Bounty

One in three couples face an uncertain retirement because they haven't talked about their pensions, a survey has shown.

The results of the questionnaire by insurer Prudential show that nearly a quarter of over-40s have also never discussed retirement finances with their partner.

And a tenth of those surveyed admitted they didn't know anything about and were not really interested in their partner's financial situation.

Andy Brown, investments director at Prudential, said: "It is incredible that so many people do not know the details of their partner's retirement savings.

"Essentially, this could mean millions of UK adults are banking on hope as their core retirement strategy and are approaching what is arguably the most important financial decision without a full understanding of their household financial situation."

The group found that better off households were more likely to discuss retirement finances than lower income ones.

Nearly three-quarters of people who said they discussed pensions with their partner during the past year had a household income of more than £70,000.

Copyright Press Association 2010.