Pensions are a major workplace benefit and there has been much change in this arena over the past 10 years.

Historically people received defined benefit pensions, but these latterly are very much seen as a luxury – the majority of people joining pension schemes these days are likely to be joining a defined contribution scheme, with all the risks and unpredictability that brings.

In the past decade there have been many changes, due in part to the arrival of auto-enrolment – prompting many more people to join a pension scheme, even if it is saving just a few hundred pounds each year.

But now that many more people have joined a scheme, the drive these days is to increase contributions.

Another trend in the past few years has been to bring costs down; many schemes are offering their services to employers at reduced costs due to the economies of scale they can achieve, and this presents opportunities to advisers trying to provide a good service to their clients.

There is currently much activity in the area of workplace pensions – this guide aims to describe some of them.