Pensions and Retirement Planning Conference 2026
London, EC2V 7WS United Kingdom
Over the past two decades, the UK pensions landscape has undergone one of the most significant periods of reform in its history. Faced with an ageing population, increasing life expectancy, evolving patterns of work, and growing pressure on public finances, governments of all political persuasions have reshaped the way we save for and experience retirement. From automatic enrolment and the introduction of the new State Pension to pension freedoms and ongoing reforms aimed at improving outcomes, the retirement journey has become more flexible—but also more complex.
With pension wealth now representing one of the largest stores of household wealth in the UK, the decisions made today will have profound implications for individuals, employers, advisers, and policymakers alike. This conference will explore the forces driving change and consider the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
Join us on November 11th to hear from leading experts on:
- How the retirement market is going to drive the advice industry for the next 20 years
- Closing the advice gap – discussion on targeted support and simplified advice and the use of AI
- Creating flexible retirement strategies in uncertain market conditions
- Changing demographics and the need to adapt
- How much does policy affect the delivery of client facing financial advice?
11/11/2026
Arrival & Registration
PIMFA Welcome & Opening Remarks
Keynote Speech
Key updates from an industry senior industry leader on the evolving financial landscape – stay tuned for announcements!
Presentation: An evolving policy landscape
This opening session will set the scene for the day and provide an update for firms on the changing policy and regulatory landscape as it applies to pensions and retirement. The session will start by looking at pensions policy more generally, before focusing specifically on regulatory issues and the governance challenges for firms.
Panel: How much does policy affect the delivery of client facing financial advice?
This panel session will explore some of the changes that firms have had to make to their retirement planning propositions, as a result of regulatory and legislative change. The session will also encourage discussion around client attitudes and behaviour around set piece events – notably the Budget. It will also explore case studies of how advisers have had to confront stated courses of action which may be in direct conflict with good consumer outcomes and, in particular, seek to evidence good practice in the face of a changing policy landscape.
Comfort Break
Presentation: Creating flexible retirement strategies in uncertain market conditions
This session will consider how retirement solutions are being created that take account of different retirement journeys while navigating troublesome market conditions.
Panel: Adviser best practice in retirement planning
Building on the previous session, this panel will consider how firm approaches to planning retirement have changed, and the considerations they have to take account of when designing strategies. Participants will be operators at the front end of the retirement planning process, with the discussion digging into advanced facets of various retirement planning strategies
Keynote Presentation 1
A midday keynote tackling a key theme within the retirement industry, to whet appetites before lunch – stay tuned for announcements!
Networking Lunch
Keynote Presentation 2: View from the Regulator
This session will set out the regulatory priorities of the FCA across pensions and retirement incomes. We are delighted to be joined by Charlotte Clark, Director of Cross-Cutting Policy at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the latest perspective from the regulator.
Presentation: Targeted Support teach in
This session will discuss targeted support six months after its introduction. This presentation will show how firms have developed targeted support solutions for retirement and implemented them across wider client bases, and how they have been integrated in the broader consumer journey.
Panel: Closing the advice gap – discussion on targeted support and simplified advice and the use of AI
This session will consider how targeted support, simplified advice and use of AI can be utilised to ‘close the advice gap’, if at all. It will consider how firms might use it in future as well as how it might impact on market share. Panellists will discuss themes such as identifying the risks of the use of AI for this purpose, and how they can be mitigated.
Comfort Break
Presentation: Changing demographics and the need to adapt
This session will look at the retirees of tomorrow; with a specific focus on Gen Xers, it will look at levels of wealth, home ownership and how they will likely be poorer, older and in worse health than the current demographic of retirees who hold 50% of all wealth in the UK.
Presentation: What’s going on in the market?
This session will look specifically at how consumer preferences have changed over the preceding decade, and looks ahead at how this is manifesting itself in product choice.
Panel: How the retirement market is going to drive the advice industry for the next 20 years
This session will look to provide a look ahead to the market based on the findings and learnings from the day. Are our expectations around what a ‘retired’ client will look like in step with reality? How are firms going to have to adapt to continue to be relevant? Is it just a case of more of the same? This session will be discursive in nature and aim to tie the day’s themes together.
Closing Remarks & Networking Drinks
Eversheds Sutherland
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