October 2024

UK. DWP suggests clearer communication and tech to boost pension engagement

There is a need for clearer communication, improved information and greater use of technology to boost public engagement with private pensions in the UK, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The report, titled “Lessons on Pensions Engagement”, explores how to encourage greater participation in private pension schemes. It finds that “Pension engagement is a key departmental and governmental priority, but evidence shows engagement is low.” The analysis defines engagement in three ways: cognitive, emotional, and behavioural. It highlights...

US. A Little Bit of Everything in September for DB Plans

September is a little bit of everything. It’s summer, it’s fall. Baseball season, football season. In like manner, the funding status of private-sector pension plans showed slight progress — or slight decline — this September, depending on the analysis. But the common theme is that there was relative stability. This marks the second consecutive month in which the funding of private-sector pension plans had mixed results. They fared similarly in August, when a number of analyses diverged on whether private-sector pension...

Korean public pension fund trailing peers on support for E&S votes, study finds

Korea’s National Pension System (NPS) is falling behind other large public pension funds on proxy voting, according to a study by local policy think tank the Economic Reform Research Institute (ERRI). With $818 billion in AUM, NPS is the second-largest pension fund in the world after Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund. However, analysts at ERRI said an inadequate voting policy on sustainability issues means the fund consistently ranks low among peers on support for global ESG proposals. The study compares NPS with six European,...

España. La ‘hucha de las pensiones’ cerrará 2024 con cerca de 9.300 millones, 300 millones más de lo previsto

El Fondo de Reserva de la Seguridad Social, conocido como la 'hucha de las pensiones', cerrará el año con cerca de 9.300 millones de euros, 300 millones más de lo inicialmente previsto, ha informado este lunes el Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones. Al finalizar el mes de septiembre, la hucha contaba con 8.356 millones de euros, "el nivel más alto desde diciembre de 2017", tras haber ingresado desde enero 2.623 millones de euros gracias al Mecanismo de...

Chile. Ministerio de Economía abre investigación sobre legalidad de campaña de las AFPs en contra de la reforma de pensiones

El Ministerio de Economía abrió una investigación sobre la campaña publicitaria de la Asociación de AFPs en contra de la reforma de pensiones, dándole 30 días hábiles para entregar antecedentes que justifiquen su accionar. La investigación, fue abierta a partir de la solicitud de la cancelación de la personalidad jurídica de este gremio por parte del presidente de la Comisión de Trabajo, diputado Luis Cuello, junto a los parlamentarios, Boris Barrera, Andrés Giordano, Juan Santana, Javiera Morales Alvarado, Marcela Riquelme,...

Regulators increase scrutiny on funded reinsurance amid pension de-risking surge

The growing use of innovative “funded” or “asset-intensive” reinsurance structures by life insurance companies has attracted regulatory attention, particularly in light of the expanding pension de-risking market. These transactions, which involve transferring corporate pension scheme liabilities to life insurers, have led to an increase in reinsurance activity where both investment and longevity risks are passed to reinsurers. In its latest report, Hogan Lovells notes that while regulators recognize the strategic role of reinsurance in managing risk and capital, the rising volume of...

US. 4 Trends Transforming How The Country Saves For Retirement

From building your nest egg to navigating financial hurdles, everyone’s journey to retirement is unique—but a clear road map is key to success. This is evident in research conducted by investment management company Vanguard in its comprehensive How America Saves 2024 report, which explores hundreds of retirement contribution plans, thousands of data points and the actions of millions of participants. For the past 23 years, Vanguard has been researching retirement trends and using data to help plan administrators optimize offerings. The result?...

Despite medical advances, life expectancy gains are slowing

We’ve seen dramatic increases in life expectancy over the 19th and 20th centuries, thanks to healthier diets, medical advances and many other quality-of-life improvements. But after nearly doubling over the course of the 20th century, the rate of increase has slowed considerably in the last three decades, according to a new study led by the University of Illinois Chicago. Despite frequent breakthroughs in medicine and public health, life expectancy at birth in the world’s longest-living populations has increased only an average...

Australia. Pension exit improvements proposed

A government proposal to allow SMSF members to exit legacy pensions could be improved through the removal of the five-year timeframe, allowing partial commutations and exempting all reserve allocations from any form of contribution caps, the Institute of Financial Professionals Australia (IFPA) has stated. In its submission to Treasury regarding the draft regulations released in mid-September, IFPA welcomed the proposed changes, but added minor amendments to the regulations would ensure they were more effective and flexible in allowing people to exit...

Fondo de pensiones de Estado mexicano demanda a constructora ICA

La mexicana ICA, una de las mayores constructoras del país, informó el lunes que fue emplazada a un juicio mercantil por una demanda iniciada por el fondo de pensiones de los trabajadores del Estado, PensionISSSTE. El fondo inyectó más de 20 millones de dólares en ICA y se convirtió en su mayor accionista cuando la endeudada empresa se dirigía a la insolvencia, dijeron a Reuters en marzo fuentes cercanas al asunto. "El pasado viernes 19 de octubre la Compañía fue emplazada...