October 2023

US. Private equity is past its peak, warns Pulitzer Prize-winning

A new business book calls into question the business model of private equity and argues the strategy won’t generate the same returns as in prior decades. Since the 1970s and 1980s, firms such as Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, Carlyle Group and KKR & Co., among others, made money in leveraged buyouts, more recently dubbed private equity, in which the firms buy up companies using investor assets, leverage them and aim for more efficiencies and higher profits. Institutional investors have come to...

UK. Billions in local government pensions invested in fossil fuels – analysis

Billions in local government pensions have been invested in the fossil fuels industry, according to new analysis. Environmental campaign groups Friends of the Earth and Platform London analysed data gathered through Freedom of Information requests. The groups said they were able to analyse data covering 75% of the assets under management for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) – one of the largest schemes in the country – for the financial year 2021/2022. They found at least £12.2 billion invested in fossil...

Europe’s defined contribution market poised for a boom

The defined contribution market in Europe is poised for significant growth, fueled by government reforms, growing importance of ESG for participants and increasing acceptance by stakeholders for DC to serve as a sustainable retirement solution. Figures released in June by the European Central Bank showed defined contribution plans making up 24.7% of retirement assets, at €646 billion ($680 billion). Cerulli Associates in 2022 projected compound annual growth rate of 9.6% for defined contribution in Europe over the next five years,...

US Public Pension Funding Poised to Rebound in 2023 Reporting

The aggregate funded ratio for U.S. state and local retirement systems is expected to improve to 78.8% in fiscal 2023 from 75.0% in fiscal 2022 when final numbers are released, according to Equable Institute’s mid-year update to its State of Pensions 2023 report, as unfunded liabilities are forecast to have declined an estimated $200 billion to $1.39 trillion over the year. The funding growth is a turnaround from the previous fiscal year, when the national average funded ratio for U.S. state and...

UK. Government urged not to direct pension fund investment policy

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has told the government that it should not direct the investment of defined benefit (DB) pension funds and should instead allow trustees to invest in assets that meet a scheme's risk-return characteristics and offer appropriate diversification. In a policy paper unveiled at PLSA’s Annual Conference 2023, the body called on the government and regulators to give DB schemes the freedom to take on more investment risk so that they can invest in assets...

Indonesia. Minister instructs to form joint secretariat for serving elderly

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy instructed the related deputy to form a joint secretariat to support services for the elderly. "I ask the related deputy to make a joint secretariat in this office to provide all elderly services," he stated in a seminar held at the ministry's office in commemorating International Day for Older Persons here on Friday. Muhadjir underscored the need for a representative joint secretariat to support the government's preparations for facing the aging population. He...

US. Inflation Spurs Rethink of Retirement Savings Strategy, Survey Shows

Two-thirds of Those Surveyed Aren't Confident They Will Be Able to Retire When They Want Inflation is creating more worries for retirement savers, with many now changing how they are saving and investing to meet those goals, a new survey shows. Persistently higher prices from inflation is leading 60% of retirement plan participants to think differently about retirement, according to the 2023 Global Retirement Survey from MFS Investment Management. Three-in-four said they now need to save more for retirement than they originally thought,...

UK. DWP taskforce launches new pensions guide consultation

A taskforce set up by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a consultation on a new guide. The guide includes 30 recommendations for how the UK pensions sector can better incorporate social factors into investment decisions. The Taskforce on Social Factors (TSF) consultation aims to help pension schemes address the risks and seize opportunities of the “social” element in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. The TSF was established in February 2023 and includes representatives from pensions schemes, asset...

US. The Racial Retirement Gap in 7 Facts

Building a financially secure retirement is an uphill climb for many Americans, but it’s especially steep if you are Black. The numbers paint a stark picture. Black workers ages 51 to 64 are the least likely among all racial and ethnic groups to have a retirement account, according to a July 2023 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. When they do have one, their median balance is far below that of similarly aged white adults across all income levels. The savings...

International Organisation of Pension Supervisors (IOPS) annual meeting on at Victoria Falls

FINANCE, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Prof Mthuli Ncube has officially opened the International Organisation of Pension Supervisors (IOPS) annual meeting where he called for development of the pensions and financial sector in the region in line with international protocols. The meeting is being attended by pension supervisors from around the world and started on Tuesday with the IOPS committee closed door meetings and will end tomorrow. Among the delegates attending the meetings are representatives of pension supervisory authorities from...