January 2026

Equable Institute Analysis: U.S. Public Pension Funds Close 2025 with Strong Returns

Equable Institute released a year-end update to its State of Pensions 2025 report. The analysis finds the aggregate funded ratio for U.S. state and local retirement systems are on track to improve from 78.0% in 2024 to 82.5% in 2025, based on data available through December 31st, 2025. Equable Institute estimates that unfunded liabilities will total $1.27 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year, compared to $1.54 trillion at the end of 2024. Strong market performance and record high contribution rates...

December 2025

Millennial Dilemma: Home ownership or retirement security?

Millennials are facing an unprecedented financial squeeze: 58% of them feel as if they must choose between homeownership and retirement security, according to an Advisor Authority study, powered by the Nationwide Retirement Institute. The survey pointed out that as housing prices accelerate ahead of median income wage growth, millennials face a fundamentally different financial environment from their parents, resulting in their adopting different approaches to wealth building. Millennials’ wealth-building approaches Unlike prior generations, said Juan Jose Perez, president of Nationwide Corporate Solutions,...

UK. A Christmas wishlist for the pensions industry

By Nick Reeve With the festive break upon us, it’s time to find out what the pensions industry really wants for Christmas this year. Pensions Expert asked representatives of 21 organisations from across the UK retirement industry to come up with one ‘Christmas wish’ – something they would like to see over the next 12 months. From a smooth passage for the Pension Schemes Bill to collective defined contribution (CDC) schemes becoming a reality, from defined benefit (DB) endgames to the Pensions...

Over half of UK savers relying on non-pension assets for retirement

Over half (57 per cent) of UK pension savers are building up retirement savings outside of their pension, with a heavy reliance on cash, raising concerns about long-term outcomes, research from Interactive Investor has revealed. The investment platform found that adults were saving for retirement outside of a pension, using a mix of cash savings, stocks and shares ISAs, buy-to-let property and other investments to build long-term wealth. While the trend points to broader engagement with retirement saving, the findings highlighted...

Charted: U.S. Population Growth by Year (2005-2055)

Key Takeaways In 2025, the U.S. population is forecast to grow 0.2% amid record-low fertility rates and an aging population. Over the next 30 years, population growth is expected to decline to zero. By 2048, population will peak, as net immigration growth and natural population decline (deaths > births) cancel each other out. U.S. population growth is slowing, and is projected to grind to a halt by 2048. Today, historically low fertility means births only marginally exceed deaths. Not only that, within the next...

US. 3 Big Changes for Retirement Planning in 2026

Provisions in Secure 2.0, OBBBA affect retirement savers and retirees. For retirement savers and retirees, the ringing in of the new year will bring more than the usual inflation adjustments to retirement contributions. The retirement legislation known as Secure 2.0 will also continue to phase in, bringing implications for retirement savers. In addition, the budget law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has impacts for retirement savers and retirees. Here’s a roundup of three key retirement-related changes to watch...

Côte d’Ivoire Insurers Push for Pension Reform as Life-Insurance Penetration Stalls at 0.6%

Côte d’Ivoire’s Association of Insurance Companies (ASA-CI) has called for a mandatory supplementary pension plan for private-sector workers. The proposal was presented at the country’s first life-insurance conference, held in Abidjan on Dec. 3-4. Under the proposed scheme, private-sector employees would make additional contributions to boost their future retirement income, as the basic pension often fails to cover living costs, according to the ASA-CI. To support the new plan, the ASA-CI urged the government to develop tailored retirement savings and investment...

Germany. Merz hopes to avoid German coalition crisis with vow to overhaul pensions

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday his coalition has agreed to carry out a comprehensive pension reform next year, a move aimed at easing concerns over an interim pensions bill that had threatened to destabilise his government. The youth wing of Merz's conservatives had said they would not back the new bill, which aims to maintain current pension levels in relation to incomes while incentivizing people to work longer, as it would leave younger Germans to bear the costs. Their...

UK. The Pensions Regulator probes barriers to investment in private markets

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has launched an initiative to better understand the barriers people face when it comes to investing in private markets. Through the voluntary Mansion House Accord, 17 workplace pension providers have signalled their intent to invest more in private markets by 2030, including in the UK. The announcement in October of the Sterling 20 partnership between 20 of the UK’s largest pension funds and insurers has continued to build on that momentum. TPR published private markets guidance last year...

Panorama Social de América Latina y el Caribe, 2025: cómo salir de la trampa de alta desigualdad, baja movilidad social y débil cohesión social

Por CEPAL El Panorama Social de América Latina y el Caribe 2025 analiza la trampa de alta desigualdad, baja movilidad social y débil cohesión social que perpetúa la crisis de desarrollo en la región. La desigualdad es un fenómeno histórico, estructural y multidimensional que requiere una medición adecuada para diseñar políticas integrales que aborden sus múltiples causas. Superar la desigualdad implica enfrentar de forma integral las desigualdades causadas por las debilidades de los sistemas educativos y fortalecer el papel de...