
Brits urged to act now to stop your pension going to someone you hate
One in six adults do not know who would receive their pension savings if they died
A shocking one in six (15%) adults in a relationship are clueless about who would inherit their pension savings if they died, according to a recent survey. This figure skyrockets to nearly a fifth (18%) for those aged 79 and above, warns Aviva, highlighting that some individuals may have been "married, divorced and married again".
The number of people unaware of their beneficiaries also rises to a quarter (25%) among those cohabiting with their partner without the legal status of marriage or civil partnership. A startling three in 10 (30%) Gen-Z adults aged between 16 to 24 also confessed they do not know who would benefit from any pension savings upon their death.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents named their partner or spouse as their beneficiary, while a fifth (20%) chose a family member. One in 25 (4%) are leaving their pension wealth to a charity and 3% have nominated a friend as a beneficiary, according to the survey conducted by Censuswide in February among 2,000 coupled-up individuals.
Aviva stressed the significance of regularly reviewing and updating pension beneficiary information, reports Devon Live.. This simple step could ensure retirement savings are distributed as per someone's wishes, sidestepping potential legal issues and emotional distress for loved ones.
Some folks might discover they can update their pension beneficiaries via their pension app. Jo Phillips, the managing director of Aviva's direct wealth business, said: "It's not surprising that people lose track of their pensions and therefore cannot remember who their pension beneficiary is.
"Some pension policies will date back decades and it's likely that many people will have changed jobs; moved house and even been married, divorced and married again, in the intervening years.
"The money in your pension pot is one of your assets, just like your savings or your possessions, so we would encourage all our customers to review their pension nominees and makeupdates as needed. It's easy to nominate a recipient. Most of the time, it can be done online without any fuss."

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Scotsman
15 hours ago
- Scotsman
Counting the cost of digital and financial exclusion
BerkahStock - Many Scots are facing digital and financial inclusion, which also places them at an increased risk of being scammed, and too many people are on the brink of financial crisis as high costs persist, according to two recently published reports. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... One report published this week by Virgin Money and WPI Economics, Tackling the Barriers to Financial and Digital Inclusion in Scotland, highlights the significant impact it is having on the Scottish economy. Key findings include that digital exclusion impacts wellbeing in Scotland to the value of £1.2 billion annually, unbanked households pay £62 million more in bills per year, and digital and financial exclusion causes 36,000 additional scams each year, costing £32m. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There are around 104,000 households in Scotland who do not have access to a bank account. Households without this facility face additional costs with bills and everyday expenses as they are unable to get better rates and payment plans. The report also found that 'digital natives' are no more protected from the impacts of such exclusion than older generations. In Scotland, Gen-Z adults (14 per cent) and older generations (another 14 per cent) are almost three times more likely to experience digital or financial exclusion than Millennials (5 per cent). Half of Gen-Z respondents also stated that they have very low confidence in money management or using financial products. The research revealed considerable concern about scams across Scotland –70 per cent of Scottish adults surveyed said they were worried about the sophistication of scams. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Half of scam victims reported worsening mental health as a result of being targeted by fraudsters, with 46 per cent saying that being targeted has made them less likely to access financial services online as a result. Some 36 per cent of Gen-Zers say they have been scammed, compared to19 per cent of older generations. Gen-Z is also the generation least likely to be confident in avoiding scams – 66 per cent, compared to 79 per cent of Millennials, and 73 per cent of older generations. Raymond Pettitt, director of customer service and operations at Virgin Money, says: 'This research busts the myth that younger generations are immune from digital and financial exclusion. In reality, Gen-Z is falling through the cracks, just like the oldest in our society. We encourage the Scottish Government to act swiftly in partnership with the UK Government, banking industry, and the third sector to create a unified approach to tackling this.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Focus group discussions carried out for the report revealed that those living in Scotland were fearful about the risk of being scammed. For example, Dave, 39, said: 'Unless it's absolutely vital that I need to do something [online], I would probably not do it or at least have a lot of hesitation. I've heard a lot of crazy scams and I always [think] it is a matter of time before it happens. I try and avoid doing it unless I'm 100 per cent sure, and to be 100 per cent sure is pretty tricky.' The research started from the basis of assuming some digital and financial capabilities. But 5 per cent of Scottish adults surveyed said that they do not have access to a current account. Just over a quarter have no savings, and almost a third do not have a credit card. The report made three key recommendations for Scotland, focusing on the actions the Scottish Government can take to bolster levels of financial and digital inclusion: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 1. The administration should swiftly deliver a new Digital Inclusion Action Plan. 2. Holyrood should use its convening power to establish a Financial and Digital Inclusion Taskforce, drawing on the public sector, the financial services industry, and key third sector stakeholders. 3. The Scottish Government should commit to using dormant assets to provide funding to organisations and initiatives seeking to tackle financial and digital exclusion, adopting a similar policy to that in action across England and Wales. Virgin Money insists it remains focused on addressing these issues. It states that it is the only bank working with the National Databank to offer free SIM cards in its branches to those facing data addition, its funding through the Virgin Money Foundation has delivered £1.3m to 15 community anchor organisations in Glasgow through its Building Digital Skills fund, which has awarded 93 grants to schools totalling £203,000 via its Volunteer and Connect fund. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sandy Begbie, Scottish Financial Enterprise chief executive, comments: 'Digital exclusion puts people at a distinct disadvantage in today's society, making it harder to receive benefits, secure housing or get a job. 'When we launched our sector growth strategy, we made clear that tackling financial exclusion was a priority for our industry – one with potential to make a meaningful difference to the lives of people across Scotland. Through our work with regulators, charities and the banks themselves to establish a pilot project delivering bank accounts to school leavers, we want to connect more people to the banking system. 'As an industry, we are determined to ensure that everyone in Scotland feels the benefits of having a strong financial sector, and providing greater access to the financial system is a key part of this plan.' A separate report published this month by Royal London revealed that a significant number of UK households remain financially vulnerable and are struggling to stay afloat. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Its annual Financial Resilience Report found large numbers of people saying they are facing financial hardship. Some 41 per cent of Scots aged 50 to 69 said their discretionary income has reduced in the past year, 39 per cent said it has stayed the same, and only 20 per cent reported an increase. Meanwhile, a fifth of Scots expect to have less money for retirement due to the cost of living crisis. Some 3 per cent have had to delay retirement, and 5 per cent have had to prioritise short-term bills over terms of retirement planning awareness, 37 per cent of Scots aged 50 to 69 said they have thought about how much they might need in retirement, but haven't done the calculations. And just under a third said they haven't even thought about how much they might need. Confidence tends to be lacking when it comes to retirement savings, according to the Royal London report. Only 4 per cent aged 50 to 69 feel very confident that they are saving enough for a good standard of living in retirement, and 36 per cent are not at all confident. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Across the UK, Royal London said that one of the most concerning findings is that one in five adults have less than £100 in cash savings, a figure that has remained unchanged for two years. With little or no financial buffer, the report warns that these individuals are highly vulnerable to rising costs and unexpected expenses. The research also found that, looking at the UK as a whole, one in ten are on the brink of a financial crisis and 2 per cent are already in one. Mid-life UK adults are the worst affected age group, with 16 per cent either in or close to a financial crisis. Only 41 per cent of mid-lifers are satisfied with their current standard of living. But there were some signs of recovery in some people's finances. This year, 59 per cent of UK adults said they had money left over at the end of the month, compared to 49 per cent last year, and there was a small rise – £15,864 per person compared to £15,549 in2024 – in the average amount of people's cash savings. Across the whole sample, more than half of mortgage borrowers said their housing costs had increased in the last year by an average of £327 per month. Among single mortgage borrowers, the rise was £252 per month with those living alone paying £298 per month more. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sarah Pennells, consumer finance specialist at Royal London, says: 'We have seen some signs of an improvement in people's finances in the last year, but those still struggling with higher bills and food prices face difficult decisions. 'We're seeing a big divide between those who can absorb higher costs and those making daily sacrifices – cutting back on essentials, dipping into their savings, or going overdrawn at the end of the month. 'After more than three years of rising costs and higher bills, we're seeing the impact on people's longer-term finances, as well as their day-to-day spending. 'For those feeling the squeeze, it's worth checking if you're eligible for state benefits, grants or help from local councils. Many miss out simply because they're unaware of what is available.'


Scotsman
5 days ago
- Scotsman
‘Hidden' costs of digital and financial exclusion in Scotland
Raymond Pettitt | Supplied A report published today by Virgin Money and WPI Economics, 'Tackling the barriers to financial and digital inclusion in Scotland', highlights the significant impact that digital and financial exclusion is having on the Scottish economy. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Key findings include: digital exclusion impacts wellbeing in Scotland, to the value of £1.2 billion annually; 'unbanked' households pay £62 million more in bills per year; and digital and financial exclusion causes 36,000 additional scams each year, costing £32m The report also finds that so-called 'digital natives' are no more protected from the impacts of digital and financial exclusion than older generations. In Scotland, Gen-Z adults (14 per cent) and older generations (14 per cent) are almost three times more likely to experience digital or financial exclusion than millennials (5 per cent). Half of Gen-Z respondents also stated they have very low confidence in money management or using financial products. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The research also reveals considerable concern about scams across Scotland: 70 per cent of Scottish adults surveyed said they were worried about the sophistication of scams 50 per cent of scam victims reported worsening mental health as a result of being targeted by scammers. Some 46 per cent stated that being targeted has made them less likely to access financial services online as a result 36 per cent of Gen-Z say they have been scammed compared to 19 per cent of older generations. Gen-Z is also the generation least likely to be confident in avoiding scams: 66 per cent compared to 79 per cent of millennials and 73 per cent of older generations. Raymond Pettitt, director of customer service and operations at Virgin Money, said: 'This research busts the myth that younger generations are immune from digital and financial exclusion. 'In reality, Gen-Z is falling through the cracks, just like the oldest in our society. We encourage the Scottish Government to act swiftly in partnership with the UK Government, banking industry and the third sector to create a unified approach to tackling this, to avoid leaving both generations behind.' The report makes three key recommendations for Scotland, which build on the recommendations made for the UK as a whole. These centre on the actions the Scottish Government can take to bolster levels of financial and digital inclusion within Scotland specifically: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Government should move swiftly to deliver a new Digital Inclusion Action Plan. Building on this research, this actionable plan should focus on longer-term support, prevention and tackling structural barriers to digital inclusion in line with the work of the Digital Inclusion Alliance and building on the Connecting Scotland programme. The Scottish Government should use its convening power to establish a Financial and Digital Inclusion Taskforce drawing on the public sector, the financial services industry and key third sector stakeholders. To address the different generational needs highlighted throughout this research, the Taskforce should focus on joint action for addressing barriers, better coordinating existing initiatives and providing clarity on delivery responsibilities and outcomes. The Scottish Government should commit to using Dormant Assets to provide funding to organisations and initiatives seeking to tackle financial and digital exclusion, adopting a similar policy to that already in action across England and Wales.


Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
British banking giant issues crucial warning to ALL customers over worrying message that could drain your account
Read on to find out how to spot a fraudulent message BE AWARE British banking giant issues crucial warning to ALL customers over worrying message that could drain your account Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITS are being cautioned over a worrying message that could leave them out of pocket. A major UK bank has issued a warning on how to stay vigilant against scammers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Barclays has revealed a key sign to spot fraudulent messages Credit: Reuters Barclays has revealed a key sign to look out for to spot illegitimate messages from a bank. One customer has contacted Barclays over social media to confirm if the SMS they had received was real. The message read: "BARCLAYS: Your OTP code to approve a debit of 3733.50 to AVIVA is 44346. If you did NOT do this call us on 0330 133 0198 Ref: BR45." The number which sent the text had a "+447" prefix. The customer posted a screenshot of the message with a caption: "Is this a legit number for you to use to contact people?" Barclays responded: "I can assure you that we would never text from a number that is +44." The bank has also asked if the customer was a client of Aviva. "If not, then this would certainly seem to be a scam text in my opinion. If you would like to make sure that your account is safe then you can certainly give a call to our fraud team on 0800 3891 652 and their lines are open 24/7 for you." In response, the customer confirmed that they had never interacted with AVIVA. Scammers frequently pose as representatives of banks or other respectable organisations in order to send SMS and emails to victims. FBI Issues Urgent Warning: Delete Scam Texts Immediately to Protect Your Information They frequently contain a link to a fraudulent website where victims are tricked into giving away their personal or banking information. If you are worried a fraudster is trying to con money out of you, dial 159 or report it to Action Fraud. Many banks have created a helpline with an easy-to-remember number that can be used to assist. HOW TO REPORT A SCAM If you think you have been a victim of a scam, you should report it as soon as possible. There is no guarantee you'll get your money back, but banks will often compensate you if you can show you did not know the money would leave your account. You can forward scam emails to report@ If you notice a website that doesn't look quite right, you can also report it to the National Cyber Security Centre by visiting You should also contact your provider and report it to Action Fraud, which will give you a crime reference number. You can do this online by visiting or by calling 0300 123 2040.