The impact of the internet on the provision of financial services information: the case of pensions

The information potential of the internet is claimed to be heralding a new age of consumer empowerment, providing consumers with access to increased amounts of information which can be used to aid decision making. Yet, to what extent does this hold true for pensions? Pensions are complex products, and recent changes in the pensions industry have brought about a need for increased consumer access to information. To what extent is the industry responding to this need? Using an adaptation of Resnik and Stern's (1977) Information Content Paradigm, a content analysis was conducted of 80 UK pension provider websites from 1997–2004. The study finds that not only has the amount of information communicated changed over time, so too has the type of information. Notwithstanding, UK pension provider websites do not currently appear to provide consumers with adequate information to make informed and empowered pension purchase decisions.