News Archives - Page 45 of 964 - Pension Policy International

04MarMarch 4, 2026

How South Korea nudged its birth rate back up – and what Singapore can learn

As Singapore's birth rate hits a historic low, South Korea's modest but notable rebound offers a ray of hope and possible lessons, experts said. Singapore's total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 0.87 in 2025, parliament was told on Thursday (Feb 26), continuing a slide that first pushed the country below 1.0 in 2023. A TFR below one means the average woman has less than one child in her lifetime – far below the 2.1 replacement rate needed to keep the population from...

March 4, 2026

NewsAging, Labor Market, South Korea

04MarMarch 4, 2026

US retirees are trading the 4% rule for the ‘bucket strategy.’

For decades, retirees have followed the guideline to withdraw 4% of their investment portfolio each year in retirement. This maximum withdrawal rate was believed to be a sure-fire method for stretching retirement income for 30 years or more. One of the rule’s big advantages is its simplicity, but simple doesn’t always mean better. Given how unpredictable the economy has become, the so-called 4% rule is seen as outdated, with outfits like Morningstar recommending withdrawal rates between 3.3% and 4% depending...

March 4, 2026

NewsUS, Withdrawals

04MarMarch 4, 2026

Pakistan’s digital banking users top 127 million amid shift to cashless economy

Pakistani officials told Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday the number of digital banking users in the country had surpassed 127 million, the PM Office said, as the government pushes ahead with efforts to promote a cashless economy. Pakistan has witnessed significant growth in digital transactions in recent years. The country’s central bank said last year that its instant digital payment system, Raast, had processed more than 892 million transactions worth Rs20 trillion ($72 billion) since its launch in 2021. During...

March 4, 2026

NewsFintech, Pakistan

03MarMarch 3, 2026

The Typical American’s Retirement Savings Is Shockingly Low—Here’s What To Do About It

Many American workers don't have enough retirement savings. Among American workers aged 21 to 64 with any defined contribution savings, the median balance was $40,000, according to 2023 Census data recently analyzed by the National Institute on Retirement Security.1 When the researchers included workers without retirement savings, the median amount saved in defined contribution plans was a paltry $955. Retirement in the U.S. is often described as a three-legged stool, with people relying on Social Security, pensions, and individual retirement savings. But fewer workers have pensions....

March 3, 2026

Newssavings, US

03MarMarch 3, 2026

Markets Brief: For Iran War Impact on Oil and Other Markets, Longevity and Strait of Hormuz Are Key

With the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes, investors are once again having to navigate a wave of geopolitical uncertainty. Beyond the human toll of the war, for now all eyes in the markets are on oil prices, and more specifically on the Strait of Hormuz. “The main transmission channel of the Iran crisis to the global economy and macro markets is its impact on energy markets, with the combination of severity and expected...

March 3, 2026

NewsInvestment

03MarMarch 3, 2026

Is Kenya ready for Financial Services Regulators Consolidation

Kenya’s financial sector has evolved far beyond the regulatory architecture originally designed to supervise it. What was once a neatly segmented ecosystem where banks are regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), capital markets by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), insurance by the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), retirement benefits by the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA), and deposit-taking Saccos by the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), has transformed into an interconnected web of financial conglomerates offering multiple products across sectors...

March 3, 2026

NewsKenya, Regulation

03MarMarch 3, 2026

Reform unlocks China’s silver dividend

In a technology park in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, 58-year-old Zhang Wei is fine-tuning a drone used for agricultural inspection. With 35 years of experience as an aircraft mechanic, he remains one of the most reliable technicians in the factory. Under China’s previous retirement framework, however, Zhang would soon be expected to step aside, begin drawing a pension and leave the workforce. But Zhang is not ready to hang up his boots. “This is when experience matters most,” he says. “If...

March 3, 2026

NewsAging, China, Pension Reform, Retirement Age

02MarMarch 2, 2026

Japan’s births hit record low for 10th year as demographic crisis outpaces government forecasts

Japan’s demographic crisis accelerated to a historic velocity last year as the number of births fell for the 10th consecutive year, reaching a record low that threatens the structural integrity of the nation’s social security framework. Data released Thursday by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare revealed that births in 2025 declined 2.1% from the previous year to 705,809. This figure, which includes foreign nationals residing in Japan, represents the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1899 and marks...

March 2, 2026

News, SliderAging, Japan

02MarMarch 2, 2026

Japan public pensions let domestic bond holdings slide as yields rise

Organizations managing public pension funds in Japan are keeping a smaller share of their assets in Japanese bonds, steering clear of buying in a trend that could add to the upward pressure on yields. The Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations had 19% of its holdings in domestic bonds at the end of 2025, well below its standard allocation of 25%. The organization has around 12 trillion yen ($76.8 billion) in assets under management. Similar, albeit smaller, declines...

March 2, 2026

NewsInvestment, Japan, Pension Management

02MarMarch 2, 2026

US. Indiana prepares to put bitcoin in its public retirement plans

Indiana lawmakers approved a bill allowing public retirement and savings plans to invest in digital assets and spot crypto ETFs, with Gov. Mike Braun expected to sign it soon. The move places Indiana among at least 21 states that are investing in or evaluating bitcoin and other digital assets for public funds, in line with the President of the US push to expand crypto holdings in the country. In a separate measure, Indiana legislators voted to ban crypto ATMs statewide after...

March 2, 2026

NewsCryptocurrencies, Investment, US

March 2026