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Media  >  Press Releases  >  Archive  >  Pensions Radio celebrates first anniversary

05 June 2008

Pensions Radio celebrates first anniversary

Pensions Radio, the regular podcasts from Scottish Life, the pensions specialist arm of the Royal London Group, celebrates its first birthday this week.

 Following conversations with a host of pensions commentators including MPs, IFAs, trade bodies, trade unions and campaigners, the latest podcast features a discussion about the implications of longevity on the pensions industry between Steve Bee, Head of Pensions Strategy at Scottish Life, and Aubrey de Grey, a scientist who believes ageing is a disease that can be cured.

Steve's podcasts help to regularly attract over 28,000 visitors a month to Scottish Life's BeeHive website, which is dedicated to demystifying pensions. Comments about Pensions Radio left at independent podcast directory www.podcastalley.com,  include:

"One of the best information podcasts around. Simplifying pensions!"

"The best pensions podcast bar none."

"Steve Bee is without doubt one of our leading lights in the pensions arena. Long may he continue."

"Steve Bee provides a superb blend of humour, and clarity around what can be a 'dry' subject. His insight and ability to summarise complex technical and legal issues is a breath of fresh air! Good work Steve, keep it up."

"Steve Bee makes the dull-as-ditch-water world of retirement saving sound sensible, funny and interesting!"

John Hinder, Online Marketing Manager at Scottish Life, said

"We're delighted with the response to Pensions Radio, which has gone from strength to strength over the last year. Scottish Life is committed to using all available technology to communicate effectively with advisers in a format that suits them. The regular podcasts with high profile industry figures provide us with an opportunity to discuss pensions-related issues in an interesting and informative way. And the fact that they can be downloaded and listened to when convenient particularly suits the busy lifestyle of advisers."

- ENDS -

For further information please contact:

Scottish Life

Alasdair Buchanan, Group Head of Communications
0131 456 7133

Polhill Communications

Jenette Greenwood
020 7655 0530

Editor's Notes:

The BeeHive regularly attracts over 28,000 visitors a month to Steve Bee's regular 'BeeLines' which are dedicated to demystifying pensions.

The site's Pensions Radio podcasts have featured interviews with various key opinion leaders in the industry, including:

• Baroness Hollis, campaigner for women's rights and pensions,

• Yvonne Goodwin, Leading IFA;

• Alan Pickering, Former Chair of the NAPF and author of the 2002 Government-sponsored report on pensions, 'A Simpler Way to Better Pensions';

• Chris Grayling, Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions;

• Bob Crow, General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT);

• Robin Ellison, NAPF.

• Ros Altmann, pensions campaigner

• Lawrence Churchill, Chairman of the Pension Protection Fund;

• Malcolm Small, the Chairman of the Pensions Network;

• Danny Alexander MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions.

• Nigel Waterson, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions and Conservative front bench spokesman on pensions.

Scottish Life was founded in 1881 in Edinburgh as a proprietary company, becoming a mutual company in 1968.

On 1 July 2001, Scottish Life demutualised and transferred its business to The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited. Scottish Life is a division of Royal London and is the specialist pensions business within the Group, providing individual and group pensions to the market via intermediaries.

Scottish Life and Royal London's other intermediary businesses are based in Edinburgh where 1,190 staff are employed, with 460 working in other parts of the UK and overseas.

Royal London Group is a specialist financial service provider. Its businesses focus on those sectors of the market which value premium propositions, operating through a number of brands:

• Scottish Life - UK pensions market

• Bright Grey - UK protection market

• Scottish Life International - offshore investment markets

• Scottish Provident International - offshore investment markets

• RLAM - fund management

• RLAS - life and pensions administration

• Fundsdirect / Ascentric - funds supermarket; Wrap Platform

Royal London is the largest mutual life and pensions company in the UK with Group funds under management of £32.6 billion. Group businesses serve around three million customers and employ 2,630 people. (Figures quoted are as at 31 March 2008).