July 2024

Ghana’s Constitutional Conundrum: A call for reform

By Joseph Bagah   Ghana’s constitutional framework has been a subject of concern, and a lot of brainstorming has gone on for many years. The practice where Members of Parliament (MPs) play dual roles or serve multiple positions as Ministers has raised questions about whether conflict of interest situations do not arise and the lines between Legislative and Executive blurred. This concentration of power has resulted in a lack of accountability and transparency in governance perpetuating a system where those who...

México. En junio de este año, plusvalías de Afores alcanzan los 101 mmdp

Durante el mes de junio del 2024, las Administradoras de Fondos para el Retiro (Afores) lograron las mayores plusvalías o ganancias en lo que va del año, con 101 mil 625 millones de pesos. Estas ganancias superan incluso las registradas en el mes de mayo del mismo año, que ascendieron a 82 mil 830 millones de pesos, lo que representa, en un 18.5 por ciento más. Con este saldo, en los primeros seis meses del año las Afores lograron acumular plusvalías por...

Chile. “El sistema no se ha acabado, está totalmente vigente”: José Piñera reaparece defendiendo el sistema de AFP y con críticas al gobierno

Desde ya hace mucho tiempo que el economista no da entrevista y sus apariciones públicas son cada vez más escasas. De hecho, la última vez que se le había visto, fue para el funeral de su hermano Sebastián, en febrero del 2024. El pasado 11 de junio, el economista, José Piñera -hermano del fallecido expresidente Sebastián Piñera– reapareció en el Yacht Club de Puerto Madero para participar de una charla convocada por el Instituto Cato de Argentina. Su participación, dada a conocer recién este viernes 26 de...

Puerto Rico. Jubilados exigen al gobernador Pedro Pierluisi que firme medida para aumentar sus pensiones

Decenas de jubiladas y jubilados del gobierno de Puerto Rico llegaron este domingo hasta la calle de La Fortaleza en el Viejo San Juan para reclamar la firma del gobernador Pedro Pierluisi al Proyecto de la Cámara (PC) 2038, una medida legislativa que, de convertirse en ley, concedería a los pensionados un incremento de hasta $300 mensuales. “El mensaje que le estamos llevando al gobernador es que llevamos ya 17 años sin ningún tipo de aumento y sí muchos recortes”, subrayó Pedro Pastrana Ortiz, del...

UK. Lifetime annuity rates rise to over 7% in June

Lifetime annuity rates have continued to improve in 2024, rising to 7.08 per cent in June for a healthy 65 year old, according to the Standard Life Annuity Rate Tracker. This is around a 4 per cent increase from the average rate of 6.81 per cent in January and a 2.64 per cent improvement from 6.9 per cent in March. This would add an extra £3,659 to the average total lifetime income for a 65 year old man and £4,059 to...

Japanese pension funds tiptoe into moonshot tech investments

Tokyo-based Beyond Next Ventures’ latest startup fund is 56% bigger than its predecessor, thanks to growing interest from the country’s traditionally risk-averse pension funds. Of the ¥25.7 billion ($160 million) the company raised for bets on cutting-edge tech and research startups, 20% came from trustees handling annuities and other long-term investments, according to the company. It’s one of the first signs that a trickle of money from the aging economy’s $$3.3 trillion’ worth of pension assets is going into the...

US. The No. 1 enemy of your 401(k) plan may be you

Here's the truth about the portfolio strategy you might be following When the stock market did a face-plant earlier this week, I went and checked some numbers. And I thought: Yep. Like clockwork. Yep: Individual investors have been feeling bullish. Yep: Joe and Jane Q. Public have been pouring money into the stock market - after this year's big run-up. The Investment Company Institute reports a surge of buying of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that invest in U.S. stocks in the...

Elderly Germans Face Rising Poverty Threat

Germany is facing a growing concern over the rising number of elderly citizens living in poverty. Recent investigative reports indicate that a staggering 3.2 million pensioners in the country are at risk of economic hardship, a situation worsened by stagnant wages and insufficient pension benefits. As mentioned in reports from the public broadcaster ARD, nearly one in five, or approximately 18.7%, of Germany's pensioners were classified as being at risk of poverty as of 2017. This alarming statistic highlights...

Chile. Comité Técnico logra acuerdos parciales en 21 puntos de la reforma de pensiones

El Comité Técnico que durante dos meses analizó los principales contenidos de la reforma previsional, presentó sus conclusiones ante la Comisión de Trabajo del Senado. El grupo alcanzó acuerdos parciales en 21 puntos de la reforma. “La Comisión de Trabajo del Senado hoy dio un paso muy significativo al acoger al Comité Técnico que estuvo sesionando durante los últimos dos meses y relevar los acuerdos que, si bien son parciales en materia de pensiones, dan cuenta de un avance que...

UK. ‘Astonishing’ surge in pensioners paying top tax rate

The number of pensioners paying the highest rate of tax has doubled in just a year following a cut in thresholds. More than 100,000 taxpayers over the age of 65 will pay 45p in the pound on their income in the 2023-2024 tax year, projected HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) figures have revealed. This is up from just 55,000 the year before, according to the data released to The Telegraph under a Freedom of Information request. The number of pension-age taxpayers hit...