Press

10 June 2025

Quietroom, the insight-led communications consultancy, has carried out research that suggests pension scheme members are more open to UK investment than the pensions industry itself. While the industry has concerns about government pressure to invest more in the UK, members are surprisingly positive about the idea.

The research, conducted through 8 random interviews in a London park, found members relaxed about UK investment, while the industry worries about fiduciary duty and political interference. The findings are captured in a video available at on the Quietroom website.

Simon Grover, Director at Quietroom, said

"The pensions industry has been having technical conversations amongst ourselves about UK investment. We forgot to do something simple: we forgot to ask members what they think. What we found challenges the industry debate. Once again, this research shows the value and power of testing your ideas with real people."

Nearly everyone interviewed was positive about UK pension schemes investing more in the UK. A barrister trainee thought it "makes sense" for government to use pension pots domestically. A university employee said it would "obviously be good if we were investing in the UK". An academic was clear: "I think it's a good idea. Definitely."

Members care about returns but showed flexibility unlike the industry's technical debates. They used phrases like "as long as it doesn't make too much difference" and "so long as I don't have a huge drop". They weren't demanding maximum returns at all costs but were open to balance.

Participants immediately grasped benefits that rarely feature in industry discussions. They talked about supporting British jobs and growing the UK economy. One respondent suggested UK investment could create a virtuous cycle where more investment improves returns.

"Just an hour in a park taught us something crucial," said Grover. "There's a substantial gap between what the industry worries about and what members think. If we don't understand what they think, how can we serve them properly?"

The findings suggest the industry may be so deep in technical debates that it's lost sight of what members want. Members want decent returns but also want their money doing something worthwhile. They're willing to accept trade-offs the industry assumes they'd reject.

Quietroom works with leading organisations in financial services, pensions, and insurance to make complex information clear, helping people make better-informed decisions about their money and their future.

28 February 2025

Quietroom, the insight-led communications consultancy, has today released a free one-page explainer on Irish auto enrolment, designed to help employers, advisers and pension professionals communicate the upcoming My Future Fund scheme in clear, accessible language.

The guide clearly explains the key features of the new retirement savings scheme launching on 30 September 2025, including eligibility criteria, contribution levels, opt-out provisions, and the government's matching contribution structure.

Simon Grover, Director at Quietroom, said:

"With auto enrolment set to transform Ireland's pension landscape, we wanted to create a resource that makes this complex topic easy to understand for everyone. Many employees will be saving into a workplace pension for the first time, and we know from our experience in the UK that clear communication is essential for this implementation to go well."

The concise explainer covers:

• eligibility requirements for automatic enrolment
• how contributions work and how they will increase over time
• the combined contribution structure (employee, employer and government)
• options for pausing or stopping contributions
• when and how savers can access their savings

Quietroom, based in London, has substantial experience in the Irish pensions market, having worked with major providers and organisations including Prudential, Mercer, the Pensions Authority, Bank of Ireland and Irish Life.

The auto enrolment guide is freely available for use by HR departments, pension providers, financial advisers, employers, and industry bodies to support their communications around the My Future Fund initiative.

The guide is available for download at quietroom.co.uk/ready-made-comms

25 June 2024

Russ Hope has been promoted to director. The move coincides with the appointment of two new hires to the growing Quietroom team.

Russ joined Quietroom in 2013. In recent years, he has broadened the consultancy’s work to take in journeys, experiences and digital tools, alongside traditional communications. He’s also been instrumental in growing Quietroom’s capability, taking the best from emerging disciplines like content design and bringing that thinking to Quietroom’s clients.

In addition to Russ’ promotion Quietroom has also recently appointed Vedika Maheshwari to the position of Sales and Marketing Executive, while Jaspal Gill joins as Finance Manager.

Chloe Taylor, CEO at Quietroom, said:

“We’re excited to have created a new role for Quietroom that sharpens the quality of our thinking and broadens the scope of what we deliver for our clients. Russ knows our business and our clients intimately. But he’s also plugged into what’s happening outside pensions, investment and insurance. That means he can bring cutting-edge thinking from other industries to help us find better solutions to our clients’ problems. I’d like to congratulate him and to extend a warm welcome to Vedika and Jaspal.”