Pensions for Businesses & Employees

Compare Penfold and NOW: Pensions

Penfold revolutionises workplace pension management for progressive accounting firms with our tech-driven platform. Enhance your service offering with streamlined, efficient processes and unparalleled support, including dedicated Account Management.

Empower employers with a pension that engages their teams and attracts top talent, while offering employees a savings experience designed to help them reach their retirement goals..

A mobile interface for Penfold's pension management app and a desktop interface for Penfold's pension processing platform. The mobile screen shows "Rose's Dashboard" with a total pot value of £12,994.54, options to transfer an old pension, and add money. There's also a prompt to combine an old pension and a forecast feature. The desktop interface welcomes back "Elevate Accounting Group" and prompts to upload files. Two dashed boxes offer to "Add employees only" or "Add pension payroll files" with drag and drop functionality. There are also options to download templates for enrolment and contributions, and a section for the last upload.

Why businesses choose Penfold over NOW: Pensions

Time-saving and compliant processing

Streamlined payroll

Save time and improve the quality of your client service by quickly and easily running payroll contributions with our advanced tech.

Effortless compliance

Stay in control and ensure compliance with total visibility over contributions, opt-outs and payments.

* Comparison information updated August 2024

A comparison table listing the features offered by Penfold, a Group personal pension, versus Now Pensions, a Master trust. Features include Dedicated Account Manager, Managed onboarding, Launch event, Compliance support, Salary sacrifice support, Payroll integration, Payroll processing support, and Pension benchmarking. Penfold offers all eight listed features. Now Pensions offers only Salary sacrifice support and lacks the other services.

Unparalleled support and service

Speak to an expert right away

We’re here to support you throughout payroll processing with hands-on support from a dedicated expert. No call centres and no hold music.

Online and in-person launches

Let clients show the value of their pension scheme with an in-person or online pension launch for employees.

The image shows a professional setting with a young woman focused on her laptop. In the foreground, there's a graphical overlay representing a customer service chat window from 'Team Penfold' featuring a representative named Frankie with a profile picture. The chat window and profile picture suggest an online customer support interaction. The setting appears cozy and warm with soft lighting, indicative of a comfortable working environment.

Zero hidden charges and top reviews

Free for businesses

We don’t charge businesses any fees to use Penfold. We only receive fees from employees based on the value of their pensions and we keep charges low for them too.

Well reviewed

There’s no better proof than hearing from people that use our pension. We’re proud that our customers have given us an Excellent rating on Trustpilot.

Fund performance

Managed for by BlackRock, our default fund delivered a stronger overall return on members’ savings than NOW: Pensions based on data from July 2019 to August 2024.*

*This information should not be regarded as financial advice and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

A fee and performance comparison chart between Penfold and Now Pensions. Penfold has no client fees and an Employee Annual Management Charge of 0.75% (reduced to 0.4% for amounts over £100k) with a Sharia plan at 0.88% (reduced to 0.53% for over £100k), while Now Pensions has a £36 monthly client fee and a 0.3% charge with an additional £1.25 monthly admin fee. Penfold has a gross return of 4.29% and a net return of 3.51%, compared to Now Pensions' 1.40% gross and 0.96% net. Trustpilot rates Penfold at 4.3 and Now Pensions at 2.2, with Defaqto scores of 4 for Penfold and 2 for Now Pensions.

These returns are based on data collected by investment advisors DWA from a variety of sources including individual providers and data published on Morningstar. The returns for Penfold are based on a customer being invested in our Standard Lifetime (default) plan. The competitor returns are also based on customers invested in their default plans. DWA have estimated the Returns (Gross) based on available information for a member with a typical pot size of £10,000 and an average salary of £30,000. These are annualised returns are based on data from 31 July 2019 to 30 June 2024. DWA have estimated the Returns (Net of fees) net of all costs and charges based on available information for a member with a typical pot size of £10,000 and an average salary of £30,000. Actual returns may vary depending on a variety of factors including specific costs negotiated by a member's employer, actual pot size and actual salary. Where possible we have used actual return series available, though in assumptions have been made based on the underlying funds because of poor data availability and this may also result in some variance. The effect of charges have been applied to the return series on a monthly basis via a subtraction/addition of the proportionate amount, this may create small discrepancies with actual experience depending on charging structure. DWA are happy to correct any discrepancies should evidence be provided. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. The value of investments can rise and fall, you may get back less than you put in.

An engaging pension employees appreciate

A dedicated app

Penfold’s app shows employees how their pension fund is performing, how they’re tracking to saving goals, and how their funds are being invested.

Easy for employees, easy for you

Getting stuck trying to solve clients and employees’ pension problems? Our app helps employees find and combine other pensions, and make changes to their pension independently.

Built to improve financial wellbeing

Our app was created to improve employees’ financial wellbeing, by giving them all the information they need to save for a financially secure future.

* Comparison information updated August 2024

A feature comparison chart for Penfold and Now Pensions. Penfold offers a mobile app, 10 investment fund options, a sustainable fund, a Sharia fund, pension finding and combining, savings goal setting, savings nudges, retirement income forecasting, shareholder voting, a financial wellbeing programme, and an education programme. Now Pensions does not offer an app, has 2 investment fund options, and lacks the additional features provided by Penfold.

Moving to Penfold involved a couple of Zoom meetings. Then, after everything was all set up, if I ever face issues, I email my account manager and almost always get a response within the hour.

Caroline Metcalf

Director at Metcalf’s Accountancy Services

How to choose a new workplace pension scheme

Step 1

Identify what you need from a pension scheme. Where has your current provider fallen short? What should the pension do for you, your client and their employees? Decide on the support and features you need long-term.

Step 2

Explore your options. Which providers meet your requirements, and which providers exceed them? What support do they offer to help you get the pension set up, or is it up to you to communicate with clients and employees?

Step 3

Launch the scheme. Work with your new pension provider on a plan to introduce the scheme at your business and clients, encouraging employee engagement with their new pension. At Penfold, our Account Managers make the switch easy.

Penfold is rated Excellent on Trustpilot

See what other people say about Penfold on Trustpilot

See how our pension platform saves time and money

Automate and speed up time-consuming processes

Enable fast, easy, and accurate payroll and pension processing

Benefit from a concierge service from the Penfold customer support team.

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