March 2024
14Mar

South Korea. Pension reform proposals criticized for lacking sustainability

The recent national pension reform proposal at the National Assembly is facing criticism for merely tweaking some key figures — such as the premium and income replacement rates — without tackling the essential reforms needed to bolster the system's long-term sustainability. Many say the suggested changes are provisional, especially given the uncertainty about when the national pension system might undergo revision again. A special pension reform committee associated with the National Assembly unveiled two proposals on Tuesday, following three days of...

March 14, 2024
News,
Read more...
14Mar

East Asian societies have the world’s lowest birth rates—and are learning that ‘throwing a bit of money’ at the problem isn’t solving anything

Governments across Asia—in Singapore and Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul—are facing a crisis: plummeting birth rates. For several decades now, people in East Asian economies have had fewer and fewer children. Last year, South Korea beat its own record for having the world’s lowest birth rate, reporting 0.72 births per woman for 2023, down from 0.78 in 2022. Singapore reported 0.97 births per woman, the first time the rate has fallen below one. Japan has one of the world’s oldest populations, with a median age of 49.5. Hong Kong, Taiwan,...

March 14, 2024
News,
Read more...
14Mar

Bitcoin ETFs to pull in pension fund investments

By Lucas Cacioli   In light of mounting evidence and evolving market infrastructure, it seems increasingly likely that institutional investors like pension funds are moving towards a tipping point where bitcoin ETFs will be seriously considered as part of a diversified investment strategy. During a private conversation I had with a pension fund CEO late into 2023, I couldn’t help but ask how far away their fund was from ever investing in something like bitcoin. “Far,” they said without hesitation. The response was unsurprising...

March 14, 2024
News,
Read more...
13Mar

US. Corporate Pension Funding Levels Skyrocket in February

The funded status of U.S.-based corporate pension plans increased significantly in February, primarily due to a rally in technology stocks, driven by excitement over AI and semiconductors, according to industry reports. Funded status also continues to be boosted by heightened interest rates. The surplus in pension funding could have some plan sponsors considering what to do with their excess pension assets. Earlier this month, Eastman Kodak announced it would shut its investment office, shifting the management of its assets to...

March 13, 2024
News, ,
Read more...
13Mar

U.K. pension fund surplus and funding ratio rises in February

The total surplus of U.K. corporate pension funds covered by the Pension Protection Fund, London's 7800 index increased by 4% in February to £442.3 billion ($559.8 billion), while the funding ratio also rose. The funding ratio increased to 146.1% as of Feb. 29, compared to 143.9% at the end of January, an update said. The total deficit of all plans with a shortfall was £3.9 billion as of Feb. 29, down from £4.3 billion as of Jan. 31. Total assets were...

March 13, 2024
News, ,
Read more...
13Mar

Building Europe’s Green Transition and Retirement Security – Listed Real Estate’s Dual Role in Global Megatrends

As we enter 2024, the world continues to confront financial and environmental challenges on a global and societal scale. Globally, efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s objectives are falling behind, with the green transition’s investment levels not meeting the necessary targets. This was highlighted by the World Bank’s Senior Managing Director, at the recent EU Sustainable Investment Summit, where the critical need for accelerated private investment in sustainability was underscored. The Commission identified a 1.5 trillion euro annual funding need...

March 13, 2024
News, ,
Read more...
13Mar

Ageing and the climate crisis

It’s no secret that the population is getting older. According to the World Health Organisation, between 2020 and 2050 the global number of people aged 60 and over will rise from 1 billion to 2.1 billion. Many wealthier countries already have disproportionately weighty older populations: where I live in Wales, over-60s are predicted to make up around 30% of the population by 2026. Now the rest of the world is catching up: by 2050, two thirds of over-60s worldwide will live in what...

March 13, 2024
News,
Read more...
12Mar

U.S. institutional investors warm to Asian digital assets

Institutional investors from the U.S. are showing interest in Asian digital assets — much more than they did a year ago — and it will likely grow as more cryptocurrency ETFs may get approved globally, said Matt Long, Asia-Pacific general manager at digital asset prime brokerage FalconX, in an exclusive interview. "Last year, there was not a lot of liquidity in the (digital asset) markets. There was less positive sentiment, more uncertainty coming out of 2022, which was annus horribilis...

March 12, 2024
News,
Read more...
12Mar

UK pensions failing to keep up with cost-of-living

UK pensions are failing to keep up pace with the increasing cost-of-living, as pensioners are left with just £74 after buying essentials, research from Almond Finance has shown. The research looked at the current state pension in comparison to the average cost of living in the UK and compared this across Europe to establish which country offers the most to retirees. The UK finished 17th in the Pension Breakeven Index, a fall of one place compared to the previous year’s report...

March 12, 2024
News, ,
Read more...
12Mar

US. Comptroller DiNapoli Declares Exxon Not Transition-Ready: Who’s Next?

The New York State Common Retirement Fund recently announced it will restrict investment in eight energy companies, including ExxonMobilXOM -0.5%, following a review of the companies' "transition readiness" to a low-carbon economy. Overseeing the $250 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund for public employees, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli defended the move, reiterating his broader ambitions to keep climate change "at the forefront" of the state pension fund's investment risk mitigation efforts. DiNapoli wants us to think he's doing so solely to protect pension fund members, not...

March 12, 2024
News, ,
Read more...