July 2026

People are living longer, but spending more years in poor health

People around the world are living longer than ever before but spending more of those additional years in poor health, according to a new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet Public Health. Researchers found that the global morbidity gap widened in almost all countries and territories analyzed between 1990 and 2023. Globally, while the share of life spent in poor health increased, trends varied by country, and a smaller number of countries saw this share decline. Within...

Germany’s 2026 pension reform push — a blueprint for the US.?

Germany's statutory pension insurance is essentially its version of Social Security, designed to protect German citizens in old age and provide disability and survivors' benefits. As in the U.S., Germany's retirement system is under heavy long-term financial pressure and grappling with how to reform it. That's why the country's pensions commission recently presented recommendations for sweeping changes, and the government has signaled its intention to implement them by the end of the year. The question becomes: Can the U.S. borrow any...

Japan’s AI gamble: Can technology offset the cost of an ageing society?

Beneath the business towers of Tokyo’s Otemachi district, a test is taking place to see whether artificial intelligence can help solve one of Japan’s biggest economic challenges: a shrinking workforce. Deep underground, Marunouchi Heat Supply Company operates a 30km (18.6-mile) network of heating and cooling pipelines serving offices, commercial buildings and transport facilities in one of Japan’s most important business areas. The company is now using AI to manage this complex infrastructure with the goal of moving towards more automated...

México. Mujeres, con mayor necesidad de sacar recursos de su Afore

En el primer semestre de 2026, se aceleran los retiros parciales por desempleo de las cuentas de ahorro para la jubilación, especialmente en las mujeres, según cifras de la Comisión Nacional del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (Consar). Y es que, el monto retiro de estas cuentas bajo la titularidad de una mujer, observó un incremento de 32.9 por ciento nominal respecto a enero-junio del año pasado, al pasar de seis mil 484 millones de pesos a ocho mil...

Taiwan Pension Funds Award $3B Climate Mandate

Taiwan’s Bureau of Labor Funds has selected five global asset managers for a $3 billion climate transition infrastructure mandate, directing public pension capital toward the energy and digital systems reshaping the global economy. Amundi Asset Management, BNP Paribas Asset Management Europe, Geode Capital Management, Northern Trust Asset Management Australia and State Street Global Advisors Singapore will each receive $600 million. The mandates have a five-year term. Each manager will oversee $400 million from the Labor Pension Fund, alongside $100 million from...

UK. SPP: Managing pension scheme risk in an increasingly uncertain world

There is currently heightened uncertainty, both geopolitically and closer to home, for UK defined benefit (DB) pension schemes. The situation in the Middle East remains precarious with a fragile ceasefire and ongoing threats. The war in Ukraine is still ongoing, albeit with some signs that a peace deal may emerge. In the UK, the prime minister has resigned, his replacement is all but confirmed, and markets are vigilant for the details of the policies the government will pursue and their...

Nigeria. Social protection, structural reforms must go hand in hand for lasting impact – CPPE

The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has urged the federal government to complement its expanding social protection programmes with far-reaching structural reforms, warning that cash transfers and other welfare interventions alone cannot deliver sustainable poverty reduction or inclusive economic growth. In a policy brief on the federal government’s newly launched $3.05 billion Social Intervention Programme, Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of CPPE, said social protection and structural reforms should be pursued as complementary policy instruments to ensure...

The Retirement Planning Mistake That Makes Inflation Much More Expensive

Inflation, sequence of returns, unexpected early retirement, and long-term care costs pose serious risks to today’s retirees. At the 2026 Morningstar Investment Conference, I talked about those retirement shocks with Dana Anspach of Sensible Money and Michael Finke of The American College of Financial Services. Today’s excerpt from that panel focuses on inflation and how to prepare for it. How to Account for Inflation Shock in Your Retirement Plan Christine Benz: I wanted to start with one that’s top of mind...

México. Ganancias de afores crecieron 13% anual en el I Sem. del 2026

Las ganancias de las afores por administrar los ahorros para el retiro de 70 millones de trabajadores crecieron 13% anual en la primera mitad del 2026 y cinco de las 10 administradoras concentran 81% de las ganancias totales. De enero a junio del 2026, las 10 afores que hay en el país obtuvieron una utilidad neta conjunta de 8,968 millones de pesos, la mayor cantidad en términos reales desde el 2021, según datos de la Comisión Nacional del Sistema de...

Colombia. Colpensiones y los fondos privados no pueden negar semanas cotizadas para pensión que no sumó el empleador: esto definió la Corte Suprema

La negativa de semanas cotizadas por falta de pago del empleador no puede mantenerse si se prueba la relación laboral, según fijó la Corte Suprema de Justicia en la sentencia STL14393-2025. De esta manera, Colpensiones no puede negar semanas de pensión solo porque el empleador incumplió los aportes cuando está demostrada la relación laboral. En ese caso, ese tiempo debe entrar en la historia laboral y la administradora debe cobrar la deuda pendiente, sin trasladar esa carga al afiliado. La...