May 2023

Namibia: Contractors Urged to Adhere to Mandatory Pension Benefits

The Construction Industries Federation (CIF) of Namibia said it is mandatory for construction sector employers to register their most vulnerable workers with a pension fund, and assist with contributions. CIF chief executive officer Bärbel Kirchner said in a statement that the provision applies to all contractors, as per the collective agreement between CIF and the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (Manwu). "We are aware that some companies have not registered their workers as per the categories listed in the gazetted...

Perú. Retiro AFP 2023: plantean acceso al 25% de los fondos para pagar deudas con garantía hipotecaria

Las propuestas para seguir retirando dinero de las AFP continúan en el Parlamento. María Córdova Lobatón, congresista de la bancada Avanza País, propone una medida que permita a los afiliados al sistema privado de pensiones retirar hasta el 25% de sus fondos para utilizarlo en el pago de créditos con garantía hipotecaria. La propuesta busca brindar beneficios directos, como el ahorro en el pago de intereses y ofrecer un alivio económico en un contexto de aumento de precios, debido...

Chile. Ministra chilena de Trabajo: “Lo más difícil está por venir, la reforma de pensiones”

A días de que el Parlamento vote la segunda subida del salario mínimo en 15 meses, la ministra chilena de Trabajo y Previsión Social, Jeannette Jara, dijo en una entrevista con EFE que su mayor desafío "está por venir, con la reforma de pensiones" y el fin de las aseguradoras privadas de fondos, un compromiso gubernamental que "sigue intacto". "Siempre se conversa de la industria de las administradoras de fondos de pensiones (AFP), del mercado de valores, de las utilidades,...

UK. Govt urged to announce new pensions dashboards timeline

The government and pensions authorities have been urged to announce a new pensions dashboards timeline after the mandatory deadline was extended. In March, the pensions minister Laura Trott extended the 31 August 2023 deadline due to technicalities. Trott said additional time was needed to deliver the technical solution to enable the connection of pension providers and schemes. However, pensions experts want to see a new timeline announced sooner to get firms participating in the dashboards programme better prepared. “It’s imperative that the regulator...

Australia. Rising retirement costs outpace inflation

According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), the annual budget for a comfortable retirement is a record $70,482 for a couple aged 65 and $50,004 for a single. It says a “modest” retirement costs $45,808 for a couple and $31,785 for singles – which can be largely covered by the age pension. Retirees continue to face significant upward pressure on their household budgets with the cost increase reporting higher than Australia’s CPI inflation, which rose 7% for the...

ChatGPT spurs interest of pensions and institutional investors in Chinese AI firms

ChatGPT has brought artificial intelligence to the forefront of institutional investors' minds and Chinese AI companies are benefiting from that interest — even if limited partners and venture capital firms are keeping silent on the topic. A February report by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, a research organization within Georgetown University in Washington, said that Chinese AI firms raised $110 billion between 2015 and 2021, of which $40.2 billion came from syndication deals in which U.S. investors participated....

Retiros desde las AFP: los efectos que se mantienen vigentes en la economía

El Banco Central (BC) publicó este miércoles el Informe de Estabilidad Financiera (IEF) del primer semestre de 2023. Este documento entrega la visión del Consejo del Instituto Emisor respecto de los principales riesgos, vulnerabilidades y mitigadores para la estabilidad financiera en Chile. El informe indica que las condiciones financieras se han deteriorado a nivel global, respecto del informe anterior, con un grado de incertidumbre sobre su evolución futura que es superior a lo habitual. Tras un largo periodo de bajas tasas...

México. Anuncio de OPI de Banamex preocupa a clientes de banca y Afore.

Ante la salida a Bolsa de Banamex tras la cancelación de su venta por parte de Citigroup, los usuarios de la firma Citibanamex en México han mostrado dudas e incertidumbre. La marca, que otorga varios servicios financieros, entre los que se incluyen cuentas corrientes de débito, crédito, ahorro, inversiones y de ahorro para el retiro, aún sigue en espera tras la oferta pública de venta (OPV) de acciones que realizará Citi en el mercado accionario. “Sí se siente miedo, por...

Analysis: Global pension funds eye currencies for additional returns

Expectations for lower returns in stocks and bonds are sending some pension funds into currency markets to diversify their portfolios and bolster performance. While both equities and fixed income have partially rebounded from last year's steep declines, some portfolio managers worry the scope for upside in either asset class may be limited, as markets face a tangle of issues including a standoff over raising the U.S. debt ceiling and a potential recession brought on by the Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary...

Changing pensions regulations will not boost UK business investment Expert

Often in politics, a bad idea turns up when its time has finally come. The current contender in the UK is the belief that a few tweaks to pension rules will flood dynamic companies with much-needed funds, save the troubled stock market, improve returns for future pensioners and resolve the longstanding weakness in business investment. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said in his March Budget that his plans, to be announced in the autumn, will “unlock productive investment from defined contribution pension...