Seventy-nine per cent of pension savers are “indifferent” to where their pension is invested, as long as it delivers a reasonable return, new research has found.

The survey of 1,000 working adults by BlackRock found that investment returns came out as the main priority for DC members, cited by over a third (37 per cent) – above costs and charges (11 per cent) and increasing company contributions (21 per cent).

Despite this, 23 per cent of respondents think their employer should include ESG investments into the default scheme, and just under two in three (64 per cent) believe it should certainly be an option offered to them.

A majority of 89 per cent of pension savers trust their employer to choose good investments for them; a significant group considering the vast majority (92 per cent) of members are invested in default schemes.

Many respondents go one step further: nearly three in four (72 per cent) think their employer should assume responsibility for selecting pension investments on their behalf, partly because of the complexities of pensions and investments. While 85 per cent believe they should make more of an effort to understand the investments in their pension, three in four (77 per cent) say they are not confident in their knowledge about investments to manage their savings themselves.

As a result, BlackRock is calling for employers to revaluate their approach to default design for DC pension schemes, to ensure that they are focussed on delivering outcomes to help members retire comfortably.

Commenting, BlackRock head of UK DC Claire Felgate said: “Pensions are complex and the default is a good solution to take some of the big investment decisions off the member. Even though no default will provide the perfect strategy for every individual, poorly considered ones can increase the potential for employees to undershoot their desired outcomes.

“While it’s tough to address all elements of scheme design – from investments, to administration, to communications – with the number of members in the default, investment design is key to achieving a comfortable retirement for members. Employers need help in how best to help members along their retirement savings journey and our experience and insight tells us that default investments should have a clear, member-focused objective.”

Felgate explained that they should be flexible enough to adapt to regulatory change while also avoiding excessive cost and complexity. She thinks that many DC schemes’ investment strategies could benefit from being reviewed, ensuring they are fit for purpose and delivering the best possible outcomes for members.

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