September 2022
05Sep

UK. Why the gig economy deserves better options for protection

For many people who consider going freelance or self-employed, added flexibility is usually the main driver. But other things you normally take for granted suddenly become more complicated, including the lack of a safety net from your employer if you happen to fall ill. The LV= Wealth and Wellbeing Monitor found that 64 per cent of working UK adults were worried about losing income if they were unable to work. A central worry was how to pay the bills and...

September 5, 2022
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02Sep

UK pension funds lose case to block RPI inflation change

A British court on Thursday rejected an application from major pension funds to overturn authorities' plans to reform the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation. "The application for judicial review is dismissed," London's High Court of Justice said in its judgment. The pension funds, including those of BT (BT.L), Marks and Spencer (MKS.L) and Ford (F.N), had brought the case for judicial review against the UK Statistics Authority regulator and Britain's finance minister. RPI, which dates back to the 1940s and...

September 2, 2022
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02Sep

Japan’s GPIF joins GRESB as infrastructure investor member

Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund joined GRESB, the standardized benchmark and data provider for the ESG performance of real asset segments, including real estate and infrastructure, as the its first Japanese infrastructure investor member. The ¥193 trillion ($1.41 trillion), Tokyo-based retirement fund, in a news release Thursday, said it joined GRESB "in order to encourage the disclosure of ESG information and promote constructive dialogue with investment managers." GPIF said it advises managers to use GRESB assessment in their infrastructure investment and...

September 2, 2022
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02Sep

US. Florida Retirement System returns -6.3% for fiscal year

Florida Retirement System, Tallahassee, returned a net -6.3% for the fiscal year ended June 30. The $180 billion pension fund's return exceeded the benchmark return of -9.1% for the period, according to a performance report on the website of the Florida State Board of Administration, which oversees the pension fund's investments. For the three, five and 10 years ended June 30, the pension fund returned an annualized net 7.7%, 7.7% and 8.6%, respectively, above the respective benchmarks of 5.7%, 6.2% and...

September 2, 2022
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01Sep

After union’s strike, Mexico’s Telmex offers better pension plan for new hires

Union workers for Telmex, the Mexican telecommunications firm controlled by the family of tycoon Carlos Slim, on Wednesday said they were weighing a new offer from employers that included improvements to retirement benefits for new staff. In a company document shared with union workers and seen by Reuters, new hires would upon retirement get a pension worth 100% of their final net pay, determined by their job category, becoming eligible after 35 years of work and once they turn 65. That...

September 1, 2022
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01Sep

U.S. corporate pension buyouts hit record $12.3 billion in Q2 – LIMRA

U.S. corporate pension plan buyout sales totaled $12.31 billion in the quarter ended June 30, the highest volume for a second quarter ever recorded, a LIMRA survey found. The second-quarter total in buyout sales represented an increase of 148% from the year-over-year quarter, which saw a total of $4.97 billion in combined buyout and buy-in sales during the three months ended June 30, 2021. The exceptionally high volume in the second quarter of this year is especially significant since the vast...

September 1, 2022
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01Sep

UK. Pensions dashboards standards need ‘extensive user testing’

Respondents to the pensions dashboards standards consultation have warned that user testing and experience will be required before a full assessment can be provided. The Department for Work and Pensions intends for the dashboards’ legislative framework to come into force from April 2023. The Pensions Dashboards Programme’s consultation, launched on July 19, sought input from the pensions industry on areas including operational, security and design standards. The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association and the Society of Pension Professionals were among respondents...

September 1, 2022
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01Sep

Australia. Pensioners re-entering workforce would make a ‘tangible difference’

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has discussed various solutions to Australia’s labour shortage as the Jobs and Skills summit kicks off in Canberra today. “We put a very practical suggestion, a tangible outcome that we get pensioners and veterans – give them an incentive to do more work without losing their pensions,” Mr Taylor told Sky News Australia. “There is enough pensioners and veterans out there who want to do extra work that it would make a tangible difference. “We have heard crickets...

September 1, 2022
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August 2022
31Aug

US. Pension officials want Visa and Mastercard help track suspicious gun purchases

Top New York City and California pension officials want payments processors Visa Inc, Mastercard Inc and American Express to create a new tool to track suspicious gun purchases. Staff for New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who oversees pension funds, said he has filed shareholder resolutions at Mastercard and American Express asking their boards to explain their views on whether to add a new "merchant category code" for firearms stores. Lander and a California State Teachers' Retirement System portfolio manager made...

August 31, 2022
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31Aug

UK. Pensions industry urged to join forces to address adequacy concerns

The pensions industry has been urged to work together to reach a consensus on how to deal with the issue of under saving, after a report from B&CE found that 61 per cent of households and nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of individuals aren’t saving enough for retirement. The analysis, based on data from the ONS Wealth and Assets Survey, found that 68 per cent of Generation X workers aren’t saving enough, rising to 76 per cent amongst Millenials,...

August 31, 2022
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