November 2023
10Nov

All registered monks, nuns in Xizang covered by healthcare, pension schemes: official

Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region is providing medical insurance, pension schemes, subsistence allowances, and accident injury insurance, and covering health check expenses for all registered monks and nuns in the region, said the head of the regional government at a press conference on Friday. This is a ground-breaking achievement in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, said Yan Jinhai, chairman of Xizang's regional government, adding that as a result, registered monks and nuns are now entitled to receive pensions for the...

November 10, 2023
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09Nov

Public Retirement Systems Need Sustainable Policies to Navigate Volatile Financial Markets

Over the past decade, policy reforms and increased financial contributions have dramatically improved the cash flow situation of some of the nation’s most troubled state pension plans. Thanks to these changes, which include reforms to benefit designs, a commitment to fiscal discipline, and greater monitoring of the financial health of public retirement systems, no state is at risk of pension plan insolvency. Nevertheless, many states still have more to do to ensure the long-term sustainability of pension promises. As recently...

November 9, 2023
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09Nov

UK pensions minister urged to encourage schemes to invest in sustainability

LCP and Pensions for Purpose have written an open letter to UK pensions minister Laura Trott calling for investment in social and environmental sustainability and for intergenerational inequality to be at the heart of planned pension reforms. In July’s Mansion House speech, the chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt introduced a number of measures aimed at unlocking the growth potential of UK defined benefit (DB) schemes. LCP and Pensions for Purpose are urging the government to encourage pension schemes to invest more in areas...

November 9, 2023
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09Nov

Solid returns can be found in today’s high-risk environment, investors say

Despite a challenging macro environment, there are opportunities to be found in inflation-linked bonds, the energy transition, artificial intelligence, and life sciences, said top executives at some of the world's largest investment managers during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. Ten-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities currently offer real yields of 2.5%, said Lim Chow Kiat, chief executive officer at Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. Higher asset yields are generally good for long-term return, he added while speaking on a panel at the...

November 9, 2023
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09Nov

Dutch pension funds fear ‘ill-fated idea’ to grandfather accruals

Agnes Joseph, an actuary for Achmea and a member of parliament (MP) candidate for the NSC party, is leading the proposal to make it easier to keep accruals in the current DB system – a plan that was unveiled last month when NSC published its election manifesto and discussed extensively on Monday during an election debate organised by IPE’s sister publication Pensioen Pro. According to Joseph, who is the NSC spokesperson for pensions, DB pensions should only be converted to DC if pension...

November 9, 2023
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08Nov

U.S. Treasury to propose rule to ban investment on China’s tech

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said Nov. 7 the Treasury Department hopes to propose a rule "in the coming weeks" to implement the president's executive order prohibiting investments in certain Chinese technology sectors. "I think the president and his counterparts across the G7 have made very clear that our goal is not to decouple but rather to derisk the relationship with China," Adeyemo said at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's annual meeting. 2 House lawmakers ask Treasury to 'urgently'...

November 8, 2023
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08Nov

UK. Pensions notably excluded from King’s Speech

Speaking at the 2023 State Opening of Parliament this morning, the King did not mention any new pensions legislation to build on chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Mansion House reforms announced earlier this year. Reforms included the creation of the Mansion House Compact, alongside several consultations on issues such as defined benefit (DB) superfunds, deferred small pots, collective defined contribution and a value money for money framework. ‘Disappointed' The pensions industry has aired its disappointment over the lack of mention of pensions in the monarch's first King's Speech. Aegon pensions director Steven Cameron...

November 8, 2023
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08Nov

Parliament rejects move to reinstate pensions for MPs: Bahrain

A MOVE to reinstate lifetime pensions for elected and appointed public representatives has been shot down. Of the 31 MPs present in Parliament during its weekly session yesterday, 26 voted against reinstating the 2009 MPs, Shura Council and Municipal Council Members’ Pension Law, four abstained and only Jalal Khadim endorsed the proposal. Under the rejected legislation, public representatives would have be entitled to annual increases in pensions similar to others in the private, government and military sectors. The legislation also sought to...

November 8, 2023
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07Nov

US. Low earners need more retirement income

Social Security alone is simply not enough, new Vanguard study confirms People often assume that the retirement needs of low-wage workers are covered by Social Security's progressive benefit formula. That assessment has never been correct. Social Security was never intended to be the sole source of income for any group of retirees. Social Security replacement rates -- benefits as a percentage of preretirement earnings -- fall far below the generally accepted benchmarks. Low earners are more likely to claim early, which results...

November 7, 2023
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07Nov

British pensions could invest 1.2 trln pounds in climate projects, with policy help-report

 Britain's pensions industry could invest up to 1.2 trillion pounds ($1.5 trillion), half the capital needed by 2035 to put the UK on track to its net-zero goals, if there were more attractive projects and fewer regulatory barriers, a report on Tuesday showed. The UK pensions industry currently invests 4% of its assets in "climate solutions" and is on course to invest just 300 billion pounds by 2035, according to research from British life insurer Phoenix Group and campaign group...

November 7, 2023
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