Scottish Life, the pensions branch of the Royal London Group, has launched an automatic enrolment (AE) proposition this week.  

Scottish Life has developed the ideal solution for advisers and their corporate clients to use in the new AE environment.

Ewan Smith, managing director of Scottish Life, said: "Automatic enrolment is a major opportunity for providers and advisers alike. But it's essential to understand what the key issues are, and to develop and implement effective solutions that meet customer needs.

"Over the past couple of years, Scottish Life has spent a lot of time with advisers and employers, identifying what the "needs" are; then developing and market testing practical solutions."

Scottish Life says its AE proposition has three core elements:

- "Design - a full design service allowing advisers to determine the duties an employer will have; review their current scheme; and model different scheme designs.

- Implement - expert implementation support to get the scheme up and running with minimal disruption.

- Run - an enhanced online service that will guide employers through all the tasks they need to complete to stay compliant with their duties."

Business development manager, Jamie Clark, said: "The single most important message about automatic enrolment is that it's not just about pensions: it's about business planning.

"And while AE is a much bigger issue than is sometimes understood, having a quality group personal pension should give additional peace of mind."

Smith also added that companies should not delay. "There's no point in waiting," he said. "Employers need support now, well ahead of their staging date."

First published 04.12.12

azeevalkink@wilmington.co.uk