October 2023

U.K. investment managers see assets dip 12% in 2022

Assets managed by the U.K. investment management industry fell to £8.8 trillion ($10.61 trillion) at the end of 2022, a 12% decrease from the previous year, according to the Investment Association's annual Investment Management Survey. The survey released Oct. 10 attributed the drop to a broad-based market correction reflecting monetary policy changes, inflation, the Ukraine war and other global uncertainties. "The markets experienced an unusual correlation in the direction of travel for both global equities and bonds," the survey report...

US Corporate Pension Funding Rises Slightly in September

U.S. corporate pension funding status increased in September, despite a decline in equities. September’s funding status was a return to the norm, following an August that saw pension funding decline for the first time this year.  Insight Investment found that pension funding status improved by one percentage point in August, to 107.5% from 106.5%. Equity losses were offset by a roughly 40 bps increase in discount rates, causing liabilities to decline faster than assets. Assets decreased by 4.5% in September,...

US. New SEC Names Rule getting mixed reaction from industry

Opinions vary on the SEC's choice to expand the scope of its Names Rule — while some industry players feel the new rule will help prevent misleading fund names, others say it will be a disruption to the industry. According to SEC Chair Gary Gensler, the rule amendments "will help ensure that a fund's portfolio aligns with a fund's name. Such truth in advertising promotes fund integrity on behalf of fund investors," he said in a news release Sept. 20...

What’s wrong with private market valuations and why do UK pension funds care?

Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said last week a review of risks in markets for unlisted assets would check how valuations are being undertaken and whether any risks could spread into banking. WHY IS THE REGULATOR WORRIED? Stock markets and prices of government bonds have been hit by expectations of higher interest rates for a longer period than initially anticipated. Prices of private, unlisted assets have remained relatively high, raising questions about how valuations are conducted and if a reckoning is due. WHY...

Why we often struggle to pivot from saving to spending

Here's the retirement quandary for many Americans. They spend years building good financial habits so, if all goes well, they have sufficient funds by the end of their working years. Then, when it’s time to transition, they often struggle in the shift from saving to spending their nest egg. The no-stress years suddenly become the all-stress years. "It's disappointing to get to your first couple of years of retirement, and just constantly be stressed out about your income generation strategy from...

Kenya. Pension fund assets up Sh127bn on NSSF new rates

Pension fund assets rose by Sh127 billion in the first half of this year, boosted in part by the introduction of higher mandatory contributions to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and exchange gains on offshore investments. The 8.1 percent growth to Sh1.704 trillion was also boosted by new investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits), including the Sh6.92 billion Laptrust Imara Investment Reit (I-Reit) which was listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in March. Read: Pension funds fail to...

U.S. corporate pension funding rises in September on falling liabilities

U.S. corporate pension plan funding ratios increased in September despite a second straight month of negative market returns thanks to falling liability values, according to three new reports. Wilshire Advisors estimated the aggregate funding ratio of U.S. corporate plans increased 0.7 percentage points during the month to 105.3% as of Sept. 30. The increase was driven by the largest drop in liability values since September 2022 that resulted from the continued rise in U.S. Treasury yields, said Ned McGuire, managing director...

Inflation concerns drive Asia-Pacific pension funds to alternatives

Pension funds in Asia-Pacific are planning to increase allocations to alternatives to hedge against inflation, but they lack the expertise and understanding to manage these assets in-house, according to a Cerulli Associates report. Between 2020 and 2022, these pension funds increased allocations to alternative assets by 28.4%, and are looking to outsource their alternative investments — particularly to hedge funds, private equity and private debt, according to The Cerulli Report — Asian Retirement Markets 2023: Building Security Against Uncertainty. Figures...

U.K. investors turn up the heat on boards for climate transition plans

Investors with a collective £1.8 trillion ($2.2 trillion) in assets told high-emitting FTSE 350 companies that they expect to see climate transition plans on the agenda at their next annual meetings. The 18 investors include the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, CCLA Investment Management, Sarasin & Partners and Ethos Foundation. In letters to corporate chairmen at 35 companies, the investors said that for the past two years they asked the corporate boards to provide shareholders with the opportunity to vote on...

US. Social Security Will Not Provide Sufficient Retirement Income for Low-Wage Workers

Even with the benefit of Social Security checks, low-income workers fall considerably short of replacing their income in retirement, emphasizing a need for policymakers and plan sponsors to step in to help improve options, according to Vanguard’s newest research.   By providing wider access to workplace retirement plans and implementing features like automatic enrollment and “under-saver sweeps,” policymakers and plan sponsors have an opportunity to help low-income workers address this shortfall. Delaying retirement and liquidating home equity are also strategies to...