October 2021
29Oct

Pensions Should Stop ‘Hibernating’ Investments, JPMorgan Says

Equities, hedge funds, real estate and emerging-markets sovereign debt are among the investment categories that can help pensions “fine-tune the level of risk relative to the expected return,” the asset manager said Thursday in its report. Defined-benefit employee retirement plans have leaned on long-duration fixed-income securities for too long, according to the report. Pensions should change the de-risking strategies they’ve pursued since the 2008 financial crisis to embrace a wider array of investments, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s asset-management unit said...

October 29, 2021
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29Oct

How Chile’s Pension System Became a Covid Piggy Bank

Chile’s love-it-or-loathe it private pension system has long served as a pillar of the nation’s capital markets. Since the pandemic hit, it’s been serving another role, that of national piggy bank. Congress has passed three bills allowing savers to withdrawal billions of dollars. It’s now considering a fourth drawdown, a move that is worrying investors, pulling both the finance ministry and the central bank into the fray. The proposal is also spurring fresh political debate ahead of November’s presidential...

October 29, 2021
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28Oct

UK pension schemes are funding more emissions than the entire UK’s carbon footprint

The analysis suggests pension schemes invest an estimated £112 billion in fossil fuels. That means for every £1,000 invested around £60 supports the fossil fuel industry. Richard Curtis, Co-Founder at Make My Money Matter, commented: “While we’ve seen green shoots of progress with voluntary net zero commitments, £2 trillion remains in schemes which have failed to act, undermining the UK government’s own net zero targets.” Last week, new research found that almost 70% of leading UK schemes have not made robust net...

October 28, 2021
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28Oct

Pandemic Offers This Silver Lining For Retirement Savers

From doctors visits to business meetings, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted so many of our everyday interactions from in person to online. One silver lining of this dramatic change has been increased engagement when it comes to people learning about their retirement savings. Transamerica, an investment solutions, retirement and insurance company, has seen a significant uptick in the number of retirement plan participants meeting virtually with plan consultants since the start of the pandemic. From doctors visits to business meetings, the...

October 28, 2021
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28Oct

Puerto Rico debt-restructuring bill advances amid criticism

Puerto Rico’s Senate and House approved a bill Tuesday that would slash the central government’s debt by half but has also sparked protests and led to fiery exchanges between lawmakers and a federal control board that oversees the U.S. territory’s finances. Read also  U.S. Pension Risk Transfer Market Hits an Estimated $16 Billion in Q3, Second Largest Reported Quarter to Date The bill aims to end a bankruptcy-like process that began after Puerto Rico announced in 2015 that it could not...

October 28, 2021
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28Oct

UK: Pension top-up for 1.2m low earners

Around 1.2m low earners currently missing out on tax top-ups on their pension contributions are to receive payments from the government under measures outlined in the Budget. Currently, individuals who don’t earn enough to pay tax, including hundreds of thousands of female part-time workers, are denied a government top-up on their pension contributions if they are enrolled in a “net pay” pension plan by their employer. In contrast, a similar low-earning saver enrolled in a “relief at source” pension arrangement can...

October 28, 2021
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27Oct

Chile’s Fourth Run on Pension Funds Heads to Senate After Committee Approval

Chile’s Senate Constitution Committee approved a proposal for a fourth round of early pension withdrawals that would pump as much as $20 billion into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Read also How Chile’s Pension System Became a Covid Piggy Bank The committee voted 3 to 2 in favor of legislation on Tuesday despite growing opposition to the measure. The bill now moves to the Senate floor, where it faces difficult odds of passing. Read also Olivia Mitchell: “La persistente falta de...

October 27, 2021
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27Oct

Liberia ex-warlord Taylor sues for pensions, benefits

Former Liberian warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor, jailed for five decades for war crimes, has filed a lawsuit against his country's government over its "refusal" to pay his pension and retirement benefits, according to a court statement. Taylor sparked a 13-year civil war in Liberia when he led a rebellion in 1989 to oust President Samuel Doe, which spiralled into one of Africa's bloodiest conflicts. He is currently serving a 50-year sentence in a British prison after being convicted in 2012 by a...

October 27, 2021
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27Oct

South Korean pension fund to invest in Bitcoin ETF: Report

South Korea’s public pension fund, the Korean Teachers’ Credit Union (KTCU), is reportedly looking to gain exposure to Bitcoin (BTC) via a crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF). Read also UK. PensionBee Partners with Plaid to Leverage Open Banking KTCU, one of the largest institutional investors in South Korea, is considering investing in a pure Bitcoin ETF or Bitcoin-linked ETFs in the first half of 2022, local news agency The Korea Economic Daily reported Monday. Read also US Public Pension Fund Invests In Bitcoin...

October 27, 2021
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27Oct

Firms Are Shaking Up Benefits To Keep Workers From Quitting. The Retirement Plan Could Be Next.

As resignations soar and the war for talent heats up amid a tight labor market, companies are turning to any tool at their disposal—even the normally staid retirement plan—to attract and retain workers. KPMG, the global accounting and consulting firm, announced to employees on Monday the most significant overhaul to its benefits plan in more than 10 years. The firm said it will reduce the cost of health premiums to employees by 10%, expand its paid family leave and add...

October 27, 2021
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