US. Explaining the Rise in Alternative Investments in Public Pension Plans
In recent decades, public pension plans in the United States have changed how they take on risk. At the turn o ...
South Africa. FSCA puts retirement fund fees and returns under scrutiny
The regulator of pension funds, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), will implement a value framewor ...
How Europe can turn its investment gap into an opportunity
Past choices are visible in today’s balance sheets Household balance sheets reflect decades of saving and inve ...
MTN Ghana targets informal sector in push for cash-lite economy
MTN Ghana is deepening its push for a cash-lite economy by targeting informal sector operators, including mark ...
UK. Pension levy increases need ‘clear evidence’ before introduction
The government’s consultation on the regulatory charge imposed on pension schemes was due to close today (Sept ...
Switzerland. Retirement Planning: High Expectations for Benefits in Old Age
How much does one need to live on in retirement? For the sixth time, the Lucerne University of Applied Science ...
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ARTICLES
Subjective Financial Literacy and Retirement Planning
By Weiqiang Tan & Jingbo Wu This research uses data from the National Financial Capability Study to investigate how subjective financial literacy (FL) influences retirement planning behaviors. Through a probit model, we establish that subjective FL have significant positive effects on three common retirement planning behaviors. When analyzing how subjective FL affects retirement planning, we […]
Redistribution through Taxes or Pensions? Optimal Income Tax and Pension Progressivity
By Burkhard Heer & Mark M. Trede We develop a medium-scale overlapping-generations model with endogenous labor supply and skill premium to study optimal income redistribution using progressive labor income taxes and pensions. The model is calibrated to the four countries USA, Great Britain, Italy and Germany which differ substantially in their tax and pension systems, […]
Pensions from Capital: How Pension Funds in the United States, Japan and Europe Invest -and What Private Investors Can Learn from Them
By Roland Rupprechter This paper examines the pension funds of the large industrial countries — with more than USD 68 trillion between them, the heaviest group of investors in the world. It compares how funded retirement provision is organised in the United States, in Japan and in Europe: how state, occupational and private provision differ, […]
NEWS
US. Explaining the Rise in Alternative Investments in Public Pension Plans
In recent decades, public pension plans in the United States have changed how they take on risk. At the turn of the century, their risky investments were primarily in public equities, whereas alternative assets – like private equity, real estate, and hedge funds – accounted for just 14 percent of all risky investments. By 2021, […]
South Africa. FSCA puts retirement fund fees and returns under scrutiny
The regulator of pension funds, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), will implement a value framework to measure if the benefits and returns received by retirement funds members justify the fees paid to the funds. A value framework is a system designed to assess whether individual pension funds are delivering adequate value to their members, […]
How Europe can turn its investment gap into an opportunity
Past choices are visible in today’s balance sheets Household balance sheets reflect decades of saving and investment decisions, asset-price movements and institutional arrangements. In 2025, eurozone households held almost €220,000 in financial assets per household, including €69,000 in deposits, €56,000 in insurance and pension entitlements, €46,000 in unlisted equity and €43,000 in market-based assets. Average […]
MTN Ghana targets informal sector in push for cash-lite economy
MTN Ghana is deepening its push for a cash-lite economy by targeting informal sector operators, including market traders, drivers and retirees, with digital payment and financial services designed to reduce reliance on physical cash. It said MTN Ghana was working closely with the government to accelerate the adoption of digital financial services and expand financial […]