March 2024
14Mar

UK. DWP’s frozen state pension policy called into question

The International Consortium of British Pensioners has called for a review of frozen pensions as its analysis reportedly calls into question the figures used by the government to defend the policy. According to the report titled ‘Frozen Pensions: A Policy Overdue for Review’, the figures used by the DWP on the cost of unfreezing pensions are based on the "false presumption" that, at the date of such a policy change, all pensions would be uprated to the level they would have...

March 14, 2024
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14Mar

South Korea. Pension reform proposals criticized for lacking sustainability

The recent national pension reform proposal at the National Assembly is facing criticism for merely tweaking some key figures — such as the premium and income replacement rates — without tackling the essential reforms needed to bolster the system's long-term sustainability. Many say the suggested changes are provisional, especially given the uncertainty about when the national pension system might undergo revision again. A special pension reform committee associated with the National Assembly unveiled two proposals on Tuesday, following three days of...

March 14, 2024
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14Mar

East Asian societies have the world’s lowest birth rates—and are learning that ‘throwing a bit of money’ at the problem isn’t solving anything

Governments across Asia—in Singapore and Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul—are facing a crisis: plummeting birth rates. For several decades now, people in East Asian economies have had fewer and fewer children. Last year, South Korea beat its own record for having the world’s lowest birth rate, reporting 0.72 births per woman for 2023, down from 0.78 in 2022. Singapore reported 0.97 births per woman, the first time the rate has fallen below one. Japan has one of the world’s oldest populations, with a median age of 49.5. Hong Kong, Taiwan,...

March 14, 2024
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14Mar

Bitcoin ETFs to pull in pension fund investments

By Lucas Cacioli   In light of mounting evidence and evolving market infrastructure, it seems increasingly likely that institutional investors like pension funds are moving towards a tipping point where bitcoin ETFs will be seriously considered as part of a diversified investment strategy. During a private conversation I had with a pension fund CEO late into 2023, I couldn’t help but ask how far away their fund was from ever investing in something like bitcoin. “Far,” they said without hesitation. The response was unsurprising...

March 14, 2024
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13Mar

México. Aumento de cuotas y más recursos en las Afores, los retos

El próximo gobierno deberá garantizar que haya suficientes instrumentos de inversión para invertir los mayores recursos administrados; aportaciones deberán aumentar. El siguiente gobierno tendrá que hacerle frente a una serie de retos en materia del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (SAR) y Afores, tales como incrementar las aportaciones obligatorias de los trabajadores a sus cuentas individuales y garantizar que haya suficientes instrumentos de inversión donde se puedan invertir los mayores recursos administrados. Guillermo Zamarripa, presidente de la Asociación Mexicana de...

March 13, 2024
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13Mar

Chile. Actualizan número de personas que quedó $0 o con menos de $200 mil en la AFP tras los retiros del 10%

Por Verónica Reyes   La Superintendencia de Pensiones (SP) difundió algunas cifras actualizadas ligadas a lo que fueron los retiros del 10% desde las cuentas de capitalización individual de las AFP. Cabe recordar que, luego de eso último, la Ley Nº 21.339 permitió a las personas acceder a un bono de hasta $200 mil sólo bajo dos circunstancias: si luego de los retiros sus cuentas en las AFP quedaron con $0 o un monto inferior a $200 mil. En un periodo de vigencia del beneficio pudieron...

March 13, 2024
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13Mar

Panamá. Jubilados se convierten en el nuevo ‘target’ de los diputados

El pasado jueves 7 de marzo, el pleno de la Asamblea Nacional alteró el orden del día para priorizar los debates de dos propuestas de ley vinculadas con beneficios o entrega de bonificaciones a personas en edad de jubilación y los que ya están pensionados. Se trata de una movida política estratégica en pleno periodo electoral, entendiendo que en la Caja de Seguro Social (CSS) hay 300 mil pensionados y el subsistema exclusivamente de beneficio definido está compuesto en su...

March 13, 2024
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13Mar

US. Corporate Pension Funding Levels Skyrocket in February

The funded status of U.S.-based corporate pension plans increased significantly in February, primarily due to a rally in technology stocks, driven by excitement over AI and semiconductors, according to industry reports. Funded status also continues to be boosted by heightened interest rates. The surplus in pension funding could have some plan sponsors considering what to do with their excess pension assets. Earlier this month, Eastman Kodak announced it would shut its investment office, shifting the management of its assets to...

March 13, 2024
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13Mar

U.K. pension fund surplus and funding ratio rises in February

The total surplus of U.K. corporate pension funds covered by the Pension Protection Fund, London's 7800 index increased by 4% in February to £442.3 billion ($559.8 billion), while the funding ratio also rose. The funding ratio increased to 146.1% as of Feb. 29, compared to 143.9% at the end of January, an update said. The total deficit of all plans with a shortfall was £3.9 billion as of Feb. 29, down from £4.3 billion as of Jan. 31. Total assets were...

March 13, 2024
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13Mar

Building Europe’s Green Transition and Retirement Security – Listed Real Estate’s Dual Role in Global Megatrends

As we enter 2024, the world continues to confront financial and environmental challenges on a global and societal scale. Globally, efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s objectives are falling behind, with the green transition’s investment levels not meeting the necessary targets. This was highlighted by the World Bank’s Senior Managing Director, at the recent EU Sustainable Investment Summit, where the critical need for accelerated private investment in sustainability was underscored. The Commission identified a 1.5 trillion euro annual funding need...

March 13, 2024
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