May 2023

US. Major pension funds are steering big dollars to infrastructure

Major U.S. pension funds are increasingly turning to infrastructure for its solid risk-adjusted return profile and strong performance resilience. Since 2011, Pensions & Investments has tracked more than 950 infrastructures hires totaling more than $134 billion committed, paced by 148 hires and $17.7 billion committed in 2021. Maine Public Employees Retirement System, Augusta, is also drawn to infrastructure due to its ability provide diversification from the plan's public and private equity and fixed-income assets, said William Proom, managing director of investments...

China continues to raise basic pension payments for retirees

China announced Monday that it will raise the basic pension payments for retirees in 2023, marking 19th consecutive annual increase. The average monthly payment for pensioners of enterprises, government agencies and public institutions is set to be lifted by 3.8 percent from the 2022 level, according to a circular jointly issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance. Last year, China raised the basic pension payments for retirees by 4 percent from level of...

Nigeria. PenCom registers 95,000 informal sector operators on CPS

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) said it has registered 95,045 participants on the Micro Pension Plan (MPP) of the contributory pension scheme (CPS) and recorded a total contribution of over N435.6 million as of last month. Head of the Micro Pensions Department, National Pension Commission (PenCom), Dauda Ahmed, said this in Lagos, at a workshop organised for Labour Writers’ Association of Nigeria (LAWAN). Ahmed, who spoke on ‘Facilitating Financial Inclusion in the Informal Sector through the MPP’, said the total withdrawals...

Aging population presents opportunity for travel sector, says leading economist

An aging global population presents an opportunity for the travel sector to exploit, according to a leading economist. Speaking at The Advantage Travel Partnership’s annual conference in Benidorm, professor Trevor Williams shared a positive outlook for the industry despite the global economic uncertainty. The former chief economist for Lloyds Bank told delegates that living standards across the world are increasing and people are generally “consuming more than ever before”, as he highlighted how rising life expectancy could favour travel agents and operators. “Global...

Institutions boost exposure to private credit

Institutional investors' private debt allocations are ticking up at a time when public fixed-income returns are at a 20-year high, and higher interest rates and economic risks threaten borrowers. Many investors are accepting illiquidity and other risks in exchange for the diversification, income and, potentially, greater long-term returns than they expect from public fixed income. With long lockups, investors are betting that an economic downturn won't cause borrowers to go bankrupt and that interest rates will fall, easing the stress of...

Esta es la importancia de aumentar las aportaciones obligatorias

De no incrementarse las aportaciones obligatorias, aumentarán las presiones fiscales del Estado para el pago de pensiones para los trabajadores de la generación de transición, que transferirá a la población en forma de impuestos generales. De acuerdo con la Ley del Seguro Social, los trabajadores que comenzaron a cotizar antes de julio de 1997 pueden optar por pensionarse de acuerdo con los beneficios de la anteriorLey del Seguro Social 1973 (generación de transición), mientras que los que lo hicieron después...

Chile: Deudas por alimentos se podrán cobrar directamente de los fondos de las AFP

Una nueva ley de Pensión de Alimentos entró en vigor este sábado en Chile para, a través de los órganos del Estado, recaudar recursos de los progenitores que deben la mensualidad a sus hijos y obligarles, así, a cumplir con sus obligaciones. Santiago de Chile, 20 may. Agencia EFE "¡Es hoy! Entra en vigencia nuestra ley de Responsabilidad Parental y Pago Efectivo de Pensiones de Alimentos. Una política para la mayoría de hogares en Chile, que son sacados adelante por mujeres",...

US. Divesting fossil fuels looms larger for more funds

As the race toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels to address climate change heats up, more pension funds may look at divestment, willingly or otherwise. According to a divestment commitment database maintained by Stand.earth, a climate action advocacy group, 1,591 organizations worldwide with a collective $40.51 trillion in assets have publicly committed to some level of fossil fuel divestment. Pension funds represent 11.7% of those commitments, compared with 35.8% from faith-based organizations, 15.7% from educational institutions and 11.9%...

UK. Treasury to bear risk of unfunded legacy public sector schemes

A policy paper published on 15 May states that the cost control mechanism (CCM) for new public sector schemes will exclude those legacy schemes closed to new members. Following a review by the government actuary and a series of consultations, the government will now bear “full risk” of costs related to unfunded legacy schemes, which includes civil servants, teachers and NHS staff. The paper states: “The government believes this is the right approach to take in order to ensure the CCM...

Canadian public pension fund investments in China draw heightened scrutiny

Investments in China by Canada's largest public pension funds are facing increased scrutiny amid worsening relations between the two countries and allegations that some of those investments are funding the oppression of China's Uyghur minority. Recently, representatives of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, which manages the pensions of B.C. public sector workers, told a parliamentary committee studying Canada-China relations that they had paused new direct investment in China because of the increasing risks...