News Archives - Page 383 of 983 - Pension Policy International

05JanJanuary 5, 2023

Korea to take drastic measures to tackle population decline

The government will take drastic measures to tackle Korea's demographic crisis of its falling birthrate and rapidly aging society, said Na Kyung-won, head of the presidential committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, who floated the idea of writing off loans for married couples who give birth to children. "Now is the absolute last chance to take action on the imminent demographic crisis. Responding and adapting to the demographic change is a matter of the nation's survival and sustainability," Na,...

January 5, 2023

NewsAging, Labor Market, South Korea

04JanJanuary 4, 2023

U.S. corporate pension funding holds steady at 95% despite market volatility

U.S. corporate pension plan funding ratios remained steady in 2022 despite significant market volatility, according to a new analysis from Willis Towers Watson. The analysis, which examined pension plan data from 356 Fortune 1000 companies, estimated their aggregate funding ratio to be 95% at the end of 2022, the same as a year earlier. According to the analysis, Willis Towers Watson estimated that the pension plans finished 2022 with $1.22 trillion in assets, down 26% from $1.65 trillion a year earlier,...

January 4, 2023

NewsFunding, Occupational Pensions, US

04JanJanuary 4, 2023

UK. Solving the Liquidity Factor for Alternative Investments in DC Plans

One of the main reasons that plan sponsors have been hesitant to bring alternative assets into defined contribution plans is concerns about the liquidity of such assets. Private real estate, for example, which has become the most common alternative investment within defined contribution plans, is at its core an illiquid asset. Part of the reason that it’s a less volatile investment than traditional securities is that it’s typically only valued once per quarter, making it even harder for asset managers...

January 4, 2023

NewsInvestment, Pension Management, UK

04JanJanuary 4, 2023

Here’s why we must not lose sight of the importance of ESG, despite the recent backlash

The consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when making investment decisions has never faced such a profound period of negative scrutiny. After years of increasing attention and capital allocated to ESG investments, which have made substantial strides forwards in terms of technical substance and implementation expertise, 2022 proved to be a point of reflection. There are several drivers behind this wave of criticism. The combination of the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, inflation and pockets of populism emerging...

January 4, 2023

NewsESG, Investment

04JanJanuary 4, 2023

Chipping away at the mystery of immortality: The race to cheat death as populations age in Asia

As Asia ages faster than any other region in the world, the race is on to find ways to slow down the process. There are now 630 million people aged 60 years and above in Asia Pacific, representing 60 per cent of the world's older population. By 2050, that number is projected to increase to 1.3 billion. The research in longevity has advanced to the point of several potential interventions mostly in animal models that might work in humans, said Prof...

January 4, 2023

NewsAging, Asia, Labor Market

03JanJanuary 3, 2023

France signals flexibility in face of pension reform resistance

The French government said Tuesday it could be flexible on its plan to raise the retirement age to 65, part of a hugely controversial pension reform project pushed by President Emmanuel Macron. Speaking ahead of crunch talks with unions that have fiercely resisted any change, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told FranceInfo radio that the age of 65 is "not set in stone". She added that "other solutions" could help the government reach its target of balancing the pensions system...

January 3, 2023

NewsFrance, Pension Reform

03JanJanuary 3, 2023

UK. Industry criticises 2022 as an adverse year for pensions

Results from our last Pensions Buzz survey of 2022 revealed 54% of respondents felt the last 12 months have not been positive for the industry, against 36% who disagreed and 14% who voted don't know. Of the respondents who said 2022 had not been a positive year, several pointed to the liability-driven investment (LDI) crisis as a result of September's Mini Budget. One respondent said: "The LDI crisis was very damaging. Stock market has been volatile, pension valises have fallen and...

January 3, 2023

NewsInvestment, Pension Management, Regulation, UK

03JanJanuary 3, 2023

Afghanistan. Retired officials stage protest over unpaid pensions

Many retired officials held a protest in the Afghan capital of Kabul over unpaid pensions on Monday, TOLOnews reported. The retired military personnel and civil officials from previous governments conducted the protest, claiming that they are facing many problems in the freezing winter as they have not been paid for the last 16 months. "There is nothing to heat our rooms. I pay 4,000 Afs for house rent and we are three families. I have my daughter in laws with me,...

January 3, 2023

NewsAfghanistan, State Pensions

02JanJanuary 2, 2023

OECD says pension funds must take ‘extreme care’ with liquidity risks

Pension funds should be “extremely careful” when investing in illiquid assets, as rising interest rates and falling stock markets increase the likelihood of their having to access cash quickly, the OECD has warned. In the recent era of low interest rates, pension funds poured money into alternative investments, such as infrastructure projects and private equity, in an effort to escape the low yields available on government bonds. But such investments are typically illiquid, meaning the funds cannot quickly convert them...

January 2, 2023

NewsInvestment, Pension Management

02JanJanuary 2, 2023

Dutch medical specialists: focus on healthy pensions

Medicine and finance can be seen as two very distant disciplines. Perhaps pension fund management is where the two disciplines find common ground. When it comes to pensions, a finance practitioner must be able to think and act with a long-term objective in mind and to put the well-being of its clients above everything else, as a healthcare professional would deal with a patient. That common ground is a strong foundation for Stichting Pensioenfonds Medisch Specialisten (SPMS), the pension fund...

January 2, 2023

NewsAging, Health, Pension design

January 2023