Overview of United Kingdom Award-winning platform Enhanced corporate distribution In the United Kingdom, Aegon is a major provider of corporate and individual  pensions, protection products, annuities, and savings products such as Individual  Savings Accounts (ISAs). Aegon UK has some two million customers,  approximately 2,400 employees, and GBP 57.3 billion in revenue-generating  investments. Aegon UK’s main offices are in Edinburgh and London. Aegon UK is focused on two core markets in the United Kingdom,  at-retirement and workplace savings. Both markets present  opportunities for growth and are markets where Aegon UK has  a heritage of expertise. 2013 was a year of great regulatory change in the United  Kingdom, with the introduction of Pensions Reform and the  Retail Distribution Review (RDR). Aegon UK has successfully  adapted its working practices, business models and products to  meet these changes.  In addition to selling and servicing traditional stand-alone  pensions, investment and protection products for its core  markets, Aegon UK also maintains an award-winning online  platform 1 , has launched the SmartEnrol auto-enrolment online  ‘hub’ to support employers with their new Pensions Reform  duties, and has successfully expanded its distribution network  by securing deals with significant global players in the workplace  savings market.  Aegon UK’s award-winning platform 1  provides customers with  a seamless transition from saving while working to drawing an  income in retirement. The platform is unique in that it allows  customers to do both of these things in one place, and enables  advisors to offer clients various levels of self-service through  a unique gating facility. Aegon UK offers three propositions to customers through the  platform, all of which use the same core technology, product  wrappers (for example, pensions, ISAs, savings schemes),  investments and client services. The propositions are: Together, the At Retirement and Workplace Savings propositions  are known as Aegon Retirement Choices (ARC). ARC allows  customers’ investments and savings, workplace pensions and  retirement income to be managed from one online solution.  The At Retirement and Workplace Savings propositions offer  customers a mix of products to cover saving for retirement and  taking a retirement income.  One Retirement is an online single retirement account for  retirement savings and income drawdown. It offers a range of  investment and retirement income options, providing customers  with flexible choices for their individual retirement needs, and  is easy to use, allowing customers to engage in their retirement  planning, and putting advisors in control. As such, it allows  Aegon UK to develop a lasting relationship with customers  throughout working life, transition into retirement, and  retirement. This innovative and unique platform proposition also  positions Aegon UK to take advantage of opportunities in the  post-RDR world.  Aegon UK’s commitment to, and focus on, the workplace savings  market has resulted in significant achievements this year. In  February, the company secured a significant corporate pensions  distribution deal with Barclays bank, supporting Aegon UK’s  strategy to diversify its distribution and sending a powerful  message to the market about its corporate ambition and  capability. In July, Aegon UK was appointed by Mercer to become one of  three preferred suppliers for its large-client workplace savings  service, Mercer Workplace Savings. In addition, Aegon UK will  become the only supplier for Mercers Elect, which focuses on the  small and medium-sized enterprises workplace savings market.  These appointments further broaden Aegon UK’s distribution  network and highlight the strong competitive positioning of the  ARC platform.  As the UK market develops following the regulatory changes  triggered by the RDR and by Pensions Reform, Aegon UK is well  placed to provide advisors and customers with appropriate,  transparent and affordable retirement solutions that address  the needs of a market in which increasing longevity, evolving  retirement patterns and investment risk are key challenges. ■ At Retirement - a wrap solution offered to retail customers  via Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs); ■ Workplace Savings - a wrap solution offered to corporate  customers via banks such as Barclays, employee benefit  consultants such as Mercer, and other accounts; ■ Aegon One Retirement - a standalone pension solution. 1 The ARC platform won Best Innovation on a Platform and Best Workplace  Savings Platform 2012 at the Platform awards. 57