Employer information about the RIBA Pension Solution
As a business owner or employer, you’ll know that running an employer pension scheme is a big responsibility. You will want to do all you can today to provide a comfortable retirement for your employees in the future.
The RIBA has partnered with Smart Pension to offer a pension solution tailored to architectural practices and other companies operating in the built environment sector. The RIBA Pension Solution offers low management fees, helping your employees keep more of their retirement savings. It is also easy for employers to manage and administer via an online platform.
Smart Pension runs an award-winning UK master trust scheme for hundreds of thousands of members, making them one of the country’s largest workplace pension providers and meaning that you and your employees are in safe hands.
How is your employees’ money invested?
Smart Pension offers your employees a default investment fund which has been designed to suit most scheme members.
Default investment fund breakdown
100% of the default fund is invested in ESG integrated, climate transition and impact funds.
- 57% ESG Equity (LGIM)
- 10% Private Credit (MV Credit)
- 10% Global Green Bond (Mirova)
- 3% Biodiversity Equity (AXA)
Alternatively, members of the scheme can choose from 16 other funds to meet their individual investment goals.
The RIBA Pension Solution Overview
The RIBA Pension Solution in partnership with Smart Pension is designed to meet the needs of all RIBA Members. You’ll find it:
- accessible – it’s open to businesses of every size and their employees
- streamlined – administration is simple, with easy online access and management for scheme members and employers alike
- ethical – the scheme’s default investment fund has an environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment strategy and looks to invest in companies that recognise the importance of a sustainable and responsible approach
- flexible – employees can choose to invest in the default fund or select from 16 alternative funds including Shariah funds
- fair and transparent on pricing – with some of the lowest charges in the UK pension marketplace
- safe and secure - the scheme is overseen by a fully independent trustee board and regulated by The Pensions Regulator
- portable – scheme members can take their pension with them if they move to a new job. They can also transfer their funds to another pension without incurring any penalties
Switch to the RIBA Pension – how we can help
If you already have a workplace pension set up, why not compare it to the RIBA Pension to ensure that you - and your employees - are getting the best solution at the best price?
Want to switch? We can help. Switching costs nothing, is easy to do and could mean a larger retirement pot. Contact RIBA Business using the details below.
Automatic enrolment
The law on workplace pensions has changed. Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK must put certain staff into a pension scheme and contribute towards it. This is called 'automatic enrolment'.
We have evaluated other schemes on the market and, by working with Smart Pension, we can now offer a solution that matches or beats the competition on key criteria such as cost, quality and ease of management.
All employers are now subject to Automatic Enrolment Duties.
If you want to check what you must do and by when, you can use the Duties Checker online tool provided by The Pensions Regulator.
Once you have staged and completed your obligations, you have up to five months to tell The Pensions Regulator you have complied. Remember, automatic enrolment is your legal duty and if you don't act, you could be fined.
Contact RIBA Business for further information or to discuss how The RIBA Pension Solution can work for your business.
Tel: +44(0)20 7307 3737
Email: ribapension@riba.org
Manage your pension scheme online
You can find everything you need to set up and manage your workplace pension scheme with Smart Pension online. Information, guidance, tools and access to your secure Smart Pension account are all just a click away.
