January 2026
15Jan

Romania adopts new law on payments of private pensions

Romania’s newly passed Law 2/2026 on Payment of Private Pensions was published in the Official Gazette of Romania. This law, which will enter into force one year after its publication. provides a mechanism for payment of private pensions aligned with international standards and brings Romania closer to its goal of membership in the OECD. Context for the adoption of Law 2/2026 In June 2024, the OECD's Working Party on Private Pensions welcomed parts of Romania's private pension system but issued a...

January 15, 2026
News,
Read more...
14Jan

Lords debate UK Pension Schemes Bill role in the future of LGPS

Peers have debated the UK government’s intervention in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) as the Pension Schemes Bill reached the committee stage in the House of Lords this week. After a full debate on the key principles of the Bill, which took place during a second reading on 18 December, the Bill is now being scrutinised by the members of the House of Lords. During the reading, peers discussed several clauses concerning LGPS, with amendments proposed to clarify the reasoning...

January 14, 2026
News,
Read more...
14Jan

China’s one child policy ended 10 years ago but birth rates remain low

This month marks 10 years since China ended its one-child policy in order to address an aging population and a shrinking workforce. The government eventually removed all limits on how many children couples can have. But cultural and economic changes mean families in China now prefer fewer children, leaving the government to figure out ways to encourage larger families, including a new contraceptive tax that began this month. So where does the country go from here? Cindy Yu is...

January 14, 2026
News,
Read more...
14Jan

Swiss regulator flags ‘acute’ systemic risks at multi-employer pension funds

Switzerland’s occupational pension supervisor, the Oberaufsichtskommission Berufliche Vorsorge (OAK BV), is tightening oversight of pension funds exposed to systemic risks that could undermine their financial stability. In a note circulated in December, the authority set out instructions contained in directive W-01/2025, which entered into force on 1 January. The directive requires cantonal and regional supervisory authorities to carry out a comprehensive assessment of financial and non-financial risks for the pension funds under their supervision. OAK BV now expects a “structured assessment...

January 14, 2026
News, ,
Read more...
14Jan

Aging populations are redefining the value of a healthy life year

Efficient, evidence-based resource allocation using quality-adjusted life years (QALY) is essential, especially as global life expectancy rises. A recent study published in Scientific Reports examines how considering age and country-specific demographic factors in QALY estimates can improve healthcare policy decisions and resource allocation. Concerns over increased healthcare costs due to the aging population Advances in medical technology and public health have led to rapidly aging populations worldwide, which contributes to rising healthcare costs and social burdens. By 2040, healthcare spending in Japan is...

January 14, 2026
News, ,
Read more...
13Jan

US. Verizon’s PRT Case Dismissed in New York

A federal judge in New York dismissed a complaint accusing Verizon and its advisers of violating the Employee Retirement Income Security Act through a $5.7 billion pension risk transfer. In a January 8 opinion in Dempsey et al. v. Verizon Communications Inc. et al., U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that retirees lacked Article III standing to challenge Verizon’s decision to terminate two defined benefit pension plans by purchasing group annuities from Prudential Insurance Co. of America and RGA Reinsurance Co. Hellerstein, a senior U.S....

January 13, 2026
News, ,
Read more...
13Jan

UK. DWP pension error leaves thousands at risk of Universal Credit underpayments

A Department for Work and Pensions administrative error may have left many thousands of Universal Credit recipients out of pocket, with those affected potentially entitled to both increased payments and backdated arrears. The blunder, brought to light by pensions expert Steve Webb, centres on claimants who contribute to pension schemes while receiving Universal Credit.   Multiple benefit recipients came forward after discovering that DWP staff had incorrectly declined to subtract their pension payments from earnings when calculating their Universal Credit entitlement. Under the...

January 13, 2026
News, ,
Read more...
13Jan

Swedish Fund Selection Agency expands use of Clarity AI in sustainability fund procurement

Sweden’s Fund Selection Agency (FTN) and the Swedish Pensions Agency have announced new three-year contracts with two analytics providers – MSCI ESG Research and Clarity AI. According to SFSA, both contracts are aimed at sustainability fund analysis and procurement. Although FTN has not disclosed the details of the specific Clarity AI product in question, a spokesperson for the agency told Net Zero Investor that Clarity AI has been used previously in fund procurement. The new contract reflects a longer, more formal contract the...

January 13, 2026
News
Read more...
12Jan

China’s Private Pensions Draw Massive Interest, But Why Do Contributions Lag?

It has been one year since China fully implemented its private pension system. Data shows that the number of accounts has exceeded 150 million, with strong interest in account openings, but the actual contribution rate remains below 20%. China is expanding its private pension system to ease mounting pressure on its retirement framework as the population ages. While the basic public pension provides broad coverage, rising demographic stress and limited supplementary options have exposed structural gaps. The basic pension remains the system’s backbone,...

January 12, 2026
News,
Read more...
12Jan

UK. Waspi chair says pension age fight is not over

Angela Madden was a full-time carer for her mother when she received a letter from the government in March 2012. It informed her she would not be eligible to receive a state pension for seven years, when she had expected to start receiving it in two. She is one of an estimated 3.6 million women born in the 1950s, who campaigners say were not properly informed of the rise in state pension age to bring them in line with men. And Angela,...

January 12, 2026
News, ,
Read more...