January 2026

UK. Pensions and financial inclusion: Time to join forces

Towards the end of last year, the government published its Financial Inclusion Strategy. This rightly focuses on building resilience through a range of measures, including banking access, savings, insurance, credit and debt support. These are bolstered by proposals for compulsory financial education in primary schools. However, pensions are noticeably absent from the core framework. This is despite the fact that pensions form the cornerstone of long-term financial security. On the one hand, this separation makes sense, as the revived Pensions Commission and...

Colombian Pension Manager Plans Bitcoin Exposure Fund

AFP Protección, a private pension and severance fund manager in Colombia, is preparing to launch a fund with exposure to bitcoin. The plan was confirmed by company president Juan David Correa in an interview. How access will work Participation will be offered through a personalized advisory process. That process will assess an investor’s risk profile. Only clients who meet the criteria will be able to allocate a percentage of their portfolio to bitcoin. A second major pension firm to add bitcoin Protección’s move follows a similar...

US. Congress Could Raise Social Security’s $184,500 Tax Cap Without Cutting Benefits

When discussions about Social Security's future arise, many assume the only options involve cutting benefits or raising taxes. But Congress has multiple ways to adjust how benefits are calculated that can strengthen the program's finances without reducing monthly checks current or future retirees receive. Understanding these mechanisms helps clarify what legislative changes might mean for your retirement income. The Benefit Formula That Determines Your Monthly Check Social Security doesn't simply pay everyone the same amount in retirement. Instead, the program uses...

UK. Men end up with four times more in their pension pots than women by 60 – this is why it happens

Men end up with almost four times as much in their pension pots by the age of 60, according to official figures. But the gulf between men and women's pensions boils down to 'entrenched systemic barriers' rather than a lack of financial confidence, a new report claims. Men hold a median total of £75,000 in defined contribution pension pots just ahead of reaching 60, compared to £19,000 for women, figures from the Department for Work and Pensions published last July showed. Its...

US. 3 Retirement Changes to Watch in 2026: Tax Edition

You could be in for surprise taxes if you're planning for retirement in 2026. And we're not talking about common tax pitfalls, like taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) that force withdrawals from your individual retirement accounts (IRAs). (Though those certainly are important). Several new federal policy changes could hike your retiree tax bill this year. For instance, under the 2025 Trump/GOP tax and spending bill, your "senior bonus" deduction may be lower than expected due to income phase-outs, indirectly resulting in an overall...

Living longer, planning smarter: The hidden costs of longevity

Few phrases sound as reassuring as ‘increased life expectancy’. Thanks to medical advances, improved nutrition, and greater awareness of healthy living, South Africans are living longer than ever before. But, while longevity may be a triumph of modern progress, it is also one of the most underestimated risks to a person’s financial plan. The challenge is not merely ensuring you don’t outlive your money, it’s understanding what those extra years may actually cost, in both financial and human terms. The longevity...

Canada Pension Plan’s investment arm criticized over funding for Elon Musk’s xAI, maker of Grok

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is facing criticism for having provided $300 million US for the funding of infrastructure for Elon Musk's xAI, the company behind the controversial Grok artificial intelligence chatbot tool. Musk's xAI has been at the centre of controversy in recent months, after it was discovered that Grok made it possible for people to create sexualized and nonconsensual images of others — including minors. Amid widespread backlash, xAI put some restrictions in place on the...

India. Central Government approves wage and pension hikes for PSGICs, NABARD and RBI

The Central Government has officially approved wage and pension revisions for employees and retirees of Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PSGICs), the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This decision is expected to benefit approximately 46,322 employees and over 46,000 pensioners and family pensioners across these institutions. According to the government, the move 'reflects Government's continued commitment and emphasis on social security and financial well-being of employees and pensioners.' For those working...

UK. Pensions system fails many women, university report finds

A new report from the University of Edinburgh says the UK pensions system and financial advice sector must be redesigned to address a widening gap between men’s and women’s pension wealth. According to the analysis, women approaching age 60 hold 75% less in private pension savings than men of the same age. The report, supported by wealth manager Evelyn Partners, finds that women’s lower accumulations are largely driven by structural and social factors rather than a lack of confidence. Nearly 15 million people...

Exposure to US assets ‘increasingly uncomfortable’ for pension trustees

UK pension schemes’ exposure to US assets has become an “increasingly uncomfortable contradiction” for trustees, Isio chief investment officer, Barry Jones, has said. In a statement marking the anniversary of President, Donald Trump’s, second inauguration, Jones noted that the US market represented the majority of global equity market opportunity and continued to deliver strong returns. However, aspects of the political and regulatory direction of the US administration over the past year were sitting uneasily with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG)...