April 2024

Why richer, older China needs changes to its social contract

No one likes getting old. The pains and strains of becoming elderly wear on us. The worries about how to ensure we can provide for ourselves in old age looms largest of all, as countries’ birth rates fall Nowhere feels this more acutely than China, where a staggering 300 million peopleminimal or no pensionsmaller families The challenges are multifaceted. The government needs to build out rather than restrict the social safety net of pensions and healthcare for this growing segment of the country’s...

U.S. More people are working well past retirement age. It’s not easy

Hope Murray retired in 2013 after a 50-year career that ranged from game show producer to Hollywood party planner to casino executive. She settled into a life of golf, game nights and pickleball in her San Diego community, her daughter living nearby. Then things got more expensive. Gas was nearly $5 a gallon, medication costs were adding up, the grocery bill was increasing. So she downsized, stopped driving as much and waited longer between haircuts. But she could no longer afford some of...

Finland intends on cutting pensions

Finance Minister Riikka Purra of Finland has emphasized the necessity of implementing pension cuts as part of the government's efforts to bolster public finances, according to an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, a local newspaper. With the aim of slashing EUR3 billion from the 2025 state budget, discussions surrounding pension reforms have taken center stage in the current political discourse. Purra acknowledged the inevitability of reducing occupational pensions as a component of the government's austerity measures. She highlighted potential strategies such...

Perú. Retiro de AFP 2024: Congreso aprobó el retiro de hasta 4 UIT

Con 97 votos a favor, 5 en contra y 5 abstenciones el Congreso de la República aprobó el séptimo retiro AFP del fondo de pensiones de hasta 4 UIT este 11 de abril. La medida ya había sido aprobada por la Comisión de Economía y los peruanos se encontraban a la espera de su debate en el Pleno. En la siguiente nota podrás conocer quiénes son los afiliados al sistema de pensiones que podrán acceder al retiro de su dinero y...

México. Iniciativa para crear fondo de pensiones no expropia los ahorros de los trabajadores, dice Amafore

La Asociación Mexicana de Afores (Amafore) dijo que la iniciativa de Morena para crear el fondo de pensiones del bienestar no expropia los ahorros de los trabajadores y se dijo abierta al diálogo. De acuerdo con el organismo, la transferencia de recursos propuesta en la iniciativa no afecta la imprescriptibilidad de cuentas individuales de ahorro. “Amafore expresa que siempre apoyará toda iniciativa que esté en favor de las condiciones de retiro de las y los trabajadores mexicanos. Es importante aclarar que la iniciativa no contempla...

Chile. David Bravo plantea que reforma previsional debiera abordar un freno a los retiros y cuestiona el autopréstamo

En el marco del conversatorio "Diálogo de Pensiones: Un Análisis de España y Chile", organizado por la Cámara de Comercio de Santiago (CCS) junto con la Cámara Oficial Española de Comercio en Chile, el economista David Bravo indicó que el fin de los retiros de fondos debiera abordarse en la reforma que impulsa el gobierno, y apuntó a tener una institucionalidad que se preocupe de la sostenibilidad de las pensiones. "¿Se justifican todas las medidas contenidas en el proyecto del...

Peru Passes Bill Allowing for $7 Billion in Pension Withdrawals

Peru’s Congress overwhelmingly approved a bill late Thursday allowing workers to tap their retirement accounts, which authorities estimate could lead to $7 billion in withdrawals. The bill was approved with the vote of 95 lawmakers out of 106 in attendance, despite government opposition. The government could veto the bill, but that is likely only to delay its implementation as congress can easily override it. Lawmakers have repeatedly targeted Peru’s vilified private pension system since the pandemic, saying the system has failed...

US. People Are Worried About Retirement Savings, And They Should Be

This week is America Saves Week, a time to focus on actions Americans can take to successfully save. When it comes to saving for retirement, Americans are feeling pessimistic. In a recent nationwide survey of working age Americans, 79% agree that the nation faces a retirement savings crisis, up from 67% in 2020. And more than half of Americans (55%) are concerned that they cannot achieve financial security in retirement. But is this worry about retirement savings warranted? After all, people worry about many things,...

UK. TPR finds trustees are taking action on climate risks and opportunities

Pension trustees are acting to address climate risks and opportunities, with more than 60 per cent of pension schemes included in The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) latest review having some form of net-zero goal with a target date of 2050 or earlier. Following the introduction of new climate-related disclosures for schemes with more than £1bn in assets under management in 2022, TPR undertook an analysis of a selection of reports in an effort to help raise standards across the industry. This review...

Immigrant Workers Save Aging Economies But Face Financial Struggles In Their Senior Years

Immigrants support the economy of aging societies in many ways. They pay into social pension programs, which finance the lives of retirees. Many of them work in the care industry and directly serve older people, which reduces nursing home needs on a community level. Immigrants themselves also benefit economically from moving to a new country. At every education level, they typically enter the labor market with lower wages than native-born citizens do, but eventually catch up over time. However, my recent study has revealed that things look...