July 2025

Vietnam updates insurance law with guidance on lump-sum payouts

It also clarifies the entitlement to retirement and survivorship benefits. Vietnam's Government has issued a decree to provide detailed guidance on several provisions of the Law on Social Insurance related to voluntary social insurance. The new decree, Decree 159/2025/ND-CP, took effect on 1 July, replacing Decree 134/2015/ND-CP. Key areas covered include contribution rules, benefit entitlements, and transitional provisions. Specifically, the decree outlines regulations for individuals who do not qualify for pensions or social allowances due to age or contribution conditions; sets...

June 2025

Rising Discount Rates Push Pension Risk Transfer Costs Lower in April

Offloading retiree pension risk to an insurance company became less expensive in April, according to consulting and actuary firm Milliman, which tracks the cost of de–risking pension funds with its Milliman Pension Buyout Index. The firm estimated that in a competitive bidding process, average costs of a pension risk transfer declined to 101.1% of a plan’s accounting liabilities in April from 102.5% in March. At the same time, average annuity purchase costs among all insurers in Milliman’s index decreased to...

May 2025

Should people keep working until later in life?

Working until later in life can help build up a pension, but some people are counting the days until retirement. Data seems to suggest that a 70-year-old in 2022 had the same cognitive function as a 53-year-old back in 2000. It also pointed to improved physical health as a reason why fit and healthy people should be encouraged to work into their 70s. This would go some way towards addressing the ratio of working people to retirees, which has become increasingly...

UK. Only 40 percent know their pension is being invested

6 in 10 people don’t know their pension is invested. Men are far more likely to know their pension is invested – 51% compared to 28% of women. Workplace pension members are typically automatically put into a default fund. Investment returns have a huge influence on people’s pension outcome. Clare Stinton, head of workplace saving analysis, Hargreaves Lansdown: “If you have a pension, you’re an investor. Unfortunately, most people don’t realise this, so they risk missing a golden opportunity...

South Korean insurers bag $10b in profits for 2024

The increase was mainly driven by higher investment income across life and non-life. The preliminary net income of 22 life insurance and 32 non-life insurance companies in South Korea accumulated $10.32b (KRW14.14t) for 2024, up 4.6% year-on-year (YoY), data from the Financial Supervisory Service showed. The increase was mainly driven by higher investment income across both life and non-life segments. Life insurance companies reported a net income of $4.1163b (KRW5.6374t), up 7.1% YoY. Despite a $581.4m (KRW796.4b) decline in insurance income due...

South Africa. Treasurer accused of ‘double standard’ on PM’s $300k pension

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been accused of double standards by allowing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and veteran public officials to delay paying the new superannuation tax until retirement. Interest will be charged annually on the deferred tax liability at the long-term government bond rate, currently about 4.5 per cent. Read More @@afr

Sustainability reporting on pension schemes the path forward

In an era marked by growing awareness of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations, sustainability reporting has emerged as a crucial aspect for organisations, investors and stakeholders. For pension schemes, particularly, integrating sustainability into their reporting frameworks is more than just a regulatory requirement; it’s an ethical imperative that aligns with the long-term nature of their commitments to retirees and the society. Read the complete book here

European semester thematic factsheet adequacy and sustainability of pensions

Pensions are the main source of income for older people in Europe, coming mostly from 'pay-as-you-go' public schemes. Retired people drawing a pension are a significant and — due to demographic ageing — a growing part of the EU population (about 124 million, or a quarter of the total population1). European pension systems are facing the dual challenge of remaining financially sustainable and being able to provide Europeans with an adequate income in retirement. The key purpose of pension...

A Canadian Approach to Rethinking Technology Design for Aging Populations

By Milena Head Older adults are the fastest-growing segment of the population. In Canada, one in five people are 65 or older, and by 2065, this will increase to more than one in four. Yet, despite their growing numbers, older adults often face exclusion and marginalization in technology design. This digital divide has significant consequences, leading to isolation, loneliness, frustration, and poor health outcomes, particularly when we intersect factors like lower socioeconomic status, race, gender, and immigrant status. Source: @SSRN

Brazil social security minister latest to quit in major pension fraud scandal

Brazil's Social Security Minister, Carlos Lupi, has resigned nine days after police unveiled a major corruption scandal which defrauded pensioners of $1.1bn (£829m). Federal police allege that over the past decade, the National Social Security Institute (INSS) made unauthorised deductions from payments made to millions of pensioners. The money was allegedly paid to several associations and unions, which then shared the earnings with corrupt government officials. Lupi has always denied any wrongdoing and said he ordered an investigation as soon as he...