September 2021

Chilean bill to allow for fourth pension withdrawal advances in Congress

Chile's lower congressional chamber on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow citizens to make a fourth withdrawal from their pension funds, and sent it to the Senate for a vote, despite opposition from the government. The initiative passed with 94 votes in favor, just one more than the minimum needed, while 39 lawmakers voted against and 9 abstained. Chile's government and the Central Bank have warned that passing the bill would negatively affect the economy, as Chileans further deplete funds...

US. Bridging The Retirement Readiness Gap With Focused Financial Literacy

Most Americans are behind the curve when it comes to their retirement readiness. However, there’s a significant racial gap in retirement readiness — especially between white and non-white individuals. As of 2016, 48% of white Americans between the ages of 30 and 59 were projected to be unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement, compared to 54% of Black Americans and 61% of Hispanic Americans, according to an analysis by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston...

Canada’s second-largest pension fund says first to exit oil assets

Canada’s No. 2 pension fund, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, said Tuesday it will shed all of its oil production assets, valued at C$3.9 billion ($3.08 billion), by the end of 2022 and reduce carbon intensity by 60% by 2030. It said it would be the first institutional investor in Canada to exit oil production assets. As part of a plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Montreal-based Caisse plans to hold green assets worth C$54 billion by 2025...

16.5% of S. Korea’s population aged 65 and older in 2021: report

People aged 65 and older made up 16.5 percent of South Korea's population this year, a report showed Wednesday, highlighting concerns that the fast-aging demographic transition could pose a drag on the country's economy. According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of people aged 65 and older stood at 8.53 million this year. The South Korean population is projected to peak in 2028 before going on a downward curve, the report showed. However, the graying of South Korea will accelerate,...

UK. How to give pension advice to same-sex couples in divorce

It is not uncommon for pension rights to represent a significant proportion of the matrimonial assets. Therefore, dealing with these rights in a way that ensures that both parties’ interests are best served may lead to some difficult and acrimonious discussions. The circumstances of each party may be such that finding a solution that suits both is elusive. Advisers are likely to be approached by the legal representatives of one party with a view to reaching an optimal solution for that party. In...

Avanza en Chile polémico proyecto para retirar 10 % pensiones por cuarta vez

El Parlamento chileno avanzó este lunes en la discusión de un proyecto de ley que permitiría a los chilenos retirar el 10 % de sus fondos de pensiones por cuarta vez desde el inicio de la crisis sanitaria, una iniciativa envuelta en polémica que enfrenta una semana clave en la Cámara Baja. Leer también Chile. Cuarto retiro 10% AFP: qué pasará ahora tras la votación y próximas noticias Con 8 votos a favor y 4 en contra, la Comisión de Constitución...

How to fix the gender pension gap

By Azka Ali, David Knox, Yvonne Sonsino The gender pension gap is a problem in most retirement income systems around the world. The causes and compounding effects are related to employment and pension design as well as socio-cultural issues. These issues need fixing at a multi-stakeholder level by HR and pension leaders, governments and women themselves. The gender pension gap exists in virtually every retirement income system around the world. The range is remarkable, with Japan having an almost 50%...

UK, Pension Management

U.K. regulators propose to expand access to illiquid investments

U.K. financial regulators issued recommendations Monday aimed at making it easier for defined contribution plan participants to invest in less-liquid assets. The productive finance working group's report, A Roadmap for Increasing Productive Finance Investment, made four recommendations with specific actions for both the industry and government. The group includes officials with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Treasury. The recommendations include encouraging plan trustees to consider less-liquid assets; increasing scale by continuing to consolidate smaller plans; building...

Puerto Rico Board Agrees to Pension Changes If New Bonds Granted

By Michelle Kaske Puerto Rico’s financial oversight board said it will sign off on island lawmakers’ proposed changes to pensions if officials approve a plan to sell new bonds, a move that could enable the commonwealth to end its record bankruptcy. The panel will agree to raising its proposed $1,500 minimum pension payment to $2,000 and allowing the commonwealth to make up for any of the proposed pension reductions by allocating revenues to retirees in future budgets, the board said in...

Argentina. El recorte del gasto en jubilaciones financió este año un cuarto del pago de intereses de las Leliq y pases del Banco Central

“Voy a dejar de pagar intereses de las Leliq para aumentar 20% las jubilaciones”. Fue una de las primeras promesas de campaña de Alberto Fernández, días antes de las elecciones primarias. Más de dos años después de esa declaración de intenciones, la realidad terminó siendo distinta: en lo que va del año el Estado recortó cerca de $200.000 millones del gasto previsional y pagó más de $800.000 millones de intereses de esas Letras de Liquidez y de pases del...