May 2023

Pensioners in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria are among the poorest globally- report

A new report by Allianz, an international financial services provider, has revealed that retirees in several African countries are among the poorest globally. The report, which surveyed 75 countries, including five in Africa, cites an ineffective pension system and a lack of adequate retirement benefits as the major reasons for the alarming trend. In Egypt, for instance, the report notes that the gross benefit level is merely 18 per cent, leaving many senior citizens struggling to make ends meet. Similarly,...

US. PBGC Bails Out Service, Manufacturing, Transportation Pension Funds

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. on Monday provided Special Financial Assistance totaling more than $600 million to three multiemployer plans. The plans are the Western States Office and Professional Employees Pension Plan, the United Furniture Workers Pension Fund A and the Building Material Drivers Local 436 Pension Plan. The Western States plan, based in Portland, Oregon, has 7,230 participants in the service industry. In October 2018, it cut benefits by 25% to approximately 6,000 participants under the Multiemployer Pension Reform...

Colombia. Reforma Pensional Podría Impactar a Aseguradores de Rentas Vitalicias y Seguro Previsional

El proyecto de ley de reforma de pensiones, presentado recientemente por el Gobierno Nacional de Colombia, tendría efectos mixtos para el sector de seguros del país, según Fitch Ratings. El impacto de esta reforma en la mayoría de las empresas calificadas por Fitch probablemente será bajo, ya que solo algunas están suscritas a las rentas vitalicias y pólizas de supervivencia e invalidez. Se espera que las primas de rentas vitalicias disminuyan, pero sigue siendo incierto cómo la propuesta afectará...

Chile. Todos los multifondos de pensiones cierran abril con retornos negativos: el fantasma de un sexto retiro también impactó

No se salvó ninguno. En abril todos los multifondos de pensiones registraron retornos negativos, profundizando la caída que han anotado durante todo 2023. Según el boletín mensual de Ciedess, los fondos más riesgosos, A y B, registraron pérdidas de -0,19% y -0,30% respectivamente, mientras que el fondo C, de riesgo moderado, presentó una caída de -0,90%. Por su parte, los fondos más conservadores, D y E, obtuvieron bajas de -1,41% y -1,56%, cada uno. Recesión y tasas De acuerdo con Ciedess, el...

U.S. Corporate pension plans stay at or near 100% funded in April

U.S. corporate pension plans remained at or near 100% funded in April after slightly positive returns and slightly falling discount rates kept the numbers from moving too much, according to three new monthly reports. Legal & General Investment Management America estimated the average funding ratio of the typical U.S. corporate pension plan was 100.5% as of April 30, up from 100.3% a month earlier. In its latest monthly Pension Solutions Monitor, LGIMA said the estimated average funding ratio rose in April...

U.K. Pension funds plan more infrastructure investments

A majority of U.K. pension funds (62%) expect to increase investment in British infrastructure over the next 12 months and prioritize it over overseas markets, according to a survey conducted for alternative investment fund GLIL Infrastructure. GLIL is a partnership of U.K. pension funds managed by Local Pensions Partnership Investments. The survey of executives at 300 pension funds, including private and local government funds, was conducted by Censuswide for GLIL Infrastructure in February. It found that for 36% of respondents, the...

Ghana. Govt urged to establish Financial Literacy Education Secretariat

The government has been urged to establish a Financial Literacy Education Secretariat to continuously educate the public on financial literacy issues. This proposal is contained in Ghana Financial Literacy Strategy (2021-2025), which was prepared by Asamoah and Williams Consulting and Trans-media Network as part of the Financial Literacy Education Project (FLEP) under the Ghana Financial Sector Development Project (GFSDP), funded by the World Bank. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Asamoah and Williams Consulting, Mr Mawuko Williams, who made the call...

Studies on Aging and Late-Life Functioning Given Policy Impact Award

The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) have been awarded the 2023 Policy Impact Award by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). According to AAPOR, the award recognizes "outstanding research that has had a clear impact on improving policy decisions, practice and discourse, either in the public or private sectors." NHATS is designed to support policy-relevant demographic research investigating trends, trajectories, and consequences of late-life disability for individuals and families. NHATS...

Pensions and the metaverse

The metaverse offers pensions schemes exciting new opportunities. It could provide new ways for members to engage with their pension schemes, the way their funds are invested, and their retirement options. Better engagement should lead to better decision making and outcomes for pension scheme members, but low levels of engagement and understanding, particularly younger members, is a persistent issue for the pensions industry. Recent UK Government research found that attitudes to pensions were ‘characterised by detachment, fear and complacency’. Reducing feelings of...

Mèxico. Iván Pliego Moreno deja la Consar

Iván Pliego Moreno dejó la presidencia de la Comisión Nacional del Sistema del Ahorro para el Retiro (Consar) después de 1 año y 8 meses al frente del organismo descentralizado de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público, confirmó una fuente a El Economista. Iván Pliego se unirá al equipo del secretario de Hacienda, Rogelio Ramírez de la O, sin embargo la información aún no es confirmada por la SHCP, quien lo informará en su momento. Tampoco se ha dicho...