March 2025
12Mar

UK. 453,000 Pensioners Face Frozen DWP Payments Amid Government Cuts

Nearly 453,000 British state pensioners living overseas are facing financial hardship due to the UK’s controversial “frozen pensions” policy. This policy denies pensioners residing in certain countries, such as Canada, annual inflation-linked increases to their state pensions. The End Frozen Pensions campaign has been advocating on behalf of these pensioners for years, calling for a policy change that would adjust state pensions in line with inflation, regardless of where individuals choose to live. The Impact of Frozen Pensions on Expat Pensioners According to Edwina Melville-Grey, Chair...

March 12, 2025
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12Mar

South Africa . Ramaphosa assures MPs pension funds used to invest in infrastructure will be protected

President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured MPs that the funds of pensioners that will be used to invest in infrastructure will be protected and safeguarded. He said that amendments to pension fund legislation and regulations had created room for these investments to be made into the country’s infrastructure. Ramaphosa was responding to oral questions in the National Assembly on issues around growing the economy. "They are not state resources. To facilitate in infrastructure investment, government needs to provide those savers with a reasonable...

March 12, 2025
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12Mar

Malaysia to mandate 2% pension fund contribution from foreign workers

Malaysia is set to require its 2.5 million foreign workers to contribute 2% of their monthly salaries to the national pension fund, with employers obligated to match the same amount. Foreign workers will earn dividends on their contributions and can withdraw their savings when they permanently return to their home countries, according to new regulations under the national pension scheme, Employees Provident Fund, which is set to take effect in the last quarter this year, according to The Straits Times. The 2%...

March 12, 2025
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12Mar

UK. How US stock market falls could affect your pension – and what to do about it

Stock markets in the US fell sharply on Monday, with worries about the economic impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs thought to be behind the dip. The S&P 500, a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States, was down over 8 per cent at close on Monday compared to its all-time high in February. The Nasdaq, which focuses more on technology stocks, also dipped, as did Asian markets at...

March 12, 2025
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11Mar

Pension funds should take climate risk more seriously, say experts

Pressure is mounting on pension funds to take more account of climate change risks, with campaigners calling on trustees to make sustainable investment decisions and use their voting power to push companies they invest in to go green. They also want  governments to consider tighter regulation to force transparency. The push comes as some big pension funds are already taking more action on climate despite US president Donald Trump’s hostility to ESG, and some companies are backtracking on climate commitments...

March 11, 2025
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11Mar

UK. A shocking number of over-40s think they’ll have to work past pension age – for one clear reason

A huge number of over-40 workers in the UK fear they’ll be unable to retire from the workforce until into their 70s - because they won’t have the pension in place to do so. New research data shows more than a third of over-40s think they’ll still be working far past the state pension age, currently 66, while over a quarter are concerned they don’t know enough about their pension plans because their employers do not provide the necessary information. In the UK, the deadline...

March 11, 2025
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11Mar

Oman. Early retirement poses risk to pension fund sustainability: SPF CEO

Early retirement remains a major challenge to the sustainability of pension funds in Oman and the Gulf region, according to Dr Faisal bin Abdullah al Farsi, CEO of Social Protection Fund (SPF). He also said that extended provision of job security benefits is straining the fund’s reserves. Speaking at the inaugural session of Communication Dialogue, organised by Government Communication Centre, Farsi emphasised the need for reforms to ensure long-term financial stability. He noted that early retirement is a system unique...

March 11, 2025
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11Mar

Germany. Gender discrimination in company pension schemes: Need for action and cost risks

As is well known, the Pay Transparency Directive imposes a need for action on companies. Employee comparison groups must be established to identify potential gender pay gaps. Employees are granted extensive and highly detailed rights to information, which must also be actively communicated. Even during the recruitment process, companies must be able to provide information about their remuneration systems. Comprehensive reporting obligations apply for companies with 100 or more employees, requiring the disclosure of remuneration structures. The greater involvement...

March 11, 2025
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11Mar

Thailand. Social Security Board approves fairer pension calculation

The Social Security Board has approved an adjustment to the calculation of retirement pensions to ensure fairness among Section 33 and Section 39 insurers on Tuesday. Marasri Jairangsee, secretary-general of the Social Security Office, stated that the three-hour discussion included representatives from employers, employees and the government. “Labour Ministry permanent secretary Boonsong Thapchaiyut, who chaired the Social Security Board, has approved the adjustment to the pension calculation for Section 33 and 39 insurers,” she said. She explained that the adjustment has been under...

March 11, 2025
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10Mar

America’s aging population faces a growing shortage of geriatric care

Jerry Gurwitz, a 68-year-old geriatrician based in Massachusetts, is at a tricky point in his career. He's spent decades taking care of older Americans, but now, as Gurwitz approaches the age of some of his own patients, he sees a brewing problem with his profession: there aren't many people willing to take his job, and he has serious doubts over whether there will be enough doctors to properly take care of people as they get older, he told Business Insider. Gurwitz,...

March 10, 2025
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