The BBC’s perennial Saturday night favourite, Strictly Come Dancing, waltzed back onto our screens recently. And while it might be best known for its glitz and glamour, you might be surprised to learn that the show also contains some important lessons for your long-term retirement planning.

Keep reading for a look at five of them.

1. Maintaining focus, patience, and a long-term view

The latest series of Strictly began on 20 September and is scheduled to end on 20 December. Celebrities who make it to the final will have been dancing week in, week out, for three months.

Learning a skill from scratch and then picking up new choreography each week takes enormous dedication and focus. These are traits that you can apply to your retirement planning, too.

Your plan is aligned with your circumstances and goals, but you’ll need to take a long-term view to stick to agreed budgets, cut out external “noise”, and avoid succumbing to the latest investment fads and trends.

Whether your ultimate goal is retirement or lifting the famous glitterball trophy, stay focused on your dream. And remember, if your goals haven’t changed, your plan doesn’t need to either.

It’s worth noting, too, that this season of Strictly is the show’s 23rd. Its fans are clearly in it for the long haul!

2. Embracing diversity and eliminating biases

Strictly has long been at the forefront of diversity and inclusion, showcasing the talents of deaf and blind contestants (Rose Ayling-Ellis lifted the trophy in 2021; Chris McCausland in 2024), while also championing same-sex couples.

There is diversity within the dances themselves, too, as stars move from classic ballroom waltzes to Latin cha-chas and even contemporary or hip-hop-inspired routines in the couple’s choice category.

Embracing diversification is key to your pension investment, helping you to manage risk and stay on track towards your goals. Your portfolio will include a combination of assets from different classes, sectors, and geographical regions in the hope that a drop in one area will be offset by a rise elsewhere.

Money is emotive, and that means investment decisions can be affected by subconscious biases. These biases could see you seeking out only the information that confirms your pre-existing view (confirmation bias) or sticking to stocks you have heard of (familiarity or home bias), potentially causing you to miss out on opportunities elsewhere.

3. Balancing risk and reward means understanding your capacity for loss

Each year, the latest cast of Strictly features stars that surprise audiences. Bill Bailey was by no means the bookies’ favourite in week one but went on to lift the trophy in 2020. Paul Merson, meanwhile, surprised many by reaching week five in 2024.

Taking novice dancers and turning them into stars of the ballroom isn’t easy. It requires a lot of hard work from the professionals, too, not least in knowing how far to push their celebrity partners. A complex routine packed with content might score highly if executed well, but mistakes could be costly. So too could playing it too safe.

Building your pension fund requires a long-term strategy, and understanding your risk profile is vital if you’re to make the most of your investment. Remember, too, that your profile can change.

Early in the accumulation phase, you might benefit from taking more risk while there’s time for losses to be reversed. As your retirement date nears, a lower-risk approach might be useful to consolidate what you have.

4. Regular reviews ensure you continue to make progress towards your goal

Each week, the judges cast their critical eye over each dance and provide their scores. Checking for footwork and technical accuracy – Shirley’s “fundamentals” – the scores also allow viewers to gauge the progress each dancer is making.

Your annual reviews fulfil a similar role, helping to ensure you remain on track and that no changes are needed.

It’s important to remember that if your goals haven’t changed, then it’s unlikely your plans will need to. That said, market forces can upset your portfolio’s asset allocation, and life events can shift priorities.

Regular check-ins allow us to track your progress and make tweaks if required.

5. The importance of working with a trusted professional

Pairing each celebrity with the “right” professional dancer isn’t easy. They need a certain chemistry – to get along and complement each other – if the partnership is to work over the long term.

The same is true of the adviser-client partnership. You are trusting us with your hard-earned money, and we must be the right fit for each other. That’s why we go to such great lengths at the onboarding stage, getting to know you so that we can forge a productive relationship for decades (and even generations) to come.

Professional dancers come and go – and even Tess and Claudia have announced they’ll be hanging up their dancing shoes at the end of this series – but we’re around for the long haul. We can help you reach your retirement goals – and support the next generation, too.

Get in touch

We can’t help with training your two left feet, but if you need help keeping your long-term plans on track for your retirement glitterball, get in touch. Email info@thepensionplanner.co.uk or call 0800 0787 182.

Please note:

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.

Workplace pensions are regulated by The Pensions Regulator.