Press

Hot gossip

New Quietroom video highlights women’s hidden pension challenges

5 March 2024

Quietroom, the insight-led communications consultancy, has today published a new video shedding light on the often overlooked struggles faced by women in understanding pension communications, ultimately impacting their retirement savings.

Timed to coincide with Women's History Month and International Women’s Day on Friday 8 March, Quietroom’s video shares the personal yet all-too-common challenges faced by women. Through first-person interviews, the video sheds light on issues ranging from maternity leave, unpaid caring roles and divorce, highlighting the diverse struggles experienced by women in saving for their retirement.

Quietroom senior writer Isla MacFarlane said:

“The issue of closing the gender pensions gap has been a key concern within the industry for some years now. Recent research by the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) suggests the problem isn’t going away anytime soon. After all, we’re still waiting for the government to implement the conclusions of the 2017 auto-enrolment review which will help address some of the issues.

“However, this is affecting people now. We wanted to highlight women’s personal stories and bring their challenges to life. Their stories underscore the need for pension providers to broaden their communications beyond the typically linear career path of men. Women's journeys often deviate from this trajectory: name changes due to marriage or divorce complicate access to pension pots, inflexible contribution options during maternity leave, and caregiving responsibilities disrupt pension savings, whether for their children or ageing parents.

“These stories poignantly illustrate the obstacles women encounter in preparing for retirement. We need to get better at communicating with members across all stages of saving, but above all, we need to have a system that delivers for everyone.”

Quietroom launches TCFD member summary

14 November 2023

Quietroom has created a free resource that turns an obligatory Task Force on Climate Related Disclosures (TCFD) report into a snappy summary that helps members engage with their pension.

Showing members how their pension can tackle climate change is a proven way to help them engage with their money. However, a pension scheme’s eco credentials are often concealed in a dense 70-page TCFD report designed to be read by regulators. Teasing out the key information can help bring pensions to life for members, so Quietroom created a TCFD member summary that any scheme can use.

The TCFD member summary has been through extensive user testing to ensure its messages hit home. All a scheme has to do is take our tried and tested wording and adapt it with their own TCFD data.

Download the full TCFD press release (PDF)

Quietroom appoints Chloe Taylor as first CEO

11 October 2023

Today we announced the appointment of our first Chief Executive Officer, Chloe Taylor. Chloe will take up her new role in January 2024.

Quietroom makes this change as we look to grow and cement our position as the leading independent communications consultancy in pensions, investment and insurance.

Download the full press release (PDF)

Quietroom to develop new effectiveness framework to drive better communications and engagement across pension communications

28 September 2023

Quietroom today launched a synopsis of pension communications research with the aim of drawing a line under what the industry has learned so far and focusing our minds on the challenges of the future.

The research, led by Dan Young of Shed Research Consulting, summarises 44 pieces of research over 20 years. It covers 185 individual studies, including Quietroom’s own member research and other published member research from workplace pension schemes, master trusts, investment managers and academic journals.

Responding to these findings, Quietroom is developing a new effectiveness framework. This will consider the impact communication has on knowledge, understanding, confidence and trust, as well as on behaviour.

Download effectiveness-framework press release (PDF)

Quietroom joins biggest pension schemes to produce standard comms on GMP equalisation

19 September 2023

Quietroom and the UK’s biggest DB pension schemes have launched a free toolkit of member-tested communications to help all schemes talk to members about GMP equalisation. Read the  coverage from Corporate Adviser and download the toolkit from GMPeasy.

Quietroom senior writer Cath Collins talks to Employee Benefits about workplace pension changes

15 August 2023

How can you help employees understand and get on board with changes to their workplace pension? Senior writer Cath Collins shares her wisdom in this article for Employee Benefits.

Quietroom co-founder Vincent Franklin talks to the VFM podcast

11 August 2023

Darren Philp and Nico Aspinall of the Value For Money podcast chat to Quietroom co-founder and actor Vincent Franklin about investment, the state pension, his acting career and what value for money means to him.

Listen to the podcast

Quietroom launches FCA consumer duty audit toolkit

16 May 2023

Quietroom today announced the launch of a new audit service that helps FCA regulated businesses get fighting fit for the new Consumer Duty. The Duty will change the way that regulated companies do their businesses as the new rules become embedded in how products are developed for and communicated to customers.

The audit can be tailored to suit companies’ needs, including a stage that allows firms to learn from the process that Quietroom has developed so they can run the bulk of the audit themselves. The service includes a full audit report for every document checked, including a RAG rating and a summary of recommendations. It also reports back on the main trends identified from across the audited documents – on areas where companies are doing well, and for any where they could be at risk of not meeting the Duty.

Download consumer duty audit press release (PDF)

Quietroom launches model buyout communications toolkit

11 January 2023

Quietroom today launched a suite of model buyout comms to help defined benefit schemes going through this process communicate effectively with their members.

The suite has been developed by Quietroom experts and is designed to take scheme members through the whole buyout journey – from the first announcement to scheme wind-up. The communications have all been tested and refined in light of member feedback and have been legally reviewed, so achieve regulatory compliance. All schemes need to do is enter their details and get sign-off internally before they send the letters to members.

Download buyout comms press release (PDF)

Press and media enquiries

Phone Darren Philp (Shula PR and Policy) on 07887 876567 or email him

Email Darren