News Archives - Page 44 of 950 - Pension Policy International

19JanJanuary 19, 2026

UK. DWP says thousands missing out on extra £80 per week

Recent figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reveal that almost a million pensioner households may be failing to claim an average of £4,300 a year - or around £80 a week - in benefit income to which they are entitled. As many as 910,000 households eligible for Pension Credit failed to claim the benefit, resulting in approximately £2.5 billion remaining unclaimed. In an effort to help more individuals above State Pension age obtain additional financial assistance in the...

January 19, 2026

NewsRegulation, UK

19JanJanuary 19, 2026

China’s birth rate hits record low as population continues to shrink

China's birth rates sunk to a record low in 2025, despite the government rolling out a spate of incentives to boost it, as the country's population fell for the fourth straight year. Government data on Monday showed that the country's birth rate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people – a record low since the Communist Party took power in 1949 – while its death rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people, the highest since 1968. Its population fell 3.39 million to...

January 19, 2026

NewsAging, China

19JanJanuary 19, 2026

Swiss Life Holding AG: How a 165-Year Incumbent Is Rebuilding Wealth and Retirement for a Volatile Age

The New Urgency of Swiss Life Holding AG Retirement planning used to be boring. Then zero interest rates, inflation spikes, housing crises, and fragmented work lives turned it into a high?stakes puzzle that most people are failing to solve. In Europe, where demographic aging is accelerating and public pension systems are under strain, that puzzle is now an existential problem for households and a structural challenge for governments. Swiss Life Holding AG sits right at the center of that storm. Officially,...

January 19, 2026

NewsInvestment, Switzerland

16JanJanuary 16, 2026

South Korea. National Pension Fund Surpasses 1,500 Trillion Won Mark

The National Pension Fund, which surpassed 1,400 trillion won at the end of last year, is understood to have broken through 1,500 trillion won in just two weeks, riding on KOSPI’s rally, which broke all-time highs for 10 consecutive trading days. According to investment banking (IB) industry sources on Jan. 15, the National Pension Fund’s asset management scale recently exceeded 1,500 trillion won. This represents an increase of nearly 30 trillion won this year from the provisional figure of approximately...

January 16, 2026

NewsPension Management, South Korea

16JanJanuary 16, 2026

UK. Most self-employed and freelancers failing to save for retirement, Aviva research finds

New research from Aviva reveals a worrying gap in retirement planning among the UK’s self-employed, freelancers, and digital nomads - groups that are increasingly shaping and driving the modern workforce. Just over a third (34%) of digital nomads – those who use technology to work remotely while travelling and living in various locations, rather than being in a single office – are actively saving into a pension or retirement plan. The picture is only slightly better for the self-employed (38%)...

January 16, 2026

NewsRetirement Planning, UK

16JanJanuary 16, 2026

How our fear of aging is speeding it up

After I turned 60 last October, I became consumed with thoughts of mortality. I worried that I was now on a fast track toward ill health, retirement blues and forgetful conversations filled with non-sequiturs. It’s not hard to see why. In 2023, the American Psychological Association wrote that “ageism is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices” in American culture. From shelves lined with anti-aging products, to punchlines about getting older to workplace bias, the message is clear: entering...

January 16, 2026

NewsChina, Pension Reform

15JanJanuary 15, 2026

UK. Pensions administration to become ‘core’ governance function by 2030

Pensions administration is set to move from a back-office operation to a core element of scheme governance by the end of the decade, driven by regulatory pressure, technological change, and heightened risk awareness, LCP has predicted. Writing in a blog post, LCP senior consultant, Ella Holloway, said the revised administration guidance from The Pensions Regulator (TPR) had clarified expectations for trustees and signalled a shift in how administration should be viewed, placing it firmly at the centre of effective governance rather than...

January 15, 2026

NewsPension Management, Regulation, UK

15JanJanuary 15, 2026

Crypto and retirement: Why seniors are taking an interest in digital assets

Despite its unique volatility, cryptocurrency has recently expanded beyond blockchain exchanges. Now, cryptocurrency prices have found a place in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), investment portfolios, and perhaps most notably, retirement funds. Drawn by returns, accessibility, and diversification, Australians have begun to explore the potential of crypto as a supplement to traditional retirement strategies. Why would cryptocurrency prices appeal to retirees? Typically, retirees in Australia and around the world place an emphasis on assurances and stability. However, as the global financial market faces uncertainty and...

January 15, 2026

NewsAustralia, Cryptocurrency, Investment

15JanJanuary 15, 2026

Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

“Rural heating problems in Hebei cannot wait any longer” declared a recent report in Farmers’ Daily. It described a disturbing reality in parts of northern China: elderly villagers who would rather shiver through freezing temperatures than turn on their heaters, because they simply cannot afford the cost. For many urban readers, this may sound implausible. For millions of rural elderly, it is routine. On the surface, the problem appears to be a side effect of China’s well-intentioned environmental reforms. Beginning...

January 15, 2026

NewsChina, Pension Reform

15JanJanuary 15, 2026

Romania adopts new law on payments of private pensions

Romania’s newly passed Law 2/2026 on Payment of Private Pensions was published in the Official Gazette of Romania. This law, which will enter into force one year after its publication. provides a mechanism for payment of private pensions aligned with international standards and brings Romania closer to its goal of membership in the OECD. Context for the adoption of Law 2/2026 In June 2024, the OECD's Working Party on Private Pensions welcomed parts of Romania's private pension system but issued a...

January 15, 2026

NewsRegulation, Romania

January 2026