August 2025
28Aug

Japan and South Korea Task Force To Tackle Birth Rate Crisis

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have agreed to launch a joint task force to tackle shared issues of concern, including birth rates. Why It Matters More than half of the world's countries now have total fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman needed to sustain a population. Longer lifespans, rising living costs and shifting social attitudes among younger generations have contributed to the decline. South Korea (0.75) and Japan (1.15) have among the...

August 28, 2025
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28Aug

Pensions UK to lobby for changes to mandation rules in Pension Schemes Bill

Pensions UK, the retirement industry trade body, is to step up lobbying against investment mandation when the Pension Schemes Bill returns to parliament next week. The bill is due to be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee at sittings scheduled for next week. Pensions UK’s director of policy and advocacy Zoe Alexander will give evidence to the committee at the first session on 2 September. Pensions UK said it “believes in a pensions sector that puts fiduciary duty to savers at its...

August 28, 2025
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28Aug

1 in 5 Europeans will retire in poverty without urgent reform, EU watchdog warns

Poverty in old age will be the norm for a large chunk of Europe's population unless current retirement policies undergo deep reform, the EU's workplace pensions regulator has warned. "One in five Europeans is already at risk of living in poverty at old age," said Petra Hielkema, chief of the Frankfurt-based European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority. "[That's] a ridiculously high percentage, frankly. And if you then look at women, they have a 30 percent larger risk for that," she told...

August 28, 2025
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27Aug

UK. 94% of pension transfers raise scam warning in July

Some 94 per cent of cases reviewed by the XPS Scam Protection Service raised at least one scam warning flag in July 2025, data has revealed. XPS Group’s Scam Flag Index found there was a “sharp” increase in the amount of pension transfers that raised a scam warning flag, with 6 per cent more cases than June. July’s finding represented the second time the index has surpassed 90 per cent over the past 12 months. XPS Group senior consultant, Helen Cavanagh, said: “The increase...

August 27, 2025
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27Aug

Canada. Outdated retirement system could leave many financially struggling, investment management group says

A leading investment industry group is calling for policy changes to update Canada’s retirement income system, warning that without reforms, many Canadians may fall short of what they need in retirement. In a report released Wednesday, the Securities and Investment Management Association (SIMA) said that the current retirement income system hasn’t kept pace with longer lifespans, higher living costs and the decline of workplace pensions. To address these issues, the group recommends policy changes aimed at supporting private savings, including raising...

August 27, 2025
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27Aug

Nigeria’s wage and pension crisis

By Shu’aibu Usman Leman   Earlier this month, the United States government released a sobering assessment of Nigeria’s human rights record in its 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Among the stark revelations was the shamefully low national minimum wage of ₦70,000—a figure described as “woefully inadequate” amid rising inflation, a weakened naira, and an ever-worsening cost of living. At just $47.90 per month by current exchange rates, this wage is not merely insufficient—it is an affront to human dignity. In...

August 27, 2025
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27Aug

Roughly 60% of employees in Romania worried about job stability until retirement, report shows

The most recent study conducted by Raiffeisen Bank in partnership with Appinio shows that 6 out of 10 Romanian employees are worried about job stability until retirement, with concern being higher among women and people over 40 years old. The labor market in Romania remains one where age can be both an advantage and an obstacle. Many employees feel the effect of age on employment opportunities. The risk of being dismissed for this reason is mentioned by 2 out of...

August 27, 2025
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26Aug

In a Hotter World, Some People Age Faster, Researchers Find

Living through extreme heat waves can accelerate your rate of aging, according to research published Monday. Scientists analyzed 15 years’ worth of health data from nearly 25,000 adults in Taiwan and found that two years of exposure to heat waves could speed up a person’s so-called biological aging by eight to 12 extra days. It may not sound like a lot, but this number builds over time, said Cui Guo, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong who led...

August 26, 2025
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26Aug

Aging population pressures China’s pension system.

China's rapidly aging population puts pressure on the pension system that needs to be addressed China, a major developing country with a large population, is undergoing exceptionally rapid demographic aging. The most urgent priority for China's pension finance sector is to tackle aging-related challenges and enhance the sustainability of the pension system, which has transitioned from a pay-as-you-go model to a hybrid structure that combines social pooling with individually funded accounts. The sector currently confronts several major challenges. Foremost is the uneven...

August 26, 2025
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26Aug

Dutch Central Bank strengthens nature risk rules for pension funds

The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) has revised its guide on managing climate and nature-related risks, originally introduced in 2023. The move follows growing concerns about the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss on the Dutch financial system, particularly pension funds and insurance companies. The updated guidance reflects DNB’s expectation that pension funds must identify and manage climate and nature risks effectively. It also introduces enhanced best practice recommendations, shaped through consultations with industry stakeholders such as Ortec Finance. As part of its...

August 26, 2025
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