contact you about your pension and please remember to let us know if any circumstances change. </p><p><a href="/login">You can update your details quickly and easily by logging into your myRPS account</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Railpen, the investment manager of the Railways Pension Scheme (RPS), helps members get to grips with how their pension is managed and invested with a new member-focused report.<br></p><p>The <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/34deiw1y/so-member-report-2022_final.pdf" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">2022 Sustainable Ownership Review</a> has been written purely for members. This is because we know that many of our members care about how their pension is managed. We also know that they have high expectations about where it’s invested and trust Railpen to do a good job when it comes to choosing where to invest. <br></p><p>There’s an appetite among members to know more about the investment decisions we make and our reasons for choosing to invest or disinvest in a particular company. We realise that the complexity of sustainable ownership remains a barrier for many members to fully understand the bigger picture. This is why we’ve developed our second Sustainable Ownership Review.</p><p><br></p><h3>Written for members, with their help<br></h3><p>Member feedback is extremely important to us and we like to incorporate it in our approach wherever possible. This is why we’ve taken into account feedback received by members of the railways pension schemes. <br></p><p>To support in writing the report, Railpen surveyed members and held focus groups to really understand what would be of most use to them and how they want to be communicated with on sustainable ownership matters.<br></p><p>The 2022 Review provides a comprehensive but straightforward information written in a clear and easy-to-understand way. It is short and snappy, and offers an ample spread of what Railpen has managed to achieve on members’ behalf throughout 2022.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>What our members are telling us<br></h3><p>As with the previous issue of the report (2021 Sustainable Ownership Member Review), when surveyed last year members said the top 3 priorities for them were fair treatment of workers, climate change and fair pay. You also said that governance (how well a company is managed) is really important to you. <br></p><p>To help illustrate some of the work we’ve done in 2022 to address those issues, we’ve provided case studies in the Sustainable Ownership Member Review on pages 10-14. <br></p><p>In terms of how you like us to communicate with you, you said that you want us to continue to use real examples of our work, are interested in the link between what we do on sustainable ownership and how it improves financial outcomes for you as scheme members, want more explanation on the numbers and outcomes we talk about in our reports and want to hear from us more often. <br></p><p>We will continue to take into account your views and feedback and to incorporate it into working practices and the products we develop for you going forward. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>How we address members’ top issues and influence positive change <br></h3><p>We use different engagement methods when trying to influence for positive change at a company. This is evident from our work with NextEra Energy Inc. one of the largest US based utility companies. We wanted NextEra to provide more detailed information on its approach to engaging with policymakers on climate change. We spoke to the company individually, and also used the ownership rights we get as shareholders together with other likeminded investors. After our efforts, NextEra committed to publishing more information on its policy engagement. You can read our case study 'NextEra Energy – working together to make a difference on climate change' on page 11 of the <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/34deiw1y/so-member-report-2022_final.pdf" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">2022 Member Review</a>.&nbsp;<br></p><p>We also talk about corporate governance* a lot at Railpen and have a process to exclude companies from our portfolio where we identify governance and behaviour concerns. As part of this process, in 2019 we excluded the Japanese optics and medical devices manufacturer Olympus because of concerns about their governance practices. In 2022, following continued engagement, we were pleased to remove the company from our exclusion list as a result of improvements to their board and committee structure. You can read more about the concerns we had and how we addressed them with Olympus on page 13 of the <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/34deiw1y/so-member-report-2022_final.pdf" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">2022 Member Review</a>.<br></p><p>Our positive work on workforce and worker voice issues (page 10 in the <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/34deiw1y/so-member-report-2022_final.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">2022 Member Review</a>) – one of our members’ top concerns – continued in 2022. &nbsp;We also focussed our attention on the topic of fair pay and our Member Review provides a case study, which you can read on page 12, as to how we voted against a company’s’ remuneration approach where executive pay was out of line with how the rest of the employees are rewarded. If you would like to find out more about our voting work, give our <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/blog/rps-blog/2023/03/27/voting-for-positive-change" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Voting for positive change blog</a> a read. For a more in depth overview of our voting principles, check out our Global <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/yl2lq4y3/2023-voting-policy.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Voting Policy</a>. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>How we’ll continue to communicate with members on the topics important to them<br></h3><p>Our ultimate aim &nbsp;to achieve a two-way dialogue with members where they feel empowered to ask questions and to challenge us in our thinking remains the same. <br></p><p>We will continue our efforts to show members that we want and need to hear from them so we can make more customer-informed decisions our investment approach and communications. We will do this through various touchpoints we have planned in for the coming months. The next available opportunity will be in January 2024 when we’ll hold some roundtables with a selected cohort of our members. We’ll use this opportunity to dive deeper in their perceptions of our work on sustainable ownership through thought-provoking and engaging conversations. We’ll also look to understand whether the top 3 issues they’ve highlighted previously remain the same or something else has struck them recently. &nbsp;If you have some time to spare and would like to get involved with helping us shape our future sustainable ownership priorities, email us at <a href="mailto:so@railpen.com">so@railpen.com</a> so we can keep you informed of upcoming member events and feedback gathering initiatives. &nbsp;&nbsp;<br></p><p>We welcome all your questions or feedback on the <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/34deiw1y/so-member-report-2022_final.pdf" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">2022 Member Review</a> and on any other sustainable ownership-related publication or topic. Please let us know what you think at <a href="mailto:so@railpen.com">so@railpen.com</a> </p><div><br clear="all"><div id="ftn1"><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p></div><div id="ftn2"><p><a href="https://railpen-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jenny_prodanova_railpen_com/Documents/0.Personal/2023/Member%20sites%20content/Blogs/SO%20Member%20Review%20Blog/20231204_SO%20Member%20Review%20blog_v0_8_CE.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title="" data-sf-ec-immutable=""></a>* Good corporate governance is when a company is run by an expert, diverse group of people and is supported by effective systems and processes. This means a company is more likely to be able to thrive over the long-term.</p></div><div id="ftn3"><p>&nbsp;</p></div></div>

<p>By the time you reach your 50s you may have a pretty good idea of what you want later life to look like for you. Retirement doesn’t probably feel like a distant concept anymore and you’re starting to give it a lot more thought these days.&nbsp;<br></p><p>If you’re only just embarking on your pension saving journey, you still have a good few years to prioritise retirement planning and to save up for a decent life after work. <br></p><p>Whatever your situation, your 50s is the ideal time to up your saving game and to make the most of the opportunities available to you. Here are a few ideas to help you enhance your pension saving journey and to make sure your retirement savings are on track to provide you with the sort of lifestyle you hope for when you stop work.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Define your retirement goals<br></h3><p>If you haven’t yet given later life a thought, do it now. How do you imagine your lifestyle? You’d probably want to enjoy some treats now and then like a holiday abroad, meals out and taking up new hobbies. Will you have any caring responsibilities or will you want to support a family member financially? <br></p><p>Crystallising your retirement goals now you still have a few years to save up may be just what you need to ensure you have enough to fund them when the time comes. <br></p><p><a href="https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="">The Retirement Living Standards</a>* can help you with that. They have been developed to help you picture what kind of lifestyle you could have in retirement. The standards show you what life in retirement looks like at 3 different levels, and what a range of common goods and services would cost for each level. For example, a single person will need approximately £37,300 per year for a comfortable standard of living when they finish work. <br></p><p>If your current level of saving isn’t on target to pay for the standard of living you hope for in retirement, you may need to think about saving more. One way to do this is by paying Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Consider boosting your savings with AVCs<br></h3><p>You may want to consider paying extra into your pension, if you can. Paying even a little more in to your pension savings now could eventually add up to a lot more to enjoy when you stop work. AVCs provide a real opportunity to build up your savings and make up for lost time.<br></p><p>The main <a href="/defined-benefit-members/saving-more-BRASS-AVC-Extra">AVC arrangement for defined benefit (DB) members</a> of the Railways Pension Scheme is called BRASS. You can pay as little as £2 per week or £10 per month on top of the normal contributions you make to your pension. There’s a maximum you can pay in each year – usually 15% of your gross earnings. If you want to pay more than the BRASS maximum, you can join AVC Extra (not available to Network Rail members). <br></p><p><a href="/iwdc-members/Im-still-working/saving-more">Defined contribution (IWDC) members pay AVCs</a> directly into their investment accounts. <br></p><p>There are many benefits to saving extra with AVCs:<br></p><ul><li>you can save as little as £2 a week</li><li>you don’t need to save a set amount every month</li><li>you can pay into AVCs with money from overtime and bonuses, which don’t qualify for your main scheme pension</li><li>you get tax relief on what you put in (up to Annual Allowance tax limits)<br></li></ul><p>To see how much your RPS income will be, log in to (or register for) your <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">myRPS account</a>. Use the ‘Pension Planner’ to model how saving more with BRASS could make a big difference and help you meet your target. <br></p><p>You should also bear in mind that for the 2023-24 tax year there’s an annual pension savings limit that can benefit from tax relief of £60,000 or the value of your taxable earnings, whichever is lower. Read more about this limit below.</p><p><br></p><h3>Are you making the most of your Annual Allowance?</h3><p>Annual Allowance is the limit on the total amount you can save towards your pension in a single tax year before you pay any tax on your pension savings. It is currently either 100% of your annual earnings or £60,000, whichever is lower, unless the Tapered Annual Allowance** applies to you.</p><p>The Annual Allowance renews at the start of every financial year (in April) so it may be worth paying in as much as you can over the next few years to make sure your savings are benefitting from tax relief. Saving tax free for your future is one of the most valuable benefits of paying in a workplace pension and it’s worth taking advantage of all the pros that come with it. That doesn’t mean paying in the full allowance, but paying in as much as is realistic and possible for you at this moment in time. </p><p>You may also be able to carry forward any unused allowances from the last three years.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Your pension savings are invested so compounding is a big plus!<br></h3><p>We’ve covered compounding in previous articles from the pension planning series but we can’t miss to highlight its valuable role in making your money grow, especially now you’re approaching the end of your working life. It’s a key factor when it comes to investing and one of the most significant benefits of having your money invested in a pension. <br></p><p>It is essentially the process of your investments achieving growth not just on the original sum invested but on the growth of it as well. It’s especially powerful if your money has been invested for a while but even if you start saving for a pension now, it will help your money grow. <br></p><p>Compounding only applies to members in the Industry-Wide Defined Contribution (IWDC) scheme and members who pay in Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) towards their pension.</p><p><br></p><h3>Re-evaluate your attitude to risk<br></h3><p>If you’ve been saving into an IWDC pot or with AVCs for a while, you may want to consider reviewing your investment fund choices now you’re on a down track to retirement. You may have had a riskier approach so far, but it’s perhaps time to reduce your exposure to higher risk funds to ensure you’re not taking any unnecessary risks. The value of money invested can go up as well as down so it’s important to ensure the savings you’ve accumulated to date are ‘safer’ being invested in more ‘stable’ funds which have lower risk of losing value over time.</p><p><br></p><h3>Turn to Pension Wise for free guidance<br></h3><p>Pension Wise, a government-backed service helping people to understand the pension options available to them, offers free, impartial guidance for over 50s. You can book an hour-long appointment with one of their pensions specialists and they’ll talk you through the options available to you and any other things you may need to keep in mind in the run up to retirement.</p><p><br></p><h3>Speak to a financial adviser <br></h3><p>You may want to seek expert financial advice if you have little or no experience of managing your pension and extended finances and don’t feel confident in making decisions about them. Go to <a href="https://www.unbiased.co.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="">https://www.unbiased.co.uk/</a> to find an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) who could help you take control of your financial future.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p><em>*Retirement Living Standards – the Standards have been developed by the People and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) and provide a rule of thumb guidance on common costs for three different levels of expenditure in retirement to help pension savers understand how much money they will need to live the lifestyle they want in retirement <a href="https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="">https://www.retirementlivingstandards.org.uk/</a> </em><br></p><em></em><p><em>**Tapered Annual Allowance - the Tapered Annual Allowance (TAA) generally applies to those on the highest incomes. This allowance gradually reduces the amount you can save into your pension plan annually depending on your income.&nbsp;It may affect you if your income is over £260,000 (previously £240,000) from 6 April 2023.</em></p>

<p>If that’s the case for you, now may be the time to up your saving game and to prioritise your pension over all other things your money could be going towards.</p><p>Here are a few thoughts around pension saving in your 40s that could help you stay focused on your journey and make the most out of perhaps the most financially rewarding time of your career.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Prioritising saving for later life</h3><p>A recent research by Standard Life* which sampled UK adults aged 18 to 80 found that 72% of people surveyed do little or no retirement planning while 78% hope for certainty of income in retirement. There’s a clear disproportion between carrying overly optimistic expectations about retirement and doing very little or no preparation at all now in order to be able to meet those expectations. Don’t be the statistic and act now to be able to afford the retirement you hope for.</p><p>Now you’ve got a few financial milestones behind your back and have a bit more freedom to fund your own wants and needs, why not think about your future self and make the most of the saving opportunities you have. It may be tempting to spend your disposable income on exotic holidays or investing in property, but is this going to help you have a decent life in retirement? </p><p>You can’t borrow for retirement and you can’t make more of time so it’s important to focus on saving for later life now you can afford to invest more in your pension. Do it now and you’ll thank yourself later when your working days are over and you’re living an enjoyable life thanks to the sacrifice you’ve made previously.</p><p>With the Railways Pension Scheme, you can save extra towards your pension if you want to. You could do this by paying in Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs). AVCs are a great way to save tax-free either by giving your pension a one off boost or making regular additional payments towards it. </p><p><a href="/pension-essentials/saving-more">More on AVCs is available on our website.</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Compounding is still a key factor</h3><p>Compounding – the effect of money invested achieving growth on the growth they’ve achieved initially, not just on the original sum invested - continues to be a great helper when it comes to saving for later life. It’s a very powerful positive of having your money invested for a long period of time as the longer it’s been invested, the longer it has to grow.</p><p>If you’ve started saving for later life in your 20s, you’ve probably managed to build up a sizeable nest egg by now. Thanks to compounding, you’ll probably continue to benefit from further growth on your savings, not just from the money you keep paying in but from the compounding effect on it as well.</p><p>Read more about compounding in our previous blogs in the pension planning series below.<br></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Have you accumulated a few different pension pots over the years? </h3><p>You’ve probably been saving for retirement for a couple of decades now and it’s likely you’ve built up a few pension pots over the years. While in your 40s, you’re in the middle of your saving journey and now might be the perfect time to take stock of what you have. &nbsp;</p><p>If you think you've lost track of a pension, you may want to turn to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pensiontracingservice.com/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Pension Tracing Service</a>&nbsp;for help. It's a free, impartial service to help find your lost pensions and then offer guidance on what to do with them.</p><p>You may also want to consider starting a pension planner and keeping track of how your different pots are performing. You may also benefit from seeking independent financial advice. Go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unbiased.co.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="">https://www.unbiased.co.uk/</a>&nbsp;to find an independent adviser from a trusted source.&nbsp; </p><p>If you’ve previously worked for another employer within the rail industry and were a member of that Section of the RPS, you may be able to transfer those benefits into your new employer’s Section of the RPS. </p><p>However if you’ve built up pension benefits in another pension scheme, you may not be able to transfer these into the RPS. This will depend on your employer’s policy, so you may need to discuss with them.</p><p>More on transferring is available in your Member Guide, which is available in ‘My Library’ when you log into your <a href="/my-rps">myRPS account</a>.</p><p>If you haven’t really given retirement a thought yet, there’s still time to start saving and make a big difference to your financial future.</p><p>---</p><p>*Retirement Voice 2022, Exploring how retirement attitudes and experiences are changing by Standard Life&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you're thinking about moving abroad permanently or buying a second home outside of the UK, read on for the details you need to know.</p><p><strong>You can have your pension paid into an overseas bank account</strong></p><p>If you’re changing from a UK bank account to an overseas bank, it’s important to make sure your details, and the details of your new chosen bank are correct. </p><p>Once you’ve registered with your chosen bank, the best way for us to verify the bank and your details is through you obtaining and sending us a bank statement from your new bank. When we receive this, we’ll send it to Citibank, the company we use to exchange your pension into your new country’s currency, and they’ll be able to vet this new bank quickly. This will speed up the process of getting your pension to your new bank account.</p><p>If you’ve got an overseas bank account, it costs £2 a month (£26 per year from us), which we’ll offset by getting a good exchange rate through Citibank. You’ll need to check with the overseas bank if there’s a charge for receiving an overseas payment.</p><p><strong>Can you still use a UK bank account to receive your pension? </strong></p><p>If you plan on keeping your UK bank account, we’ll pay you in the same way as if you were living in the UK. However, it’s important to check you can maintain a UK bank account without a UK address and that will depend on your current UK bank. </p><p>If you’re closing your UK bank account, you’ll need to <a href="/defined-benefit-members/Im-taking-my-pension/updating-bank-details">complete a form with the details of your overseas bank</a>.</p><p><strong>If you’re thinking of transferring to a scheme overseas…</strong></p><p>Transferring can take a couple of days because of the additional process. You can find more information about transfers <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/rayn/guides-for-db-members---active-and-preserved/transfer-options.pdf?sfvrsn=54d41644_13"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p><p><strong>You’ll still receive written correspondence from us</strong></p><p>Pension documents will still be sent to you overseas, such as your:</p><ul><li>Annual Benefit Statement (ABS) </li><li>Summary Funding Statement (SFS)</li><li>Pension saving statement</li><li>Newsletters</li></ul><p>In some countries, the postal service may take longer for you to receive your documents for us, so it’s important that you research this. However, by <a href="/register">registering for your myRPS account</a>, you can access all your important pension documents online.</p><p>We’re currently exploring giving members the option of opting out of paper communications and will update you with our progress. </p><p><strong>Impact on cost of living increases to State Pension if you’re over State Pension age</strong> </p><p>With certain countries, your UK State Pension will be fixed and you may not receive any cost of living increases to it.</p><p>Further information about the State Pension if you retire abroad is available on the <strong>Gov.uk</strong> website at <strong><a href="https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad" data-sf-ec-immutable="">gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad</a></strong>.</p>

<p>Pension scams are extremely dangerous as they can come in lots of guises, they are savvy and creative, and would do anything to part pension savers with their money. Here’s an example of one scenario to help illustrate what a real-life case may look like – from the victim’s thought process, to his touchpoints with the scammer – to him losing all of his retirement income. <br></p><h4>Michael's story</h4><p>Michael has retired recently and still has the best part of his pension lump sum sitting in his bank account. Michael has had a successful career and has held senior roles for the past 25 years. He’s also been saving extra towards his pension by paying additional voluntary contributions. Michael has got quite a lot of money in his bank account at present. <br></p><p>One morning, while having a coffee and scrolling on his tablet, Michael receives an email from an investment company prompting him to invest in their offshore renewable energy bonds. The sender – the company’s Chief Financial Officer – is promising Michael big returns on his investment, as well as some extra perks for being an investor such free exotic getaways for him and his wife Anne.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Michael</strong>: I think I just received an offer I can’t say ‘no’ to. You know all that money I have sitting in the bank, imagine doubling or even tripling it by simply investing it. </p><p><strong>Anne</strong>: How do you know the offer is genuine? I think you should speak to someone before you decide to invest it all. </p><p><strong>Michael</strong>: Of course it’s genuine. I can recognise a scam from miles away and this is definitely a perfectly legitimate email. It comes from a real person whom you can contact back, it has a disclaimer on the bottom that mentions the FCA and they’ve even made the effort to find out more information about me such as my name, age and that I’m now a pensioner.</p><p><strong>Anne</strong>: Okay then, it’s your call.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Michael decides to call the sender of the email and has a long chat with them about their offer. They sound very professional and trustworthy, they use all the right financial jargon, and they give lots of advice and reassurance that Michael will get a huge payback. <br></p><p>Eventually, he transfers all of his hard-earned retirement savings, thinking he’s investing it for high returns. Instead, Michael never hears back from the sender nor does he receive a penny, never mind the high returns on his ‘investment’ he was expecting. <br></p><p>The financial impacts on him and his family are tremendous. What is worse is that Michael develops emotional distress and anxiety. His health and quality of life are hugely impacted and Michael’s plans for a happy and relaxed retirement are truly ruined.<br></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>Older people are at a high risk<br></h4><p>Scenarios like this are happening every single day in the UK. Pensioners and older people are at a high risk of falling victim to sophisticated scams. They get savvier and savvier in their use of different means to achieve their mission to part retirees with their pension. Just because you’ve started taking your pension doesn’t mean you’re protected from the threat. <br></p><p>No matter how good it sounds, you must do your own research and strongly consider speaking to a financial adviser before you make any important decisions about your money. Generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so you must be on your guard. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>How to protect yourself<br></h4><ul><li>Always reject unexpected offers</li><li>Never make rushed decisions about your money </li><li>Be very wary if you’re offered a free pension review</li><li>Do your own research of anyone offering financial advice – check the <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)</a> register at fca.org.uk or call 0800 111 6768 to make sure that they are FCA-authorised.<br></li></ul><p>Suspicious? Visit <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">fca.org.uk/scamsmart</a>, or call <a href="https://maps.org.uk/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS)</a> on 0800 138 7777 for free pensions guidance and information.&nbsp;</p><p>If you think you've been scammed call <a href="https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Action Fraud</a> on 0300 123 2040 to report it. </p><p>You can also contact <a href="https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="">MoneyHelper</a> on 0800 015 4402 and ask to speak to pensions specialist about how you might be able to rebuild your pension, to review your State Pension and to trace any other pensions you may have bit have lost touch with.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In sport, if you train well you’re more likely to succeed on match day. It’s the same with your retirement. The more preparation you do, the more likely you’ll be able to enjoy the life you hope for when you stop work. </p> <p>So what are you waiting for? These 10-minute tasks will help you manage your pension during half-time.<br> <br> </p> <h3><strong>Register for your personal myRPS account</strong></h3> <p>Get a head start on planning for your future with your myRPS account. If you haven’t already,&nbsp;<a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/register">register for a myRPS account</a>&nbsp;to make the most of your membership. &nbsp;Over 100,000 of our members are already registered online, you don’t want to miss out! </p> <p>With an online account you can:</p> <ul> <li>Use our tools and modellers to plan ahead for life after work and picture your retirement goal</li> <li>Make a nomination to tell us where you’d like any cash payment to go if you die before you take your pension</li> <li>Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs)</li> <li>Check or <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/defined-benefit-members/saving-more-BRASS-AVC-Extra/how-investments-work">change any funds you invest in</a> if you pay in AVCs, or if you’re a member of the Industry-Wide Defined Contribution Section </li> <li>Find your Member Guide, which explains the fantastic benefits of your Scheme membership and how it works in more detail</li> </ul> <p>… and plenty more to help you stay ahead of the game.<br> <br> </p> <h3><strong>Find helpful guides and information on your member website</strong></h3> <p>Your member website is packed with information to help you stay on the ball with your retirement planning. </p> <p>We’ve recently improved your website and given it a fresh new look. It’s now quicker and easier than ever to find the information you’re looking for online. </p> <p>On your website there’s valuable guidance to help you understand how and when to take your pension, including:</p> <ul> <li>How much you’ll need for retirement</li> <li>How to save more</li> <li>When to retire</li> <li>Ways to take your pension</li> <li>How to apply for your pension</li> </ul> <p>There’s also handy guides on pension topics to help you give planning for life after work your best shot.<br> <br> </p> <h3><strong>Check out our new YouTube channel</strong></h3> <p>On <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@railwayspensionscheme/videos" target="_blank">our YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;you’ll find a range of informative videos to help you get to grips with your pension, all in one place.</p> <p>Our videos break down complex pension topics into bite-size chunks to make them easy to tackle. All are around 5 minutes long, so if half-time lasts 15 minutes, you could watch 3 videos and have time to grab a coffee before the game restarts. </p> <p>We have videos on over 20 pension-related topics. You’ll also find playlists on:</p> <ul> <li>How to use the RPS website</li> <li>Planning for retirement </li> <li>Saving more for life after work</li> <li>Tax and how it might affect your pension</li> <li>New joiners </li> </ul> <p>As with your myRPS account, you can access our YouTube channel wherever and whenever you need to. </p> <p>If you don’t have time to watch the entire playlist at once, you can pause, play and replay the videos at your leisure. So you don’t need to worry about missing the match!<br> <br> </p> <h3><strong>Got a question about your pension? Ask our Virtual Assistant</strong></h3> <p>If you’re on-the-go and need information quickly, don’t sweat it! Ask our Virtual Assistant. It’s a quick way to get answers to general pension questions. </p> <p>The Virtual Assistant is available 24/7, and you don’t need to log in to myRPS to use it. You’ll find it in the bottom right hand corner of your screen whenever you visit your website.</p> <p>The Virtual Assistant won’t have access to your personal pension details, but it will direct you to where you can find what you’re looking for. If you need information on your personal pension details, <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login">log into your myRPS account</a>.</p> <p>Just 10 minutes, that’s all it takes to keep up with your retirement planning. Try it for yourself. The ball’s in your court! </p>

<p>Now you’re past the decade of the firsts, your 20s, you’re probably more settled and have an idea of how you want to live your life and what your priorities are for the foreseeable future. </p><p>In your 30s, you’ve probably changed a couple of jobs and moved up the career ladder but you also probably have a family to care for, childcare costs to pay, holidays to fund and many more financial demands to meet. This, understandably, may see your money stretched and may make you look at where you could cut back on your spending. And, even though a temporary pause on your pension payments may look like a good way to give your bank account a bit of a breather, it’s important you think long and hard before you make the decision.</p><p>Here’s why staying focused on your retirement goal and trusting your saving journey even in a time of a significant financial strain is the best thing you can do for your and for your loved ones’ future. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>You’re not saving alone</h3><p>One of the most valuable benefits of saving for the future with the Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) is the fact that you’re not saving alone. Your employer puts money in too. If you’re a Defined Benefit member, your employer will pay in at least 60% of the money you put in (normally 1.5 times the contribution you make). For example, if you earn £25,000 a year and you pay in £3,000 towards your pension, your employer will top that amount up by £4,500 for free. </p><p>What is more, you get free money from the government too for saving into a workplace pension. The support comes in the form of tax relief on your pension contributions. The money you pay in is taken from your salary before you pay any tax on it, which helps you save more towards your pension. So, if you are a basic rate taxpayer and want to save £100 into your pension, because of the way tax relief works it will actually only cost you £80. The other £20 comes from the tax relief.</p><p>So, it’s important you think carefully before making any decisions about reducing or stopping your pension payments as this means you’ll lose a fair amount of money. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Will your State Pension be enough to give you a good life in retirement?</h3><p>As much as we’d like to think of retirement as the golden time of our lives when for once we don’t have to worry about work and have the freedom to travel, take up new hobbies and enjoy life, we know that in reality the lifestyle we have in later life will largely depend on what income or savings we have. If you are only relying on the State Pension, will this give you the lifestyle you want at retirement? It’s great we have it, but the current State Pension is around &nbsp;£10,000 a year, will that be enough? That’s around £10,000 less than what you would get paid if you were working 40 hours a week on the National Minimum Wage. And, based on current legislation it won’t be available until your late 60s. </p><p>But still if we play our cards right now and save towards our future while we are in work, we are much more likely to have the retirement we hope for.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Don’t interrupt the art of compounding</h3><p>Your pension gets invested to give you an income when your working days are over. And the longer you keep it invested, the more chance it has to grow. Sometimes, it’d benefit not only from investment growth, but further growth on it too. This process is known as compounding and we explain it in more detail our <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/blog/rps-blog/2023/06/19/pension-planning-your-20s---making-the-most-of-a-pension-plan-when-you're-young" data-sf-ec-immutable="">‘Pension planning in your 20s’ article</a>. </p><p>Interrupting the investment process by stopping your pension payments would throw a massive spanner in the works. This is because it would affect the compounding that happens while you’re regularly investing into your pension. This on its turn means that you could potentially miss out on significant sums of money in the long run – after 20, 30 years.</p><p>The compounding effect only applies to members who have some or all of their pension money invested such as members of the Industry-Wide Defined Contribution (IWDC) section and members who pay in Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) such as BRASS. Compounding has no impact on Defined Benefit (DB) only members but if you stop paying into your DB pension that will impact what you have to live on when your working days are over. What is more, you may not be able to re-join the DB section in the future.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Once you’ve stopped paying in, you may not start again</h3><p>Humans are creatures of habit and routine. It can be hard to go back to saving after you’ve had a flavour of having that extra bit of money in your pocket every month. </p><p>And as pointed above, if you leave the RPS, you may not be able to re-join again.</p><p>Think of your pension as one of your last options not your first when looking at where you can cut costs. To help our members think about their broader financial wellness we have introduced a simple planning tool called Moneyfit which you can access when you log into your <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/my-rps" data-sf-ec-immutable="">myRPS account</a>.</p><p>Moneyfit is designed to give you some simple hints and tips to help you manage your money. It’s totally anonymous, and takes around 5-10 minutes to use.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Have a plan! If you don’t have one, make one! </h3><p>By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail as the saying goes. The same goes for retirement planning.</p><p>Even if you’re not left with any other option but to cut back on your pension saving this may not mean leaving the Scheme completely but pausing your Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) for a little while. </p><p>So as an example you may choose to pause your £50 monthly BRASS contributions for a while. This might be a good option for you if it means you can stay in the Scheme and can continue to save towards your pension. Or if you feel you have to leave pension saving behind for the time being, it’s always worth getting back to it when you’re more financially stable and can afford to save for later life.</p><p>The important thing is that you plan ahead, understand what you might need in retirement and ensure you are saving enough, without putting your broader financial wellness at risk. </p><p>Leaving the Scheme rather than pausing any extra payments you’re currently making could significantly impact your lifestyle in the future. It means you’ll have less to live on when your working days are over. For some, this also means they won’t be able to afford to retire when they want to and will be pushed to continue to work for longer. </p><p>To get an idea of how much income you might need to enjoy the lifestyle you hope for, give our <a href="/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/retirement-budgeting-calculator">Retirement Budgeting Calculator</a> a go. It’s a quick and easy tool to help you estimate if you’re saving enough for later life.</p>

<p>Your 20s is the decade when you get to do many things for the first time – getting your first decent job, buying your first car, getting on the property ladder and many more. For many<strong>, </strong>the 20s is also the time when you have fewer responsibilities and get to have enough money on your hands to be able to afford treats like regular meals out and travel. <br></p><p>Having reached financial independence, planning for your later life may not be at the forefront of your mind right now. You may be paying off a student loan and you want to enjoy your money. But here’s the thing about pensions: the earlier you start saving, the better. There are a number of reasons for this, let’s see what they are. </p><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><h3>Time is on your side<br></h3><p>One of the most valuable benefits of your 20s is time. You have time to save enough to be able to afford an enjoyable life when your working days are over and you come to retire. You also have time to experiment with saving and to build good saving habits. For example, you may find that you don’t want to be saving an awful lot from the get go. You can start with a small sum you are comfortable giving up in the beginning and then build it up in the future. Or you might decide to go all in and to save as much as you can towards your pension while you’re young and don’t have a family to care for. Whatever your approach, starting early means you have time to build a larger fund over your working life that’d help set you up for a brighter future. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>The power of compounding<br></h3><p>Have you heard of compounding? It’s a good one to know when it comes to pensions. It’s a term used to describe the process of achieving growth not just on the money you’ve paid in or invested initially but on the growth of it as well. <br></p><p>You are probably aware of the concept of investing - the longer we keep our money invested, the more time it has to grow. Ideally it can grow and then grow on the initial growth and build upon itself over time. <br></p><p>Here’s a simple example of compounding:<br></p><p>Let’s say you invest £1,000 towards your pension that earns 5% interest per year. For the first year your investment will have grown by £50 (5% of £1,000) which means you now have £1,050. However, the following year you’ll gain 5% of what you’ve achieved already £1,050, not on the original invested sum of £1,000. So, your investment will grow by £52.50. The more time you give your money to compound and grow, the more you’ll have to live in retirement.&nbsp; <br></p><p>Dubbed by Einstein as the eighth wonder of the world, compounding can be especially powerful the longer time you have to invest your money.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Your pension benefits help you save more efficiently</h3><p>If you pay into a workplace pension, you can tap into lots of additional benefits that come as part of it. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>You’re not saving alone<br></h4><p>One of the most valuable benefit is the fact that you’re not saving alone. Your pension with the Railways Pension Scheme is classed as a workplace pension, so both you and your employer pay into it. Think of your employer’s contributions as ‘free’ money for you!<br></p><h4>Tax relief is your side-kick<br></h4><p>Tax relief is one of the reasons why saving for retirement, as with the Railways Pension Scheme, is such a fantastic opportunity. It means you don’t pay any tax on the money you put in, which makes your money go further in the long run.<br></p><p>The amount of tax relief you get depends on the rate of income tax you pay. Basic-rate taxpayers (who pay 20% income tax) get tax relief at the same rate. If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer you get 40% tax relief, and additional-rate taxpayers get 45%.<br></p><p>So, if you’re a basic-rate taxpayer and want to put in £100, all that money will end up in your pension as you won’t get charged any tax on it. Otherwise, you would’ve been left with £80 as the taxman would’ve taken £20 off you.<br></p><h4>Saving extra towards your pension is tax-free</h4><p>With the RPS, you can boost your pension savings tax-free by paying in Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs). AVCs are a great way to save extra towards your pension either by making regular or one off payments into it. So, if you get a bonus or a monetary gift and want to spend it wisely, why not consider paying it towards your pension? And you’d get tax relief from the government too. This could be a great way to make the most of your current pension Annual Allowance before this tax year comes to end in April 2024. </p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Be wise and savvy with your money</h3><p>Making sound financial decisions that work in your favour is something you learn over time. However, there are ways to ensure you’re making the most of your money even if you don’t have much financial or pension knowledge right now. Keep track of your money! <br></p><p>If you are in your 20s, you may be part of Generation Z*. Being a Gen Z-er, you’re probably striving to be as paperless as you can be but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep a comprehensive record of you<strong>r</strong> income vs spending. There are a number of mobile applications, spreadsheets and other online tools to help you keep a record of your spending. Having a clear view of your finances could help you identify where you can reduce your spending, so you have some more money to put towards your pension, like opting for homemade lunch and coffee for example. </p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><p>*Generation Z – people born between 1997 and 2012</p>

<p>Did your dad work in the rail industry? We’d love to hear his story! Head over to our <a href="https://twitter.com/rpspensions?lang=en" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Twitter</a> and share a tweet about your father’s life in rail<strong> #RPSRailFathers</strong></p><p>We begin by remembering one of the most emblematic figures in the history of British Rail…</p><h3><strong>George Stephenson (1781-1848) – the ‘Father of Railways’</strong></h3><img src="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/images/default-source/old-site-images/carousel-landing-page-images/twitter---rps---1200x675px_t10_02_george-stephensonf239e349-ebd0-4d26-ae25-9a0286399100.jpg?sfvrsn=bd6cae19_1" alt="Black and white image of George Stephenson"><br><p>&nbsp;</p><p>George came from a poor working class family in Wylam, Northumberland and was 1 of 6 children. Though he technically had no formal education from starting work at an early age, he had a wealth of life experience. &nbsp;His father was a mechanic who worked on a Newcomen steam engine in Newcastle and by age 19, George was operating a Newcomen himself. What we may consider as a difficult start in life was perhaps the greatest catalyst for his invention and innovation. George achieved global acclaim with his early locomotive, 'Rocket', which he developed with his son Robert, and revolutionised how people travel by rail.&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>Robert Stephenson (1803-1859) – built on his father’s success</strong></h3><img src="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/images/default-source/old-site-images/carousel-landing-page-images/twitter---rps---1200x675px_t10_04_robert-stephenson.jpg?sfvrsn=da4cd42f_1" alt="Black and white image of Robert Stephenson"><p><br>Engineering was in the Stephenson blood. Following in his father’s footsteps, and teaching George a thing or two about mathematics, Robert developed some of the earliest passenger steam engines in the world. This includes the Rocket, the Invicta, the Planet and the Patentee. Like George’s history, Robert’s story is also one of overcoming challenging circumstances. He walked 10 miles to school and back every day until his father bought him a donkey for fear of him becoming ill. Together, the father and son put Britain on the map as a world leader in rail.&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859) - child prodigy</strong></h3><img src="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/images/default-source/old-site-images/carousel-landing-page-images/twitter---rps---1200x675px_t10_03_isambard-kingdom-brunel.jpg?sfvrsn=1060fc56_1" alt="Black and white image of Isambard Brunel"><p><br>A pioneer of ship design and railway building, the civil and mechanical engineer learned Euclidean geometry by the age of 8. He was famous for making travel faster, designing a ship that only took 15 days to get from Liverpool to New York. In 1833, Brunel became the chief engineer of the Great Western Railway.&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>William Henry Barlow (1812-1902) – innovative designer</strong></h3><img src="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/images/default-source/old-site-images/carousel-landing-page-images/twitter---rps---1200x675px_t10_05_william-henry-barlow.jpg?sfvrsn=fac21a31_1" alt="Black and white image of William Henry Barlow, sketch of St Pancras Station and an image of the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland"><p><br></p><p>Famous for designing the remarkable, cathedral-like train-shed roof at St Pancras station (which was the largest in the world at the time), William Henry Barlow was a renowned architect, civil engineer and inventor. His exploration of steel and girders led to the development of one of the most intricate bridges in the world: the Forth Bridge in Scotland. </p><h3><strong>Charles Frederick Beyer (1813-1876) - philanthropist</strong></h3><img src="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/images/default-source/old-site-images/carousel-landing-page-images/twitter---rps---1200x675px_t10_06_charles-frederick-beyer.jpg?sfvrsn=11922c85_1" alt="Black and white image of Charles Frederick Beyer"><p><br></p><p>Charles’ astute aesthetic and functional design of locomotives was only overshadowed by his generosity. As well as cofounding the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Charles’ philanthropy led to him establishing 3 churches, 3 schools, and becoming the biggest donor to the University of Manchester.</p><h3><strong>Richard Trevithick</strong><strong> (1771-1833) – inventor of the first steam locomotive</strong><strong></strong></h3><img src="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/images/default-source/old-site-images/carousel-landing-page-images/twitter---rps---1200x675px_t10_07_richard-trevithick.jpg?sfvrsn=4bbfe068_1" alt="Black and white image of Richard Trevithick"><p><br></p><p>Son of a mining captain, British inventor and mining engineer Richard Trevithick developed the first high-pressure steam engine to work without a condenser. In 1801, his “Puffing Devil,” carried several people, and this is thought to be the first instance of steam-powered travel.&nbsp; <br></p><p>Thank you to all Fathers who have contributed to rail over the years. We wish you a very happy Father’s day!&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mark is one of <a href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/meet-the-trustee/meet-the-trustees072c1c07f92b4e59bba7947d06baf580.pdf?sfvrsn=28d19d54_33">16 Trustee Directors</a>, who sit on the Board and help to look after your interests as a member of the railways pensions schemes.</p><p>He brings a wealth of experience to this role, thanks to a career that extends over 28 years.</p><h4>What does a typical day as a Trustee Director look like for you?</h4><p>Being a Trustee Director involves a lot of reading and keeping informed on matters relating to the running of schemes: whether that’s digesting information in Board papers, Committee papers, emails or advisory updates. I attend meetings and ensure I contribute to the best of my ability to get the right outcomes for our members.</p><h4>What do you enjoy most in your role?</h4><p>I love to help members understand the complex world of pensions: to give them that lightbulb moment when they understand what it all means and why it’s so important.</p><p>The role is really varied: from talking to members about their pensions in Wiltshire to attending investment meetings in London; from discussing an individual’s ill-health benefits to keeping informed on legislative changes via a virtual meeting.</p><h4>What are you most proud of in your role?</h4><p>I’m most proud of being there for members and supporting them wherever possible. And, I’m proud to be part of a Trustee Board – supported by Railpen – that strives to do all it can for its members.</p><h4>What support is on hand for individuals new to the role?</h4><p>Within Railpen, there is lots of support from the Trustee Governance team.</p><p>On top of formal support, I’d always encourage newer Trustee Directors to be proactive and develop through industry networking. You can learn so much at pensions and Trustee events.</p><h4>What would you say to someone who is thinking about becoming a Trustee Director in future?</h4><p>Being a Trustee Director is a great development opportunity for individuals from all types of backgrounds.</p><p>Don’t dismiss the opportunity because you’re concerned you don’t ‘get it’ all straight away. Part of being a Trustee Director is continually learning and there’s so much support on hand.</p><p>It’s such a worthwhile experience both for an individual and their employer. A brilliant way to advance professionally and be exposed to exciting, varied activities. Most of all, the satisfaction you get from helping members is incomparable.</p><p>It’s a big commitment but do I have any regrets? No, I absolutely love it!</p><p>Do you see yourself as a Trustee Director? Speak to your Employer Representatives for more information.</p><p>You can learn more about the role and responsibilities of The Trustee on our dedicated <a href="/knowledge-hub/the-trustee">Trustee page</a>.</p><p><strong>*</strong><em><strong>Mark Engelbretson left the Trustee Board on 30 November 2023.</strong></em></p>

<p>Providing for our loved ones is something many of us worry about after we die. So, it’s reassuring to know those who matter to you could get some help when you’re no longer around to support them. </p><p>A valuable benefit of your Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) membership is that a lump sum might be paid if you die before taking your pension. So, it’s a good idea to tell us who you’d like the money to go to by completing a nomination form. </p><p><strong>Why nominate?</strong></p><p>A lump sum may be paid if you die before you claim your Railways pension (or within five years of taking it). This is usually tax-free.</p><p>It’s important you name the people or organisations you want the money to go to by making a nomination. The Trustee considers your nominations when deciding who to make any payments to. </p><p>If you don’t make a nomination, the Trustee may not know where to pay the money. This could mean the payment is delayed, and even taxed as a result. </p><p>It’s a difficult time when you lose someone, without added financial stress and disagreements between friends and family. So it’s a good idea to nominate to help prevent unnecessary worry.</p><p><strong>Who can I nominate?</strong></p><p>You can nominate:</p><ul><li>An individual, or several people, such as family and friends</li><li>Organisations or good causes</li><li>Charities</li></ul><p>Nominations are confidential, so your nominees won’t know if you’ve added or removed them as a nominated beneficiary. You can nominate as many people as you want to.</p><p>Make sure to keep your nominations up to date so they still reflect your wishes, particularly if your circumstances change. You could make a note in your diary to review your nominations every year or so.</p><p><strong>How do I nominate?</strong></p><p>The quickest way to make a nomination is to <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">log into your myRPS</a> account (make sure to <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/register" data-sf-ec-immutable="">register for an online account</a> if you haven’t already).<strong> </strong>When you’re logged in, select ‘My Nominations’ and follow the simple steps.</p><p>If you have more than one period of membership in the Scheme, you should make separate nominations for each of your records, even if you are nominating the same people. You can do this in your myRPS account by switching between your membership records.</p><p>Or, you can download the <a href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/forms/forms-for-all-members/nomination-form6b7e5b868b1b419db50f7607489e41ed.pdf?sfvrsn=746a069f_6" target="_blank">Nomination form</a>, print it off and fill out your nominations. Then return it using the instructions and the Railpen address on the form.</p><p>When you nominate, you’ll need to give the following details of your nominee(s):</p><ul><li>Title</li><li>Name</li><li>Relationship to you</li><li>Nominee’s address</li><li>Percentage of the pension benefits you’d like your nominee to receive</li><li>Details of your nominee’s guardian if they are under 18 (you can’t name yourself)</li></ul><p>When you’ve made your nominations, we’ll let you know your wishes have been recorded within 28 days.</p><p><strong>Is a nomination the same as a will?</strong></p><p>A nomination is <strong>not</strong> the same as a will. Your nominations show where you’d like a lump sum from your pension to go if you die before you claim it, and this cannot be covered in your will. </p><p>Many people think everything they own will be given out according to their will when they die. It’s important to remember that if you die, your Railways pension is separate to the rest of your estate. </p><p>You can learn more about how death benefits might work on the dedicated <a href="/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/reporting-a-death">reporting a death page</a>.</p><p><strong>Who can nominate?</strong></p><p>Every member can nominate, unless they’ve already been taking their pension for more than five years. We strongly encourage you to nominate – it’s quick, easy, free and could make life for your loved ones much easier.&nbsp; </p>

<p>With the start of the new financial year and the announcements in the Spring Budget, it seems timely to give members a bit of a re-fresher on tax fundamentals. From tax relief - to all of the tax allowances that apply in different situations and making the most of them all – we have it all covered in the next few lines. <br></p><h2>Tax relief on your pension – what is it? </h2><p>When you save for retirement via a pension, some of the money that would normally have gone to the government in tax from your wages, goes towards your pension instead. This is known as tax relief. It increases your savings and can be a substantial amount if it’s saved over many years. <br></p><p>Here’s an example. If you’re a basic-rate taxpayer and want to save £100 into your pension, because of the way tax relief works it will actually only cost you £80. The other £20 comes from the tax relief.<br><br></p><h2>There’s a limit to how much tax relief you can get</h2><p>While you can put as much money as you want into your pension, there are limits on the amount of pension savings that can benefit from tax relief each year and over your lifetime. These amounts are set by the government and may vary at the start of each financial year in April. <br></p><p>A few major pension-related changes were announced on 15 March when Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt presented his Spring Budget. <br></p><p>The main headlines were changes to the amount of tax-free savings members can make each year (the ‘Annual Allowance’) and over their lifetime (the ‘Lifetime Allowance’).<br><br></p><h2>Limits and tax allowances that could affect RPS members</h2><p>Find below a breakdown of the tax allowances that apply to pension savers and further information on the changes that were introduced to them in the Spring Budget. <br></p><p>The main tax allowance affecting members of the RPS who are in a defined benefit (DB) arrangement is the Annual Allowance, but there are other allowances that could apply too. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Annual Allowance </h3><p>The Annual Allowance (AA) is the limit on your pension savings in a single tax year before you need to pay a tax charge. For the year 2023/2024, this limit is either 100% of your annual earnings, or £60,000 (previously £40,000), whichever is lower. <br></p><p>If you want to consider whether your pension savings will exceed the Annual Allowance, you need to understand how increases in your pension savings are worked out. It’s not as simple as just knowing how much you’ve paid in. You can find out more in the <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/rayn/guides-for-all-members/annual-allowance-tax-limits.pdf?sfvrsn=d6e4ef2d_18">Annual Allowance Read as you Need guide</a> <br></p><p>If you pay Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC) to BRASS or AVC Extra, these also count towards your Annual Allowance. However, they are considered on a slightly different basis because they are classed as defined contribution (DC) arrangements. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Money Purchase Annual Allowance </h3><p>The Money Purchase Annual Allowance is a limit on the amount of tax-free pension savings you can make into a defined contribution (DC) pension arrangement. It would only affect you if you take savings from a defined contribution arrangement (which includes Additional Voluntary Contributions) in certain ways. <br></p><p>If you have a DB pension but you pay AVCs (BRASS or AVC Extra) and you start taking money from your AVCs, the amount you can continue paying into your pension and still get tax relief may reduce. This is because AVCs are classed as DC not DB, because they get invested in.<br></p><p>This is known as the Money Purchase Allowance (MPAA). The MPAA will be set at £10,000 (used to be £4,000) from 6 April. <br></p><p>If you start taking money from a DC arrangement and trigger the MPAA, the administrator or scheme manager will send you a flexible access statement to show you have triggered the MPAA. You must then send that statement to schemes where you are still actively accruing benefits. <br></p><p>You can check if you’ve gone above the MPAA using a simple tool on the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/work-out-your-allowances-if-youve-flexibly-accessed-your-pension" data-sf-ec-immutable="">government’s website</a>. <br></p><p>More information on the MPAA is available in your <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/rayn/guides-for-all-members/annual-allowance-tax-limits.pdf?sfvrsn=d6e4ef2d_18">Read as you Need guide</a>. </p><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Tapered Annual Allowance </h3><p>The Tapered Annual Allowance (TAA) generally applies to those on the highest incomes. This allowance gradually reduces the amount you can save into your pension plan annually depending on your income. &nbsp;It may affect you if your income is over £260,000 (previously £240,000) from 6 April 2023. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Lifetime Allowance </h3><p>The Lifetime Allowance (LTA) is the limit on the total amount of pension savings you can make in your lifetime without having to pay tax when you come to claim them. If your savings have exceeded the limit, you’d need to pay a tax charge on any amount over the allowance. The LTA limit has been frozen at £1,073,100 and it was announced 2 years ago that it won’t be changed until 2026. <br></p><p>It was, however, announced last month that the LTA will be abolished completely from 6 April 2023. This means that no one will face a LTA tax charge with the start of the new financial year. <br></p><p>As a result of the abolition of the LTA, the maximum amount most members can take as a lump sum will be frozen at £268,275, which is 25% of the current standard lifetime allowance of £1,073,100. However, members with a protected right to a higher lump sum on 5 April 2023 will continue to be able to access this right.</p><p><br></p><h2>How will I know if I’ve exceeded my allowances? </h2><p>If your pension savings in the RPS are greater than either the AA, or the MPAA, then we will send you a Pension Savings Statement (PSS). This will show how much of your allowance you have used. <br></p><p>You can apply to carry forward any AA that you haven’t used from the previous 3 years to the current tax year. However, no carry-forward is available for MPAA. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Making the most of your allowances</h2><p>With the challenging financial times we are all facing, making the most of your tax limits may not be a priority at the moment. Everyone’s situation is different, though, and it’s always helpful to know your options in case spending a little more towards your pension seems like a logical step. To get the most out of your limits, you might want to consider paying in as much as you can before the tax year is up. This doesn’t necessarily mean paying in the full allowance but paying in as much as you are able to at the time. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Enhance your understanding of the topic of tax</h2><p>You can find more details in our online <a href="/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/RAYN">Read as you Need guides</a>, as well as a <a href="/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/video-library">series of short videos</a>. <br></p><p>For more information on pension tax relief, check out the <a href="https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Money Helper website</a> or try the <a href="https://www.which.co.uk/money/pensions-and-retirement/pensions-and-retirement-calculators/pension-tax-calculator-avRmf8S2yxd1" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Which? pension tax relief calculator</a>. It shows you how much tax relief you get based on your pension contributions.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>We will be updating our website content and guides over the coming months to reflect the changes announced as part of the Spring Budget 2023, so please refer to this blog or </em> <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2023/03/15/spring-budget-announcements" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked=""><em>this news article</em></a><em> in the meantime for the 2023-24 tax year figures.</em></p>

<p>The Trustee has issued a comprehensive response to The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) recent consultation package on its draft funding Code of Practice for defined benefit (DB) pension schemes.&nbsp;TPR is consulting based on its interpretation of how trustees can comply with the legislative requirements set out in the Pension Schemes Act 2021 and the proposed draft regulations that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) consulted on in 2022 (the Trustee’s full response to that consultation can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/blog/rps-blog/2022/11/14/trustee-responds-to-dwp-consultation" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">here</a>).</p><p>The Trustee notes that most of the draft Code of Practice serves as welcome detail since the DWP consulted on its draft regulations last year. However, the Trustee feels there are still a number of areas where the draft regulations, and/or the draft Code of Practice, may lead to unintended negative consequences for DB schemes and their members. The covering note to the Trustee’s response highlights several key concerns.</p><p>The Trustee believes that it is essential that the new funding regime allows members to continue to build up affordable and sustainable DB pensions, and that it remains able to pay these benefits over the long term.</p><p>Through its response to these consultations and its extensive engagement with TPR, the DWP, and a wide range of other industry stakeholders, the Trustee is aiming to support TPR and the DWP in developing solutions that work for the wide range of DB schemes in the UK, including open schemes.</p><p>The Trustee and Railpen will continue to engage with the DWP and TPR in the months ahead, to try to ensure that the final regulations and Code of Practice are as helpful as possible, and serve the best interests of our members.&nbsp;</p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a data-sf-ec-immutable=""></a><a target="_blank" href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/default-document-library/rptcl---response-to-db-funding-code-consultation.pdf?sfvrsn=f8e12420_1">Read the Trustee’s full response to the consultation.</a></span></p><div><div><div id="_com_1"><p>&nbsp;</p></div></div></div><p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><a data-sf-ec-immutable="">&nbsp;</a></span></p>

<h1>1. What is a pension?</h1><p>A pension is a savings plan to provide income for when you retire. There are tax advantages compared with other types of savings. There are 3 main types of pension:</p><h3>1 Workplace pension</h3><p>A workplace pension is set up by your employer to help you save for retirement. It’s also sometimes known as an occupational pension. You pay regular contributions, your employer normally pays in too, and the government contributes with tax relief. So it’s a great benefit to have. The Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) is a workplace pension.</p><h3>2 Private pension</h3><p>This is arranged privately by you. You set up regular contributions and the government adds tax relief.</p><h3>3 State Pension</h3><p><strong></strong>This is a regular payment from the government once you reach State Pension Age. Eligibility depends on your National Insurance record. Even if you can get State pension, on its own, it may not provide you with enough income to live on comfortably in retirement. </p><p>Your RPS workplace pension is likely to be one of 2 types:</p><h3>1 Defined benefit (DB)</h3><p>The Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) Shared Cost Sections are defined benefit sections.</p><p>A defined benefit (DB) scheme pays you a retirement income based on your salary and how long you’ve been a member of the scheme, rather than on the amount of money you’ve contributed to the pension. </p><p>The RPS Defined Benefit Sections are mostly ‘final salary’ schemes and give you a guaranteed annual income for life, based on your final or final average salary. </p><h3>2 Defined contribution (DC)</h3><p>A defined contribution (DC) scheme builds up a pension pot to be used in retirement. The size of the pot will largely depend on how much you and/or your employer contribute and how much this grows through investment returns. The Industry-Wide Defined Contribution section (IWDC) of the RPS is a DC scheme. </p><p>You can find out which type of pension you have if you log in (or register) to your myRPS account and select ‘My pension’ and then ‘Membership details’ in your home page.</p><p>A group of employer and member elected representatives, known as “The Trustee”, oversees the management of the scheme including collecting contributions and paying benefits. The Trustee regularly checks that the Scheme is being managed in line with their expectations and keeps you informed via your pension administrator, Railpen.&nbsp; If you’d like to find out more about the Trustee, go to <a href="/knowledge-hub/the-trustee">The Trustee</a>.&nbsp;</p><h1>2. Why pay into a workplace pension?</h1><p>Workplace pensions have many important advantages over other saving schemes that will make your savings grow quicker. Here are some of them: </p><h3>Your employer contributes too<strong> </strong></h3><p>What sets a workplace pension apart from a personal pension and other saving options is that your employer normally contributes too.</p><h3>You get tax relief<strong> </strong></h3><p>Another key benefit of a pension plan over other savings plans is tax relief. This tax relief is given based on the rate of income tax that you pay. In the RPS your pension contributions are deducted before you are taxed. You will usually therefore pay less tax because your tax will be calculated based on a lower amount of UK earnings.</p><h3>&nbsp;Help with managing your Railways Pension Scheme</h3><p>On the RPS website you have 24 hour access to free, online, award-winning support and guidance.</p><p>You have a dedicated member website with access to a myRPS online account where you can view all your membership and pension information in one place, edit your details, request estimates and access the easy pension calculation tools. If you’re a member of the RPS, you can easily <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">log in and/or register</a><span style="text-decoration: underline">.</span></p><p>If you’re an active member, you’ll receive two newsletters a year, packed with information to keep you up-to-date with the Scheme, pension and tax law and give you tips to help you achieve the retirement outcome you hope for.</p><h3>And there’s more</h3><p>A tax-free lump sum of money could be paid to your loved ones if you die before claiming your pension or if you die in service. Check your section's Member Guide for details. You can tell the Trustees who you would like to receive this by completing a Nomination form. You can do this if you <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">log in and/or register</a>, then go to ‘My Nominations’ under the ‘My Pension’ section on your home page. &nbsp;Your dependants (usually family) may also get a pension. </p><h1>3. Your investments – how it works with the RPS</h1><p>What options and how your funds are invested will depend on the type of scheme you are in.</p><h3>DB investments</h3><p>If you have a defined benefit (DB) pension, your contributions are combined into a range of carefully selected, pooled investment funds, so they benefit from economies of scale. DB contributions are invested to help pay members benefits but the DB investment performance does not influence what a DB member will get in retirement. Your benefits are typically based on your final pensionable salary over your last year of service and the amount of pensionable service you have at retirement.</p><h3>DC investments</h3><p>If you have a DC pension, if you wish, you can choose and manage your own pension investments from a range of carefully selected options. Or you can have your pension contributions invested for you in a way that is considered suitable for a typical member.&nbsp; You can change your investment choices at any time by <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">registering or logging in</a> to your myRPS account.</p><h3>AVC and BRASS investments</h3><p>With these additional contributions, (see 5 below), you have similar investment choices to DC investments. The Trustee, supported by Railpen’s investment and risk experts, makes careful decisions about the strategies and funds available, aiming to achieve the best outcomes for members.&nbsp;</p><h1>4. Tax relief, tax allowances and your pension</h1><p>The great advantage of saving for retirement via a pension, is that some of the money that would normally have gone to the government in tax, goes towards your pension instead and increases your savings. This can be a large amount if it’s saved over many years. </p><p>You can put as much money as you want into your pension but there are certain limits on the amount you put in which can affect the amount of tax relief you're allowed. If you exceed these limits, you may have to pay a tax charge after all, so it’s worth knowing what they are. </p><p><strong>A brief guide to tax allowances affecting pension savings </strong></p><ul><li>&nbsp;The <strong>Annual Allowance</strong> (<strong>AA)</strong> is the limit on your pension savings in a single tax year before you need to pay a tax charge. For this tax year 2023/2024, for most people, this limit is either 100% of your annual earnings, or £60,000, whichever is lower. You can apply to carry forward any AA that you haven’t used from the previous 3 tax years to the current tax year. <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/RAYN" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">Go to the Read as You Need guides on tax allowances for more details.</a></li><li>&nbsp;The&nbsp;<strong>Tapered Annual Allowance (TAA)</strong> is a lower AA.<strong>&nbsp;</strong>This may affect you if your 'threshold income' (your income from all sources before tax) is over £200,000 and your 'adjusted income' (your annual income before tax, plus your pension savings) is over £260,000.&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong>The lowest the AA can taper down to for those affected by TAA is £10,000.</li><li>The <strong>Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA)</strong> is only triggered if you start to take money from a defined contribution (DC) pension pot in a flexible way such as using drawdown. You should notify Railpen if you trigger the MPAA in another scheme. The <strong>MPAA</strong> is currently set at £10,000 and may be measured against any DC contributions you make.</li></ul><p>You can find out more about tax relief and allowances by visiting <a href="/pension-essentials/pension-tax-limits">the pension tax limits page </a> and watching our videos. </p><h1>5. Saving more into your pension - Additional Voluntary Contributions<strong> </strong></h1><p>While your rail pension provides good benefits, you may wish to save more if you want a higher level of comfort in life after work.</p><p>Saving extra for your pension with Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) is an excellent, tax-efficient way of achieving this. </p><p>Your AVCs are invested with the aim of building up extra pension savings over time. You can choose your own investment funds from a range offered to you, or have them chosen and managed for you.</p><p>AVCs are popular with RPS members because:</p><ul><li>You don’t need to save a set amount every month, although most people do</li><li>It’s a great way to save extra for retirement if you get payments that don’t qualify for your pension (like overtime and bonus payments) </li><li>You get tax relief (on your tax rate) on anything you put in (up to the limits of the Annual Allowance)</li><li>You can put in as little as £2 per week</li></ul><p>DB members who save more via AVCs pay first into BRASS (this is the name of the DB AVC arrangement).</p><p>DC members who save more via AVCs pay into their Personal Retirement Account (PRA).</p><p>You’ll need to speak to your employer if you wish to start saving into AVCs.</p><h1>6. Life changes and your pension</h1><p>It’s wise to know what might happen to your pension if a welcome, or unwelcome surprise comes your way.</p><h3>Family leave </h3><p>If you get maternity, paternity, family or adoption leave pay, what you pay into your pension will be based on what you are earning at the time, while your employer will continue to pay their contributions based on your normal rate of pay. During family leave, your Scheme membership will normally be continuous.&nbsp; </p><p>If you are no longer receiving any pay while on family leave, you won’t normally pay any contributions, and different rules will apply. Some employers will pay your contributions during this time so that your Scheme membership remains continuous but these contributions would have to be repaid on your return to work. If you choose not to repay, then a break in service will be applied to your record. &nbsp;For more detail, and to see the rules for your particular Section, please consult your Member Guide. This can be found on your myRPS home page if you are logged in to your account.</p><h3>Divorce or dissolution<strong> </strong></h3><p>During divorce or the dissolution of a civil partnership, your pension is likely to be considered when financial settlements are worked out. A court order can be made to transfer part of the value of your pension benefits to your ex-spouse, or ex-civil partner. </p><h3>Ill health or incapacity </h3><p>If you need to retire early due to ill health, you should check your member guide to see if you are able to take your pension at that time. Conditions apply and medical evidence is required. </p><h3>Death<strong> </strong></h3><p>A valuable lump sum could be paid to your loved ones if you die before you claim your benefits. When deciding who should receive this, the Trustee will take your wishes into consideration. You should make a ‘nomination’ so the Trustee knows who this will be. You can easily do this if you’re logged in to your myRPS. Go to 'My pension' on your home page and then 'My nominations'.</p><h1>7. How to plan ahead for your future retirement<strong> </strong></h1><p>If you know what your income is likely to be when you retire, it’s much easier to steer a clear course to retirement. </p><p>If you’re a member of the RPS, there are 2 simple ways to find out. You can <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/login" data-sf-ec-immutable="">register or log in to your myRPS</a> and use the online pension planner (for DB members) or retirement modeller (for DC members). Or, both DB and DC members can request online estimates any time by logging in to their accounts.</p><p>To find out how much you may expect to need to live on in retirement you can use the simple <a href="/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/retirement-budgeting-calculator">Retirement budgeting calculator</a>. This uses figures from the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) Retirement Living Standards to help us picture what style of lifestyle we’d like in retirement and how much this would cost us.</p><p>If there’s a shortfall between how much you’re likely to get and how much you’ll need, you’ll then need to make adjustments. One of the easiest ways to top up your railways pension is via AVCs.</p><p>Other solutions could include taking your benefits later or adjusting your lifestyle plan.&nbsp;</p><h1>8. How to approach retirement<strong> </strong></h1><p>At retirement, you have several options available. It’s good to know what these options are beforehand so you can plan in advance.&nbsp; </p><h3>DB members have a guaranteed pension for life. You can: </h3><ul><li>Take part of your pension benefits as a cash lump sum and the rest as regular pension payments. It’s up to you how you divide this up. Generally, as long as the lump sum is worth 25% (but no more than £268,275) of your entire benefits, or less, then it will be tax free. </li><li>Take your entire pension benefits as regular pension payments. This is only possible if the rules of your particular pension section allow it.</li><li>In limited circumstances you can take your entire benefits as a cash lump sum.</li></ul><p>It’s important that you understand the benefits and limitations of each of these options in retirement before making a decision. See more in <a href="/defined-benefit-members/Im-planning-to-take-my-pension/ways-to-take-my-pension">ways to take my pension</a>. </p><h3>DC members have different options for retirement.</h3><p>In the RPS, the money you’ve built up in the Industry-Wide Defined Contribution (IWDC) section is known as your Personal Retirement Account (PRA). </p><p>You have 3 main options when you retire. You can:</p><ol><li>get a flexible income, taking it a bit at a time. This is known as drawdown. Your balance remains invested.</li><li>get a regular, secure income, known as an annuity</li><li>take all of the money in your PRA as a cash lump sum.&nbsp; We call this total encashment. </li></ol><p>You can normally take up to 25% (up to a maximum of £268,275) of the funds in your PRA as a tax-free cash lump sum.</p><h3>More on drawdown</h3><p>The Railways Pension Scheme (RPS) does not offer drawdown directly.</p><p>If you’re considering this option, you will need to transfer money from your Personal Retirement Account (PRA) and set up drawdown with another provider.</p><p>The Trustee has appointed Legal and General Investment Management (LGIM) to offer members access to a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legalandgeneral.com/workplace/campaigns/rps-pas" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">drawdown facility</a>.</p><p>This partnership with LGIM means RPS members considering drawdown can access a high-quality arrangement, with preferential fees, although you are still free to go elsewhere. </p><p>These options for DC members all come with different tax implications, benefits and risks. What you receive, the fees you pay and whether you’re eligible for each option, may also be different depending on which provider you choose. You can find out more in our <a href="https://cdn3.railpen.com/mp-sitefinity-prod/docs/default-source/rayn/guides-of-iwdc-members/a-guide-to-retirement-options.pdf?sfvrsn=36c5518a_21">Read as you Need guide to retirement options</a>.&nbsp;</p><h1>9. Other benefits in retirement<strong> </strong></h1><p>These benefits described below are from the government and are not connected to the RPS.</p><h3>State Pension</h3><p>This is a regular payment from the government once you reach State Pension Age. Whether you can get it or not depends on your National Insurance record. </p><p>You can quickly find out how State Pension works, whether you can get it and how much you might get in a simple 3-part guide here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/easy-read-new-state-pension" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Easy read new State Pension</a>.</p><p>For more information on the new State Pension, go to <a href="http://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/new-state-pension</a>.</p><h3>Pension credit<strong> </strong></h3><p>Pension Credit is a payment from the government which could help you with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income. </p><p>Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension, and you may still be able to claim it even if you have another income, savings or are claiming another pension.</p><p>To claim Pension Credit you must have reached <a href="https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">State Pension age</a> and live in England, Scotland or Wales. </p><p>To find out if you may be able to claim Pension Credit and for more guidance on how to apply, visit <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/eligibility" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Gov.uk</a>.</p><h1>10. External support<strong> </strong></h1><p>You will find plenty of additional information and guidance throughout your member website here at <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="">railwayspensions.co.uk</a> but if you decide to seek external support, here’s where you can go below.</p><h3>Financial support and guidance<strong> </strong></h3><h4 style="margin-left: 30px">MoneyHelper</h4><p style="margin-left: 30px">From the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), MoneyHelper brings together the support and services of 3 government-backed financial guidance providers: Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. It offers free support on a wide range of financial matters. This includes a variety of pension topics.&nbsp; Go to Pensions and retirement at <a href="http://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="">MoneyHelper</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><h4 style="margin-left: 30px">Gov.uk</h4><p style="margin-left: 30px">If you’re unclear about any pensions, tax, or National Insurance issues, you can search the government's website for clear, jargon-free explanations. Go to their <a href="https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/workplace-personal-pensions" data-sf-ec-immutable="">Workplace and personal pensions</a> page for a range of useful, free information.</p><h3><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: inherit; font-family: &quot;Open Sans Condensed&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: var(--font-size-h3); font-weight: bold; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto">Financial advice</span></h3><p>This is different to simple guidance. Financial advisers offer you professional advice on financial decisions and you will have to pay for their services. </p><p>If you’re looking for financial and pension advice, please be very wary of scams and fraudsters. Visit <a href="https://member.railwayspensions.co.uk/resources/safety-and-scams" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">Safety and Scams</a> to learn how to spot the warning signs. There are many fraudulent advisers around. </p><p>Financial advisers must be regulated by the <a href="https://www.fca.org.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)</a>.&nbsp; You must always check to make sure whoever is offering you advice is actually regulated by the FCA by checking their own website as well as the FCA website. </p><h4 style="margin-left: 30px">Liverpool Victoria (LV)</h4><p style="margin-left: 30px">Liverpool Victoria (LV) has been chosen as the official partner to give RPS members access to financial advice.&nbsp; LV is regulated by the FCA, covers all areas of pension and financial advice and has a dedicated team with specific knowledge on the Scheme. LV can be contacted on 0800 023 4187. However, you are free to choose your own adviser.</p><h4 style="margin-left: 30px">Unbiased</h4><p style="margin-left: 30px">At <a href="https://www.unbiased.co.uk/" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">unbiased.co.uk</a>, you can find a register of Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) in your area who will help you understand your pension, the options available, and how to manage your finances.&nbsp;</p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: var(--font-size-h4); font-weight: bold; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto">*This article is a broad overview of the RPS. Some Sections may have slight differences in their rules, so please check your Member guide for more details. You can find this in ‘My library’ when you log in to your myRPS account.</span></p><h4>&nbsp;</h4>

<p>Put simply, voting is one of the tools used by the people who invest your railway pension to help achieve investment returns needed so you have enough to live on when your working days are over. This is because shareholder voting helps them influence for positive change in the working practices of the companies your pension is invested in. </p><p>Your pension is invested in a mix of businesses operating in different industries and countries. When the investment manager, Railpen, decides to invest in a company, it has a number of instruments up its sleeve to help influence for change in certain areas of their business operations. One such instrument is its right to vote at companies’ Annual General Meetings (AGMs).&nbsp; </p><p>Caroline Escott, Senior Investment Manager at Railpen, oversees the company’s voting activities and is a co-author of the 2023 Global Voting Policy. We turned to Caroline to help us understand how voting in the world of pensions works and why its thoughtful execution is of crucial importance to our members’ outcomes</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Caroline, let’s start off by providing a bit more clarity around what shareholder voting is in the context of pensions and ultimately, why it matters to Railpen as an investment manager, to the Scheme and to its members.</p><h4><strong>How do you decide how to vote at a company’s AGM? What do you base your vote on?</strong></h4><p>Railpen invests in thousands of companies on members’ behalf. This means that we vote at thousands of company annual general meetings (“AGM”) each year – most of which take place over a concentrated three-month period (March to July). And each company AGM will offer investors the chance to vote for or against on anywhere between 10-30 ‘AGM resolutions’ (on specific issues such as how much to pay the chief executive and the election of company directors). It’s one of our busiest – but also most exciting! – times of year.</p><p>Our voting decisions are informed by various sources and tools. Throughout the year, we meet with our largest companies, as well as those where we have concerns around specific ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues, to further understand their approach and to try to influence them to improve their behaviour in a way that will lead to sustainable financial performance. We call this dialogue “engagement”. When we are voting at these companies’ AGMs, we consider their progress and the nature of our previous discussions and vote accordingly. We see exercising our vote and our engagement with companies as part of a broader influencing approach to try to improve behaviour, so they have to be aligned.</p><p>Sometimes we may request further information from the companies to help us strengthen our decision on how to vote on a particular resolution. </p><p>You can find details of all our voting decisions on our <a href="https://vds.issgovernance.com/vds/#/OTI4OQ==/" data-sf-ec-immutable=""></a><a href="https://vds.issgovernance.com/vds/#/OTI4OQ==/" data-sf-ec-immutable="" target="_blank">website</a>. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>Could you share the top three ‘big picture’ issues for you during this year’s voting season? </strong></h4><p>Our voting decisions (i.e whether we choose to vote for or against the various AGM resolutions) are primarily based on that company’s individual progress on the ESG issues mentioned above. We make sure we take into account their particular circumstances such as how they compare to similar companies or any additional intelligence we may have regarding their willingness to make progress. However, there are definitely some ‘big picture’ themes evidence suggests will financially impact the vast majority, if not all, of the companies we invest in – and which we will be paying close attention to during voting season.</p><ol><li><strong>Workforce treatment and mental health. </strong>I think we can all agree that an engaged, motivated and supported workforce is important for a company’s financial performance. Railpen regularly engages with portfolio companies on workforce issues and ensuring a healthy corporate culture. One of the issues that companies rarely report upon and which we feel still does not receive sufficient attention is workers’ mental health. So from this year, we will be focusing on applying voting sanctions where we feel more needs to be done to support workers’ mental wellbeing during what are challenging circumstances for all.<strong></strong><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p></li><li><strong>The climate transition.</strong> We want the companies we invest in to make not just pledges, but progress on net zero.<strong> </strong>Part of the way we assess this is to examine companies’ plans for decarbonisation. If we think these plans lack credibility - &nbsp;for instance if they don’t clearly outline interim targets and milestones, or fail to consider biodiversity loss or the impact on local communities of their activities - then we will consider voting against the company on the resolutions we think will most accurately express our dissatisfaction.<strong></strong><p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p></li><li><strong>Cybersecurity</strong>. The pandemic hastened the shift towards an increasingly digital world, meaning that cybersecurity risk to our portfolio companies has substantially grown. Railpen has engaged for several years with those companies we deem to face substantial cybersecurity risks, and in this year’s voting season we will be voting against the directors of those companies where we think this risk has not been addressed sufficiently.<strong></strong></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>And how do you monitor whether progress is being made on concerns expressed by Railpen at an AGM or at another voting forum? </strong><strong></strong></h4><p>We let our largest portfolio companies know in advance how we intend to vote (and why) and sometimes that triggers a response that gives us additional information regarding their commitments and activities in a certain area. This may then impact how we vote. Furthermore, sometimes signalling our voting intention before the meeting leads to the company committing to the change we are looking for [we give an example of this later!]. &nbsp;</p><p>We also have rolling engagements throughout the year with the companies where we have the largest investments, or where we think there are particular concerns, and we will always discuss our voting decisions at the previous AGM and what we would expect to see from the company to ensure we do not vote against them in following years. We also regularly review documentation and communications from companies to assess whether there have been any changes made.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>Caroline, you’ve been leading Railpen’s voting work over the past couple of years. What’s changed for that time and how is that likely to impact member outcomes? </strong><strong></strong></h4><p>Over the last few years, as well as focusing on a company’s individual ESG risks, we have been increasingly thinking about the big picture themes– like climate change, biodiversity or workforce treatment – which will impact either all or the vast majority of our portfolio companies. As a result, we have been working to more closely reflect our views on these themes in how we vote (as well as in how we use other stewardship tools, like engagement and speaking to policymakers). You can see more in our <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/yl2lq4y3/2023-voting-policy.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Voting Policy</a>, which we update each year.</p><p>Our investment in a company also gives us other rights beyond voting, and we have been increasingly looking to use these rights in recent years. These rights include the ability to question company directors publicly at the Annual General Meeting (you can see our full list of questions <a href="https://www.railpen.com/knowledge-hub/engagement/agm-statements/" data-sf-ec-immutable=""></a><a href="https://www.railpen.com/knowledge-hub/engagement/agm-statements/" data-sf-ec-immutable="" target="_blank">here</a>) and to organise shareholder resolutions that will ask a company’s other shareholders to express their views on a topic. This year, we have also helped arrange a resolution on climate change at a large US utility firm.<strong></strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>Can you share with our readers a success story from your experience of using Railpen’s right to vote</strong>?</h4><p>Many more examples can be found in our annual <a href="https://www.railpen.com/knowledge-hub/reports/All?mediatype=All&amp;order=0&amp;term=stewardship" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Stewardship Reports</a> (flick to the section on “Thoughtful Voting”) but a recent one is as follows. </p><p>We had previously engaged with a large and complex non-UK financial services company around its board composition, including the need for a cognitively diverse group of directors who together have the right skills, expertise and appropriate availability to be able to provide effective oversight.&nbsp; One of the directors they had put forward for appointment at the 2022 AGM sat on so many boards and other committees that we felt they would be unable to fully contribute to the oversight of such a complex company. We flagged this issue to the company in advance of the AGM, noting that we were likely to vote against the director’s appointment unless further steps were taken to ensure they could commit enough time. In response, the company issued an announcement that week that the director would be stepping down from some of their other commitments in order to take up this new appointment. We welcomed this and were able to vote in favour of the appointment, but continue to engage with the company to understand how the new director is settling in.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>We are in the lead up to a busy “voting season”, starting this month– what are your expectations and hopes for it and how are you getting ready for it</strong><strong>?</strong></h4><p>The ultimate hope for every voting season is that we won’t have to vote against any company on any of their resolutions, as they are already responding to our engagements and making progress on the ESG issues which matter most to their long-term financial performance! However, this is unlikely to happen for every single one of our thousands of holdings.</p><p>So the objective is that we effectively wield our voting – and other ownership – rights this season to help us influence companies to improve their behaviour, in a way which ultimately helps us secure our members’ futures. The key to a successful voting season is preparation. To this end, we’ve: refined our 2023 Global Voting Policy; made the most of the available systems and platforms to ensure that we have the best possible information at our fingertips to inform each vote; and have a plan – which we are already implementing – for engaging with our investee companies in advance of their AGMs to ensure we are on top of the latest developments and they understand our position (and how we might make our views known through our vote).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4><strong>Get familiar with the topic </strong></h4><p>If you are interested in understanding more about Railpen’s global voting positions for the 2023 AGM season, take a look at the <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/yl2lq4y3/2023-voting-policy.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable=""></a><a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/yl2lq4y3/2023-voting-policy.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable="" target="_blank">2023 Global Voting Policy</a>. </p><p>For a broader take on Railpen’s approach to incorporating ESG factors in its work to protect and enhance the value of members’ pension savings, and the journey to net zero, have a read of the <a href="https://cdn-suk-railpencom-live-001.azureedge.net/media/media/52lhtclx/stewardship-report-2021.pdf" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="" target="_blank">Stewardship Report</a>.&nbsp;</p>