The auto-enrolment army of (initially) low-contributing, apathetic savers has marched into the official data on pension contributions, demonstrating the uphill battle facing the industry to secure a decent retirement for today's savers.

As you can see here, a larger proportion of employees – 12 per cent, up from an average of 2.5 per cent between 2009 and 2012 – are now paying less than a fiftieth of their pensionable salary into their workplace pension. In other words, peanuts to get the retirement monkey off their back.

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Here's your guide to an eventful day for the UK workplace pensions industry.

The FCA sets levy framework

The Financial Conduct Authority has given further detail on how to split the tab for its pension guidance levy, with those holding the money for longer, if savers turn their back (further) on annuities by April 6, having to pay for the privilege.

Source: FCA

Advisers are the big winners from the changes: "In chapter 4 we are therefore proposing to consult on an equal allocation across the five pensions guidance fee-blocks with a 50 per cent reduction for A.13 to reflect that financial advisers have less potential to benefit than the product providers in the other four."

But it inevitably did not please everyone. Trust-based schemes are left out of the mix, at least through this mechanism, given the FCA's regulatory scope: it cannot levy them, whether it wanted to or not.

Calling out the main mastertrust providers John Lawson, head of corporate benefits policy at Aviva, tweeted in response to the news: "Would be even lower if @nestpensions @NowPensions and @PeoplesPension paid their fair share."

But watch this space. The FCA has passed on to the government responses that suggested the Pensions Regulator and the Department for Work and Pensions should pay towards the guidance from a general levy on trust-based schemes.

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DC: The New Investment Journey. It may be a caravan rather than a Lamborghini, but scheme managers across the country are getting ready for a wave of savers cashing in their pension pots come April’s introduction of George Osborne’s retirement flexibilities.

This morning's Financial Times led in print with the news that the Qatari royal family wants to invest in renovating the HS2 high-speed rail line hubs, and carried a telling line for institutional investors.

"The papers show that in the first three months of this year, Mr Cameron organised three Downing Street meetings with external investors, including the Canada Pension Plan, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority."

Asset figures are not easily found for all of these, but the smallest, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, sits on C$234bn (£133bn), which gives you an idea of what it takes to get a seat at the table.

The government wants this country's pension funds investing in domestic infrastructure, but they are dwarfed by these investment giants. It is no surprise then that UK pension funds are looking overseas to get decent assets.

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Any other business: What is more important from a pension scheme's chair of trustees – a steady hand on the tiller, or a fresh pair of eyes? 

The Pensions Trust did not see a bump in engagement in its latest round of trustee elections despite adding online voting, following a controversial decision to take names off the ballot to avoid “unconscious bias” towards male candidates.