July 2025
30Jul

How pension funds are handling US equity concentration risk

With more of the US market’s fate tied up in a handful of enormous technology stocks, investment teams are having to reconsider their exposure, as Jon Yarker reports. In recent years, the size of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” technology stocks has soared, absorbing an increasing amount of the US equity market. According to Hymans Robertson, the weight of the 10 largest market-cap stocks in the MSCI World sits at 23%, well above the historical norms of 10–15%. The septet of tech...

July 30, 2025
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30Jul

UK. Relaunch of the Pensions Commission to encourage saving

On July 21, 2025, the Government announced the re-introduction of the Pensions Commission in a drive to boost pension saving. The relaunched Commission will explore the barriers that stop people from saving enough for retirement, with a final report due in 2027. The original Commission of 2006 was a “huge success”, enabling the roll-out of auto-enrolment, resulting in 88 per cent of eligible employees are now saving, up from 55 per cent in 2012. The revived Commission will: Consider the long-term future of...

July 30, 2025
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30Jul

Latin America has the fastest aging population in world

Uruguay is experiencing one of the most significant demographic transformations in Latin America, driven by a declining birthrate and an aging population. According to projections from the National Institute of Statistics, the country's total fertility rate dropped to 1.27 children per woman in 2023 and is expected to fall to 1.20 by the end of this year -- well below the replacement-level threshold of 2.1. The population, which peaked at 3.51 million people in 2020, is projected to decline steadily, falling...

July 30, 2025
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30Jul

Fertility Rate in the U.S. Reached an All-Time Low in 2024, CDC Data Reveals

Countries like Italy and Japan have been famously struggling to raise their birthrates to sustain their aging populations, and it turns out that the United States might not be doing super well, either. New CDC data released this month reveals that while the number of births in the United States increased by 1% from 2023—to 3,628,934 in 2024—the general fertility rate has declined by 1%. It now stands at 53.8 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 44, an all-time low. The...

July 30, 2025
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29Jul

US. Full Funding: Good News, But Now What?

Pension plan funding levels have been high for a number of years. Fully funded high, and then some. That’s good news, of course. But that raises a question: “Now what?” Industry experts in a July 23 P&I Online webinar discussed steps that a plan sponsor, and the service providers it enlists, can and may want to take once a plan reaches full funding levels or more. Panelists included Mark Tavares, Partner and Lead of Corporate Defined Benefit Solutions at Aon;...

July 29, 2025
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29Jul

Ghana’s Social Security @ 60: Vice President urges broader coverage for informal sector

Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to extend pension coverage to informal sector workers and the self-employed. Speaking, Monday, at the launch of the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the inception of a national social security scheme in Ghana, the Vice President commended stakeholders for its transformation from a provident fund, in 1965, into a three-tier pension scheme. She, however, urged management and staff to do more to ensure inclusivity. The Vice...

July 29, 2025
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29Jul

Kenya. Why caution is need as pension funds step into PPP space

Infrastructure is increasingly being positioned as a strategic investment class for long-term institutional investors across the world. For pension funds, the allure is understandable as well-structured projects like roads, ports, and energy grids promise stable, long-term cash flows that align well with the long-term liabilities of the fund. However, while the promise of infrastructure is compelling, the reality, especially in emerging markets like Kenya, demands a cautious and informed approach. The Kenya National Highways Authority recently announced that it had received...

July 29, 2025
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29Jul

Why do many Swiss people choose to emigrate in old age?

Having worked their entire lives, paying into the system and forgoing vacations, some Swiss are shocked to discover they can't afford life in Switzerland after retirement. More and more retirees are choosing to leave their homeland – not in search of adventure, but out of sheer necessity. "After working hard for so many years, pensioners are being pushed to the margins of society. When it comes to its own people, I no longer see Switzerland as a social country." State pensions...

July 29, 2025
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28Jul

Will the US open 401(k) plans to private markets?

The likelihood that the Trump administration will seek to open up 401(k) retirement savings plans to private markets through an executive order seems to be rising. According to The Wall Street Journal, the order may instruct the labour department and the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer guidance on how to include private asset options in 401(k) plans, which comprised US$12.4 trillion in defined-contribution plans alone as of end-2024. Such proposals have long been surrounded by doubts about their viability for retail...

July 28, 2025
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28Jul

UK. ‘More to be done’ to improve risk transfer process, SPP says

There is “more that could be done” in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in the risk transfer process, the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has stated, despite numerous developments in this area over recent years. The report, Less friction, better transfers: creating a more agile risk transfer process, noted that the UK bulk annuity market has continued to go from strength to strength, and targeting an insurance transaction remains an attractive option for many. Citing data from WTW, the SPP highlighted that the...

July 28, 2025
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