April 2024

US. Pension funds, hedge funds must up game on liquidity in stressed markets — FSB

Pension funds, hedge funds and other non-bank market participants need to up their game when it comes to liquidity preparedness in times of marketwide stress, the Financial Stability Board said. A consultation paper published on April 17 by the FSB, an international body that monitors the global financial system and makes recommendations, identified weaknesses in risk management and governance as key causes of inadequate liquidity preparedness by some market participants during recent periods of liquidity stress in markets. The report highlighted recent...

British trade unions lose appeal over $24 billion cost of pension reform

Two British trade unions on Wednesday lost an appeal over changes to public sector pensions they argued allows the government to unlawfully pass the 19-billion-pound ($23.7 billion) cost of pension reforms on to workers. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the British Medical Association (BMA) said Britain's finance ministry was effectively making members of newer pension schemes foot the bill for its own mistake. A judge at London's High Court had dismissed the two unions' case in March last year. The...

Only 26pc Of Kenyans In Employment Save For Retirement

Kenyans in the labour force have been urged to join pension schemes and start their contributions, which would enable them to have a stable future once they exit their employments. According to the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA), only 26 per cent of people in the labour market were saving for retirement, meaning that in every 10 Kenyans in the labour service, 7 were likely to live in poverty after retirement because the appreciation of saving for retirement is not well...

The Future of a Hyper-Aging Society Navigated by Well-Being Technology

Today, humanity is experiencing a paradigm shift and transitioning to a new era. We live in a world where every person’s well-being - the happiness of the body and mind - is impacted by social environments born of numerous changes, including an aging and increasingly diverse society, changes to how and where we work, and outbreaks of emerging diseases. This changing panorama is raising people’s interest in well-being technology, as well as its value and importance. “Well-being technology” describes...

UK pension schemes and insurers boost sustainable investments

95% of UK pension funds and insurers in a survey said they expect to increase allocations to renewable energy assets over the next five years. According to the survey commissioned by AlphaReal, a specialist manager of secure income real assets, 35% of respondents said they will increase allocations by up to 10%. About 44% said they will raise allocations by between 10% and 20%, while 16% will boost by more than 20%. The remainder of respondents said there will be no...

How The US Economy Avoids The Longevity Trap

By Anthony Roth   The anticipated increase in the proportion of the American population aged 65 and older—from 58 million in 2022 to a projected 82 million by 2050—calls attention to the economic implications of increased longevity. Yes, this trend will bring significant challenges to continued economic growth. Fortunately, I believe the U.S. is uniquely positioned to overcome these challenges and capitalize on the economic opportunities related to longevity. Strength In Aging A key to any discussion of the increasing age of our population should also...

Greece. Viable social security system, but only on low pensions

The sustainability of the social security system is considered assured until the distant 2070, according to a new study by the National Actuarial Authority submitted to the competent department of the European Commission. There is, of course, a very important and highly mandatory condition: That nothing changes in terms of the so-called “parametric changes,” i.e. retirement age limits, amount and method of calculating benefits, etc. And, of course, an equally disappointing finding, that Greece has a sustainable system, but insufficient...

US. Inflation Concerns Still Impacting Retirement Planning Decisions

Ongoing economic challenges are changing how Americans are thinking about retirement planning, with nearly 6 in 10 pre-retirees (57%) believing that inflation poses the most immediate challenge to their retirement portfolios over the next 12 months. And this stress apparently is shifting the perception of life as a retiree, especially for those closest to retirement age. Findings from Nationwide's ninth annual Advisor Authority survey show that roughly 7 in 10 pre-retiree investors (69%)—defined as non-retired investors aged 55-65—agree that the norm...

US. Why Staying in Your 401(k) After Retirement Makes Sense

Many Americans heading into retirement confront a weighty question that doesn’t have an easy answer: Should they retain their savings in their 401(k) plans, move them to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), or cash out and pay taxes (and perhaps penalties) on the assets withdrawn?A new research paper titled “The Pros and Cons of Remaining in a 401(k) Plan After Retirement” addresses this question, especially for “the vast majority of Americans who enter retirement with low or moderate levels...

UK. Wave of retirement is starving UK stocks of pension fund investment, warns Goldman Sachs

British businesses risk being starved of investment as pension funds sell off assets to meet a wave of retirement claims, Goldman Sachs has warned. Analysts at the Wall Street bank have sounded the alarm over investment levels flatlining in the UK after research found final salary schemes are selling almost as many British stocks as other pension funds are buying. This has meant that UK-listed companies are receiving just £500m in net investment from pension funds each year. Goldman Sachs said defined...