September 2024

Only 26% of Nigerian workers have pension plan and health insurance- NBS Report

The Nigeria Labour Force Survey published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that only 26.3% of Nigerian workers have a pension plan and health insurance in 2023. The report noted that Zamfara state in the Northwest recorded the highest number of employees with health insurance and pension at 65% while Abia had the lowest number of wage employees with health insurance and pension plan at just 3.9%. The report states, “The percentage of employees entitled to either pension or health...

US. 49% of workers think they can meet their retirement goals — 35% say they will need over $1 million to retire comfortably

By some measures, retirement savers, overall, are doing well. As of the second quarter of 2024, 401(k) and individual retirement account balances notched the third-highest averages on record, helped by better savings behaviors and positive market conditions, according to the latest data from Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest provider of 401(k) savings plans. The number of 401(k) millionaires also hit a new all-time high. The average 401(k) contribution rate, including employer and employee contributions, now stands at 14.2%, just below Fidelity’s suggested savings rate of 15%. Yet there is still...

UK. Industry weighs in on government’s pension investment review

Industry experts have stressed the need to put member security at the forefront of any changes to the pension market, cautioning the government against potential mandating or legislating for particular investment allocations. The government recently launched a call for evidence to help inform the first phase of its pension investment review, which will aim to boost investment, increase pension pots and tackle waste in the pensions system. In its response to the consutlation, the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) agreed that scale can deliver...

Swiss social democrats, unions lay out vision to change second pillar pension system

The Swiss social democratic party (SP) and several workers’ unions are laying out their views to change the second pillar pension system following the recent vote against a proposed reform. “What is needed now is progress in terms of women’s pensions, automatic inflation compensation and an end to rip-offs by banks and insurance companies,” the party said in a statement released soon after the results. The social democrats demand measures to close pension gaps, especially for women. “The introduction of education and care...

Insurance, pensions see 6.2% rise amidst market gains

In 2023, global financial assets rose by 7.6%, reaching $267.68t (EUR239t), recovering from the previous year's decline. Amongst asset classes, insurance and pensions saw a notable increase of 6.2%, driven by rising interest rates and stock market gains, according to Allianz’s 15th edition of its "Global Wealth Report." Households globally shifted away from bank deposits, which saw minimal growth of 4.6%, one of the lowest increases in two decades. Instead, insurance and pensions proved more resilient in attracting savings, with a...

Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance unveils milestone emissions cuts

Institutional investors holding a combined $9.5 trillion of assets say they’ve slashed portfolio emissions at a rate that aligns them with the goal of limiting global warming to the critical threshold of 1.5C. The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, whose signatories include Allianz and the $519.9 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System, Sacramento, said in a statement on Sept. 25 that reduction in greenhouse gas emissions registered by its 88 members was at least 6% on average, annually, since 2018. At...

EU. Who can expect the most healthy life years?

In 2022, the number of healthy life years at birth in the EU was 62.6 years on average, 62.8 years for women and 62.4 years for men. Life expectancy at birth for women in the EU was, on average, 5.4 years longer than that for men (83.3 years compared with 77.9 years). Healthy life years - free from activity limitations - represent 75% and 80% of the total life expectancy for women and men, respectively. Therefore, on average, men tend to spend a greater proportion...

US. 5 Ways a Kamala Harris Presidency Could Impact Retirees

Vice President Kamala Harris wasn’t even a contender for the White House earlier this year, but she is now the Democratic nominee for the presidency and running neck and neck with her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. If she wins, she is expected to promote policies that could affect the bottom line of millions of retirees. “There’s been nothing that she’s said that would lead me to believe she’s a negative to retirees,” says Chris Orestis, president of Retirement Genius,...

UK. TPR data shows improvements in DB pension funding

The statistics show that overall, 47% of schemes reported a surplus on the Technical Provision (TP) funding basis in tranche 17 – schemes with effective valuation dates from 22 September 2021 to and inclusive of 21 September 2022 – a significant increase on the 32% in surplus in their previous valuation cycle (tranche 14). The average funding level had increased by 5% (97% in tranche 17 (median: 99%), compared to 92% in tranche 14 (median: 93%)) and recovery plan lengths...

China’s retirement age reforms not enough to fix pension headache

China's move to raise retirement ages is a starting point to plug gaping pension deficits and bolster a shrinking workforce but more pain lies ahead as the economy slows, making further reforms urgent, say economists and demographers. Aging populations are a global phenomenon, but the issue is particularly stark in China due to the legacy of its one-child-policy, which was in place for three decades and has exacerbated its demographic challenges. China’s number of births dropped to 9 million last year and the...