April 2024

U.S. private equity exit activity remains low

There were 201 private equity exits totaling $66.7 billion in the first quarter, according to data provided by PitchBook. That compares with 233 exits and $82.4 billion in volume for the fourth quarter. Exit volume was much higher in 2020 and 2021. In the second quarter of 2021, there were 431 exits and $263.3 billion in exit value. There were 65 private equity funds that raised $77.6 billion in during the first quarter. The average size was about $1.2 billion. For all...

The country with the most generous retirement in the world

The UK state pension notoriously pays a meagre income that barely covers the basic cost of living in retirement. Even those who receive the full £11,500 a year face a shortfall of almost £3,000 on what is required for a ‘minimum’ standard of living, according to pension industry guidelines. But are British pensioners really any worse off than their counterparts in Europe and around the world? And just how generous are state pension schemes in other countries? With the help of pensions firm...

México. Presentan iniciativa del Fondo de pensiones para el Bienestar ante Diputados.

Ignacio Mier Velazco presentó la iniciativa de Morena del Fondo de pensiones para el Bienestar, ante el Pleno de la Cámara de Diputados, que implica adiciones a diferentes leyes para los jubilados de México. En palabras del diputado de Morena, la creación del Fondo de pensiones para el Bienestar busca que se garantice una vejez digna para los mexicanos, debido al sistema que existe actualmente. El diputado de Morena destacó que el Fondo de pensiones para el Bienestar es un fideicomiso que será constituido con la Secretaría de Hacienda...

Chile. El cruce de la ministra Jeannette Jara y las AFP en el Senado por pensiones y aumento de la edad para jubilar

La Asociación de las AFP expuso sus reparos ante la propuesta de la reforma de pensiones que plantea el gobierno y defendió su rol en el contexto de la discusión del proyecto previsional tras avanzar al Senado. La reforma de pensiones vive su paso por el Senado tras el avance del iniciativa por la Cámara de Diputadas y Diputados, pero con varias interrogantes sobre su contenido final, como el destino de la cotización adicional del 6% a cargo del empleador....

Perú. AFP: expertos advierten que séptimo retiro puede impactar negativamente en pensiones futuras

La posibilidad de un séptimo retiro de fondos de las Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP) se volvió un tema candente en el Congreso de la República, generando debates sobre sus repercusiones en pensiones futuras de los afiliados. La propuesta, que permitiría retirar hasta 4 UIT (S/ 20,600) de las cuentas individuales, avanzó luego de su aprobación por parte de la Comisión de Economía, Banca, Finanzas e Inteligencia Financiera; el pasado 25 de marzo de 2024. El proyecto, que busca brindar un alivio financiero...

Colombia. Los fallos claves de las altas Cortes que han modificado el sistema pensional en Colombia

El sistema pensional colombiano ha sido uno de los epicentros del debate en los últimos años en el país, no solo por las modificaciones que se han querido introducir -vía reforma-, sino también por las diferentes sentencias que han sido proferidas por las altas Cortes, las cuales han tenido un impacto fiscal y, sobre todo, social, respecto a este tema. Las discusiones y decisiones giran alrededor de los desafíos de implementar modelos que logren un equilibrio para proteger los aportes de quienes...

Pensions giant to create UK superfund in boost for Hunt

Britain’s biggest long-term savings and retirement business is drawing up plans to launch a new superfund to back fast-growing companies in a boost for Jeremy Hunt. Phoenix, which owns insurer Standard Life, is in the early stages of creating a multibillion-pound investment vehicle that insiders say will help turbocharge investment in high-growth sectors and lift pension returns. This includes pooling cash to invest in life sciences and fintech businesses, as well as injecting long-term venture capital into unlisted companies in the...

Financial sector faces challenges amid climate crisis

Many of us have life insurance or retirement funds: we may allocate a portion of our salary to them each month. But we rarely know how our money is being invested. We simply trust that, when the time comes, the resources will be available to us and that the financial system will have invested our savings wisely. Still, we don’t necessarily know precisely where our money is being invested, nor do we know what regulatory framework financial institutions are operating under. At...

Cyprus. State pension fund reaching critical levels

The Fiscal Council, advising the Cyprus government on economic policies, has renewed a warning call that borrowing from the Social Insurance Fund has reached critical levels, threatening to derail public finances if action is not taken. In an announcement on Thursday, it urged the government to act on the suggestions of an actuarial study, submitted to the authority earlier in the week. The authority has warned that it needs to address its dependency on the Social Insurance Fund, as it...

UK. Cover story: Pensions are on life support – but how do we save them?

We are in the midst of a pensions crisis. For a long time, experts have warned that UK adults aren’t saving anywhere near enough money to ensure a comfortable, or even moderate, retirement. But now it feels as though we’ve reached breaking point. If pensions were a person, it’s probably safe to say they’d be on life support. Let’s take a quick look at the facts. Around a fifth of working-age private-sector employees — approximately 3.5 million people — do not pay anything...