July 2018

Pension Plans in Germany: Market Sales in Germany

From Editorial DataGroup Europe The Pension Plans Germany eBook provides 14 years Historic and Forecast data on the market for each of the 5 Products and Markets covered. The Products and Markets covered (Pension Plans) are classified by the Major Products and then further defined and analysed by each subsidiary Product or Market Sector. In addition full Financial Data (188 items: Historic and Forecast Balance Sheet, Financial Margins and Ratios) Data is provided, as well as Industry Data (59 items)...

Policy-Making at the European Periphery: The Case of Croatia

By Zdravko Petak,‎ Kristijan Kotarski This book examines Croatia's economic and political transformation over the last 30 years. It brings together the best political scientists, macroeconomists and public finance experts from Croatia to provide an in-depth analysis of the Croatian policy-making context and the impact of Europeanization upon its domestic institutional framework. The second part of the book scrutinizes the political economy context and Croatia's long-term macroeconomic under-performance, especially in comparison to other transition economies. The final part explores sectoral...

Financial stability implications of a prolonged period of low interest rates

From  Committee on the Global Financial System The decade following the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) has been marked by historically low interest rates. An environment characterised by "low-for-long" interest rates may dampen the profitability and strength of financial firms and thus become a source of vulnerability for the financial system. In addition, low rates could change firms' incentives to take risks, which could engender additional financial sector vulnerabilities. This report identifies and provides evidence for the channels through which a "low-for-long"...

The Changing Face of Debt and Financial Fragility at Older Ages

By Annamaria Lusardi, Olivia S. Mitchell & Noemi Oggero We investigate changes in older individuals' financial fragility as they stand on the verge of retirement. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we compare how debt has changed for successive cohorts of people age 56–61. Our analysis shows that recent older Americans close to retirement hold more debt, and hence face greater financial insecurity, than earlier generations. This is primarily due to having bought more expensive homes with...

Demography and Provisions for Retirement: The Pension Composition, an Equilibrium Approach

By B.M.S. van Praag (University of Amsterdam) & J. Peter Hop (University of Amsterdam) Pensions may be provided for in a modern society by several methods, viz., voluntary individual savings, mandatory fully funded occupational pension systems, and mandatory social security financed by pay-as-you-go. The specific mixture of the three systems we will call the pension composition. We assume that individual workers decide about their own individual savings, that the fully funded occupational system is decided upon by the age cohort of...

Perú. ¿Qué medidas pueden mejorar el sistema previsional de las AFP?

La reforma del Sistema Privado de Pensiones es un tema que atañe a toda la sociedad y que tiene una serie de puntos perfectibles. Si bien se ha discutido en distintos niveles sobre ello, no existe aún un espíritu de reforma integral del sistema que rige desde 1993. Desde la alargada tabla de mortalidad y las pensiones bajas hasta los últimos problemas de rentabilidad de las administradoras de fondos de pensiones hace falta mucho por hacer para mejorar el cariz...

Gozar de una pensión en América, ilusión de muchos y realidad de pocos

La población envejece en Latinoamérica sin haberse garantizado la cobertura universal a la pensión debido a reglas que han limitado el ahorro y la informalidad laboral que arrastra a millones de personas a la incertidumbre. "Nos enfrentamos a retos estructurales como el rápido envejecimiento de nuestros países, lo que limitará los recursos disponibles para pagar pensiones", advirtió a Efe el director de Estudios Económicos de la entidad gremial colombiana Asofondos, Jorge Llano. Cuba es el país más envejecido de América Latina...

Australia. Solvency Of Pension Funds At Risk From Prolonged Low Interest Rates, Say Central Banks

The solvency of private pension funds and insurers would be at risk from continued prolonged low interest rates, the Committee on the Global Financial System (CGFS) said in a report released today. Banks would suffer too, but to a lesser degree, predicted CGFS, a consortium of central banks. The report warned “low-for-long” interest rates could shrink the profitability and strength of financial firms. Read More: Forbes

Latin America Seen Poised for Rally as Political Dust Settles

The political clouds are clearing, and one of Latin America’s biggest asset managers likes what he sees. "Now that the round of elections in the region have finished, demand and confidence are increasing, and we’re expecting a stronger second half that will help us to reach a 7 percent return," Ignacio Calle, chief executive officer of Medellin, Colombia-based Sura Asset Management SA, said in an interview at his office. Read More: Bloomberg

Ghana. Government To Pass National Aging Bill

Mr Thaddeus Arkum Aasoglenang, Nandom District Chief Executive (DCE) has hinted that government has initiated processes for the passage of the National Aging Bill. According to him, a National Aging Council is also to be established soon by the government. Mr Aasoglenang gave the hint in a statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the Senior Citizens Day Celebration in Nandom. The statement explained that the rational for this bold step by the government was to mainstream...