Simplifying Complex Choice: Optimising Retirement and Investment for USS

members

Longitudinal

deep-dive

Pensions

sector

members

Longitudinal

deep-dive

Pensions

sector

The challenge

Clarifying high-consideration financial decisions for members

The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) found that awareness and understanding of their Investment Builder product was inconsistent, often leading to misconceptions that acted as a significant barrier to engagement. For a high-consideration decision like pension planning, these misconceptions prevent the very engagement the product is designed to encourage. We partnered with USS to explore member expectations and identify how to simplify the decision-making process.

Industry

Pensions, finance

Solution

Product strategy

Format

Longitudinal community

Participants

35 Members' Voice members

Methods

Spontaneous awareness, deep-dive tasks

The approach

Longitudinal testing within our community platform

We selected 35 members from the existing Members' Voice community for a deep-dive qualitative study.

Spontaneous awareness

We first explored how members viewed their own pension journey before gauging their awareness of the Investment Builder product.

Misconception audit

We presented specific facts about the product to test whether they corrected existing misunderstandings, such as the belief that the product is only for higher earners, and explored how that shifted perceptions.

Retirement outlook

We complemented the study with individual in-depth interviews to explore ideal retirement lifestyles and emotional readiness.

The result

A simpler path to a complex decision

The research revealed that members value retirement as a proactive life stage but are often paralysed by uncertainty. These findings are helping USS to refine their guidance and communications, ensuring members feel equipped to make complex financial choices with confidence.