December 2025
04Dec

Is the world ageing out of interest rates?

From global rate hikes to political pressures, central banks can’t stay out of the news these days. But these headlines overlook a growing challenge for central banks: With the share of the population aged 65 or over set to nearly double by 2054, their policy tools may become less effective. Interest rates have long been a key instrument of monetary policy, used much like car pedals, with cuts made to accelerate economic activity and hikes to slow it down. Historically,...

December 4, 2025
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04Dec

The German far left grants last-minute approval to pension reform

The opposition party Die Linke announced on Wednesday that it would abstain from Friday's vote on pension reform, thus allowing Friedrich Merz's government to avoid a potentially destabilizing parliamentary defeat. This abstention effectively guarantees the passage of the highly contested bill and offers the chancellor a respite after several weeks of political tension. The bill aims to maintain current levels of state pensions until 2031, a measure presented as a key pillar of the coalition agreement between the conservative Merz...

December 4, 2025
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04Dec

Most Kenyans think their expenses will decrease in retirement. Is this true?

A new survey on retirement expectations shows that most working Kenyans believe their expenses will reduce once they leave active employment. The findings, published in the Driving Innovation in the Pension Sector in Kenya report by ICEA Group and released on November 20, 2025, offer a glimpse into how the workforce is preparing—mentally and financially—for life after work. According to the report, 57 per cent of the respondents expect their spending to be lower in retirement than it is today. This...

December 4, 2025
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04Dec

UK. Securing our future: Climate risk and the Pension Schemes Bill

The government is undertaking a once-in-a-generation review of the UK pensions system. It is much needed, and they have made some welcome proposals. However, they are missing the single biggest threat to long-term retirement security: climate change and the accelerating destruction of nature. By refusing to confront this reality, they are letting down pension savers and the pensions industry alike. UK pension schemes continue to hold substantial investments in fossil fuels, including new coal, oil and gas projects. These investments drive...

December 4, 2025
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03Dec

OECD Warns Mexico’s New Pension Fund Lacks Long-Term Stability

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has raised concerns about the long-term financing of Mexico’s Pension Fund for Well-being (FPB), warning that the program depends on temporary resources that may not be sustainable. In its Pensions at a Glance 2025 report, the OECD noted that the FPB is funded through various sources, many of which involve one-time transfers. As a result, “it is not clear how the financing measures planned for this complement will be able to cover...

December 3, 2025
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03Dec

‘Generation war’ dogs pension debates in France and Germany

A generational reckoning is brewing in Paris and Berlin, where a new wave of younger politicians is putting pensioners on notice: The system is buckling and can’t hold unless retirees do more to help fix it. Culture, language and local politics may add a distinct flavor to each debate, but the European Union’s two biggest economies are dealing with the same issue — how to pay for the soaring costs associated with the retirement of baby boomers. The problem is both...

December 3, 2025
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03Dec

UK. People’s allocates £3.6bn to emerging markets with new mandate

The People’s Pension has awarded a £3.6bn emerging markets mandate to Robeco – the latest in several investment strategy changes as it gears up for a period of growth. The £38bn master trust has shifted to an active, quantitative investing approach as part of the move, it said in a press release. The allocation was previously passive and run by State Street. People’s said the new mandate ensured “greater alignment with the scheme’s evolving responsible investment policy”, as well as aiming for...

December 3, 2025
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03Dec

​Sweden’s FI launches probe into costly individual occupational pensions

The Swedish financial watchdog is launching a new investigation into the cost of individual occupational pension products, after its government-mandated investment costs mapping exercise revealed these to be considerably more expensive than their collectively-agreed counterparts. The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen, FI) yesterday announced the probe as it published a 50-page report into fees and distribution in the Swedish mutual funds market. FI said: “Customers of big banks often pay more in fund fees, yet 85% of private savings are made...

December 3, 2025
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03Dec

UK. Pension opt-outs ‘early sign’ of mounting financial pressure

Around 15 per cent of employers reported that at least 2 per cent of their workforce have reduced or opted out of pension contributions over the past year, according to Broadstone’s latest UK Employee Benefits Landscape Report. The consultancy warned that the trend is an early sign of mounting financial pressure and weakening saver confidence at a time when adequacy is already under scrutiny. The report also found that among employers who adjusted their benefits packages following the Autumn 2024 Budget, 43 per...

December 3, 2025
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02Dec

UK. FCA unveils ESG ratings proposals; consultation launched

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled proposals to ensure that environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings are transparent, reliable and comparable, following the government's decision to bring ESG ratings within the regulator's remit for the first time. The reforms, which are expected to generate around £500m in net benefits over the next decade, form part of a new consultation launched by the FCA, which is open until 31 March 2026. According to the regulator, the decision to bring ESG ratings...

December 2, 2025
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