November 2025
28Nov

German government finds pension compromise to resolve showdown

Germany's coalition government has pledged to undertake far-reaching reforms of the country's pension system, while sticking to previously agreed pension levels, in a bid to resolve a rebellion within Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative ranks. The measures are outlined in a draft document seen by dpa on Friday, following late-night talks on Thursday between leading conservatives and their junior partner, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). Under the agreement, a pensions commission is to present proposals for a comprehensive reform by mid-2026. The commission...

November 28, 2025
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27Nov

Rapidly ageing populations will continue to put pressure on pension systems

Population ageing due to lower birth rates and longer life expectancies will continue to raise fiscal pressures on pension systems at a time of high public debt and competing spending needs, according to a new OECD report. OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025 shows that populations across the OECD will age fast over the next 25 years: there will be 52 people aged 65+ for every 100 people aged 20-64 by 2050, up from 33 in 2025 and only 22 in...

November 27, 2025
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27Nov

US. NYC comptroller urges city pensions to drop BlackRock, other managers over climate concerns

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander recommended that the city’s three pension funds drop a trio of asset managers for failing to meet the climate expectation of the city’s net-zero implementation plan, Lander’s office said in a Wednesday release. Lander recommended the city’s pensions move on from BlackRock, Fidelity and PanAgora in an update to the trustees of the city’s Teachers’ Retirement System, the New York City Employees’ Retirement System and Board of Education Retirement System. The recommendation for the city’s...

November 27, 2025
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27Nov

Germany’s pension reform becomes a generational conflict

As in France, pensions have become a source of political instability in Germany. For several weeks, the future of the system has poisoned the atmosphere within the government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in office since May 6. Returning from his international trips focused on Ukraine, Merz has had to confront internal rebellion, described as the coalition's most serious crisis yet. The young elected members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), gathered in the Junge Union organization, have challenged...

November 27, 2025
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27Nov

China. Health initiative promotes co-prevention of diabetes and shingles for healthy aging

A nationwide health campaign was launched to address the growing challenge of chronic diseases among aging adults in China to raise awareness and promote early intervention against chronic diseases, with a focus on shingles—a painful infection that poses serious risks to people with diabetes. The program, led by China CDC, CCTV.com, and the National Open University for the Elderly, offers free health education targeting adults aged 50 and above. It urged to tackle shingles, a frequently overlooked but debilitating disease,...

November 27, 2025
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27Nov

Canada. We’re not ready for an aging population — and it’s going to cost us

If there’s a single word that defines the Carney government’s first budget, it has to be “generational.” Canada, we’re told, is facing a “generational” shift, one that requires a “generational” investment strategy featuring “generational” investments. But while the word itself appears 45 times in the nearly 500 page document, it’s never actually used to directly address the true generational challenge we face: a rapidly aging population. This was, and is, a huge missed opportunity. The public is more attuned than...

November 27, 2025
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26Nov

A ‘tale of two retirements’ shows only the rich are saving more — while most Americans are putting away much less

There’s a stark divide among Americans when it comes to retirement savings. Most U.S. workers struggle to save and invest for their older years, putting themselves at risk of running out of money before they die. Only a small minority with high salaries is able to increase their retirement savings and see their investments grow. Since 2022, retirement-plan participation rates, total contributions and overall savings rates have decreased for those making less than $150,000 a year, according to a new...

November 26, 2025
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26Nov

South Africa. Military veterans pension “collapsing”

South Africa’s military veterans were promised dignity, stability, and financial relief through the Military Veterans Pension. Instead, thousands remain trapped in poverty and uncertainty as the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) and the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) preside over one of the most dysfunctional benefit rollouts in post-apartheid history, according to the Amalgamated Veterans of South Africa (AVSA). Ernest Lintnaar, CEO of AVSA, said what was meant to uplift veterans has become a crisis of unlawful deductions, lost files,...

November 26, 2025
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26Nov

Belgium: three-day strike against government plans

Belgium on Monday braced for three days of nationwide strikes called by unions to protest the government's proposed budget cuts and reforms to the pension system. The strikes are taking place in three waves. Trains and public transport begin striking Monday, with national railroad company SNCB expecting to run two out of three trains, or just one out of three on some lines. Several Eurostars linking Brussels to Paris have been cancelled. On Tuesday, public services such as schools, creches, and...

November 26, 2025
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26Nov

Three in five pension funds threaten to replace asset managers: study

Despite managing US$139bn in global assets set to climb to US$200bn by 2030, asset managers are watching profits disappear. According to PwC's 2025 Global Asset and Wealth Management research, profit as a share of assets under management has already dropped roughly 19 percent since 2018, with projections showing another 9 percent decline by 2030. The crisis is structural, not temporary. According to PwC's analysis of 300 asset managers, institutional investors, and distributors, 89 percent of asset managers report profitability pressure over the...

November 26, 2025
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