< Back to Media centre

March 2004

thomsons online benefits announce strategic link with Standard and Poor's

5 March 2004 - thomsons online benefits have just released a new facility with Standard and Poor's, the world's largest independent investment research firm. This gives employees access to Standard and Poor's wide ranging independent fund analysis to help them determine their pension investment strategy.

This announcement is the latest move by thomsons online benefits to continually enhance their pension offering by giving employees access to the tools and information they need to educate, excite and engage them into saving for their retirement.

Michael Whitfield, Managing Director of thomsons online benefits comments: “We are very excited by the opportunity that this new facility with Standard and Poor's gives us and our clients. We see this as the next step in our quest to give employees all they need to make better-informed decisions about their pension and to be more confident about their investment strategy.

Over the last three years we have seen the impact that offering employees 24/7 access to our interactive retirement planning tool and the ability to change their contribution levels can have. Employees are confronted, many for the first time, by the reality of what level of contributions they need to make in order to achieve their desired retirement age and income. For our clients this has meant not only increased pension take-up and employee contribution levels but a far better understanding from employees as to the value of the benefit they are provided with.”

There has been much media speculation about the increased burden of responsibility that employers will face when forced to give employees more information and advice on pensions following the publication of the recent green paper “Simplicity, Security and Choice”. thomsons online benefits have demonstrated that by partnering with the right benefits consultant this new responsibility does not need to be a burden.

Whitfield ends “The Government estimates that as many as three million people are not funding sufficiently for their retirement. We believe that greatly enhancing the quality of pension information and advice provided to employees is essential if it is to have any impact on the pensions problem”.

Ends

For more information on thomsons online benefits contact:

Caroline Shenton
thomsons online benefits
Tel: 020 7808 7588
Email: cs@t-bx.com
www.thomsonsonlinebenefits.com