September 2025

Mexico’s Politics Of Pensions

Like many countries with an aging population, Mexico is facing a pension crisis. In just the last five years, the universal pension for older adults quadrupled its budget. Coupled with low growth, the ever-rising cash transfers and subsidies have become a major drag on the country’s economy. Welfare payments to individuals—such as the universal pension for older adults, disability pensions, and student stipends—have grown at a pace that outstripped investment in infrastructure, education, and security. These programs are politically attractive:...

US. Investors bet on gold’s glitter as US jobs data falters

Gold surged to a record high near US$3,600 per ounce on Friday, as speculation mounted that the US Federal Reserve could deliver a significant interest rate cut at its next meeting, following weaker-than-expected US job growth in August, according to Reuters. Investors responded to the jobs data by doubling down on bets that the Fed might cut rates by as much as 50 basis points, a move that sent Treasury yields tumbling and the US dollar lower, while boosting gold’s appeal. Nonfarm...

UK. Home Responsibilities Protection: Could you be owed thousands in backdated State Pension?

One Morning Live viewer has discovered she was owed more than £35,000 in unpaid State Pension after finding out that years she spent at home caring for her child had not been properly recorded. Her case highlights a wider problem linked to Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), a scheme that ran between April 1978 and April 2010. HRP was designed to protect parents and carers who were unable to build up full National Insurance contributions because they were looking after children...

Global warning: solving pensions gaps around the world

From gender gaps to vulnerable workers, inadequate pensions are an issue the world over. What are countries doing about it? Around the world, many people are still without pension provision. Here, we explore this by looking at case studies of countries with significant coverage issues, and countries that are making changes to improve coverage. Some of the major drivers and resulting effects of inadequate pension provision are: The gender pensions gap – Figure 1 shows the gender pensions gap in OECD countries....

UK. Amendment Watch: What changes are being proposed to the Pension Schemes Bill?

On the first day back for MPs after the summer recess, the UK parliament’s website published more than 200 amendments to the Pension Schemes Bill ahead of the start of the committee scrutiny stage of its journey through parliament. By the middle of this week, this list had grown to more than 270. Industry representatives from trade bodies, pension providers, and other organisations this week gave evidence to the scrutinising committee on its various aspects, from surplus release to investment...

US. The milestone ages that matter most for retirement planning

Retirement is a journey marked by important milestones—ages at which decisions can have lasting impacts on financial security, health coverage and overall well-being. Because many federal employees have been facing major decisions this year about their retirement from federal service, understanding these ages is essential. Last week, we looked at the important ages that affect Social Security and Medicare. This week, let’s focus on Thrift Savings Plan deadlines and an important age for the FERS Basic Retirement Benefit. Age 50: The...

Dutch fund PFZW reduces BlackRock ties over clash on sustainability

Dutch pension fund PFZW has stopped investing in stock funds managed by BlackRock, in part because of concerns over the U.S. firm's voting record on sustainability issues, its lead asset manager PGGM said on Wednesday. The move comes amid a wider activist campaign in the Netherlands to push the country's large pension schemes to drop managers that have reduced support for climate change-linked resolutions at company meetings. While some companies have scaled back the importance they attach to sustainability since the...

Pension risk transfer: The U.S. and the U.K. compared

Growth in the pension risk transfer (PRT) industry is accelerating, with new research forecasting insurance companies will secure more than $335 billion of liabilities across the U.K. and the U.S. markets over the next three years. But with many insurers now looking at opportunities in both countries, it is vital to recognize the differences between the U.K. and the U.S., particularly when it comes to deferred lives. PRT transactions — often described as bulk purchase annuity deals in the U.K. —...

As global longevity increases, how do we ensure workers and economies thrive?

Since becoming CEO of Mercer, I’ve travelled to more than 20 countries and met with C-suite executives and policy-makers worldwide. One topic they consistently bring up – and can universally relate to – is increasing longevity. That may surprise most people, but it doesn’t shock me. For years, Mercer has been following statistics on longevity. By 2050, the number of individuals aged 60 and older is projected to reach 2.1 billion – nearly double today’s figure. The rise is driven by significantly longer life...

US. Don’t Plan Your Retirement Around Working Longer

You're fast approaching retirement, but don't have enough money to comfortably retire just yet. Instead of stashing more money in your 401(k), what if you just worked longer, delaying retirement until you saved enough? While this may seem like a good idea in theory, in practice it might not work out. We connected with policy experts to understand at what age people are retiring and why working forever won't solve your retirement woes. When Are People Actually Retiring? Most Americans retire before...