June 2023

UK. Half of DC pension savers don’t know how to access retirement pot

Almost half of defined contribution (DC) pension savers in their 50s and 60s have not considered how they will access their retirement pot, a study finds. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) research published today (30 June) finds that close to half of working-age people have at least a small amount of wealth held in DC pensions. Wealthier people are more likely to have DC pension wealth — 60% of individuals in the top tenth of the (non-pension) wealth distribution have...

US. Pension funds would have $21 billion more without fossil fuel holdings – study

Several public pension funds under pressure to divest from fossil fuel investments would have had as much as $21 billion more over the last decade without them, according to a study by the University of Waterloo released Wednesday by advocacy group Stand.Earth. In the report, The Impact of Energy Investments on the Financial Value and the Emissions of Pension Funds, researchers at the university's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) used Bloomberg data to analyze six large pension funds'...

UK pension funds still holding £88bn in fossil fuels, despite increased climate commitments

UK-based pension schemes have more than £88bn invested in fossil fuel firms, the equivalent of £3,000 per pension policyholder. That is according to Make My Money Matter, which has analysed the fossil fuel investments of more than 50 of the nation’s largest pension schemes. Most of these schemes have net-zero targets but are yet to completely stop investing in fossil fuels. While some fossil fuels are likely to be used in a net-zero world, Net-Zero Tracker recently confirmed that no major...

Ghana. Pensioner bondholders suspend picketing at Finance Ministry

The Pensioner Bondholders Forum has suspended its planned picketing at the Finance Ministry to protest the non-payment of outstanding coupons. This follows the resumption of payments of the coupons by government on June 27. On June 22, the pensioner Bondholders began a third round of picketing at the Finance Ministry to demand seven outstanding coupons following which government has begun payment. The pensioners say a planned protest scheduled for today, June 29 has been suspended due to the show of commitment by...

U.S. Treasury partners with CDPQ, managers on sustainable investing

The U.S. Treasury has partnered with Canadian pension fund CDPQ, asset managers Natixis Investment Managers and Ninety One, the Rockefeller Foundation and others to accelerate pension fund and other institutional investment in emerging and developing countries over the next three years. In particular, the new partnership will focus on investing in energy transition and sustainable infrastructure, and will be led by the Investor Leadership Network, according to a statement from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. "Today, we are proud to announce...

China to explore housing pension system, improve residential quality: minister

China's housing minister has emphasized the need to improve the quality of housing and explore a housing pension system. Ni Hong, minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, called on the financial institutions to participate in urban construction and renovation, promoting the creation of livable, intelligent, and resilient cities, news outlet CHINAJSB.CN reported on Tuesday.   Ni made the remarks in a meeting with chairman of Bank of China on Monday to discuss a deepening of cooperation between the government and financial institutions,...

India. Balancing Old and New Pension Systems: Neglected Pensioners and PFRDA’s Role

The ongoing debate surrounding the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and the New Pension System (NPS) must not overlook the most affected group – the pensioners. While political parties, economists, and think tanks engage in discussions about the advantages and risks of each system, elderly individuals relying on these pensions continue to be forgotten. The OPS has a long history dating back to British Colonial Rule in India, initially introduced in 1881. It has evolved over the years, extending its coverage...

Australia. The positive super and tax changes from July 1

All Aussie employees will receive 0.5% more as their superannuation guarantee lifts to 11% of their salary from July 1, up from 10.5%. The biggest winners will be employees on award wages or enterprise agreements negotiated by a union because the superannuation will be paid on top of their wage. For example, an employee on a wage who is paid $100,000 plus superannuation is currently receiving $10,500 into their superannuation but from July 1, they will be paid $11,000 into...

U.S. public pension funding dips in May – Milliman

The overall estimated funding ratio of the 100 largest U.S. public pension plans fell to 73.7% as of May 31 from 74.8% a month earlier, according to the Milliman 100 Public Pension Funding index. During the month of May, Milliman estimated that public pension plans had an aggregate investment return of -1%, with an estimated range of -1.8% to -0.3%. "Despite the slight drop in funded status, May marks the eighth month in a row where the funded ratio has stayed...

China’s private pension market could be US$969 billion opportunity for foreign firms by 2030: KPMG report

Ongoing reforms to China's challenged retirement system present big opportunities for global asset managers wanting to tap into the 28 trillion yuan (US$3.8 trillion) potential market, according to a joint report by KPMG China and the Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA). China's pension system is in urgent need of reform, as the current framework is unable to cope with the needs of an increasingly elderly population, Eugenie Shen, head of ASIFMA Asset Management Group, said in the...