January 2026

US. 3 Retirement Changes to Watch in 2026: Tax Edition

You could be in for surprise taxes if you're planning for retirement in 2026. And we're not talking about common tax pitfalls, like taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) that force withdrawals from your individual retirement accounts (IRAs). (Though those certainly are important). Several new federal policy changes could hike your retiree tax bill this year. For instance, under the 2025 Trump/GOP tax and spending bill, your "senior bonus" deduction may be lower than expected due to income phase-outs, indirectly resulting in an overall...

Living longer, planning smarter: The hidden costs of longevity

Few phrases sound as reassuring as ‘increased life expectancy’. Thanks to medical advances, improved nutrition, and greater awareness of healthy living, South Africans are living longer than ever before. But, while longevity may be a triumph of modern progress, it is also one of the most underestimated risks to a person’s financial plan. The challenge is not merely ensuring you don’t outlive your money, it’s understanding what those extra years may actually cost, in both financial and human terms. The longevity...

Canada Pension Plan’s investment arm criticized over funding for Elon Musk’s xAI, maker of Grok

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is facing criticism for having provided $300 million US for the funding of infrastructure for Elon Musk's xAI, the company behind the controversial Grok artificial intelligence chatbot tool. Musk's xAI has been at the centre of controversy in recent months, after it was discovered that Grok made it possible for people to create sexualized and nonconsensual images of others — including minors. Amid widespread backlash, xAI put some restrictions in place on the...

India. Central Government approves wage and pension hikes for PSGICs, NABARD and RBI

The Central Government has officially approved wage and pension revisions for employees and retirees of Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PSGICs), the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This decision is expected to benefit approximately 46,322 employees and over 46,000 pensioners and family pensioners across these institutions. According to the government, the move 'reflects Government's continued commitment and emphasis on social security and financial well-being of employees and pensioners.' For those working...

UK. Pensions system fails many women, university report finds

A new report from the University of Edinburgh says the UK pensions system and financial advice sector must be redesigned to address a widening gap between men’s and women’s pension wealth. According to the analysis, women approaching age 60 hold 75% less in private pension savings than men of the same age. The report, supported by wealth manager Evelyn Partners, finds that women’s lower accumulations are largely driven by structural and social factors rather than a lack of confidence. Nearly 15 million people...

Exposure to US assets ‘increasingly uncomfortable’ for pension trustees

UK pension schemes’ exposure to US assets has become an “increasingly uncomfortable contradiction” for trustees, Isio chief investment officer, Barry Jones, has said. In a statement marking the anniversary of President, Donald Trump’s, second inauguration, Jones noted that the US market represented the majority of global equity market opportunity and continued to deliver strong returns. However, aspects of the political and regulatory direction of the US administration over the past year were sitting uneasily with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG)...

Nigeria. ‘Only 215,914 informal workers enrolled in personal pensions as 92m remain uncovered’

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has disclosed that just 215,914 Nigerians in the informal sector are enrolled in the Personal Pension Plan (PPP), leaving about 91.88 million workers without any form of pension cover out of an estimated 92.1 million informal-sector workforce. The pension regulator, in its third-quarter 2025 report, said the figures highlight the enormous untapped potential within the informal sector and underscore the need for a more deliberate and coordinated industry-wide strategy to deepen micro-pension adoption. PenCom noted that...

Extinguishing ESG: US House Approves Prohibitive Bill for Pension Funds

A bill which would prohibit ESG factors being considered by pension fund managers and in pension plans has been narrowly approved by the US House of Representatives. The Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act – also referred to as HR 2988 – seeks to amend the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to specify requirements regarding the consideration of pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors. It proposes to add limitations on consideration of non-pecuniary factors by fiduciaries, including ESG factors,...

UK. Pension Protection Fund names new chief risk officer

He has taken over risk functions from Dana Grey, the PPF’s chief governance, risk and legal officer. Lee joins the PPF from HSBC where he worked for more than 11 years, latterly as global head of pension and insurance traded risk, based in Hong Kong. He was primarily responsible for overseeing the financial services giant’s global insurance business and its employee pension plans. He also worked for more than a decade for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and previously worked...

Mexico. 38 Billion Pesos Withdrawn from AFORE Accounts Due to Unemployment

At the close of 2025, unemployment withdrawals from retirement savings accounts (AFOREs) broke records and climbed to 38 billion 882 million pesos , the highest level since 2005, the year up to which the National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) has records. According to data from the regulator, around 1.94 million people requested this withdrawal from their retirement savings account, which represented an increase of 227,400 compared to 2024. “This reflects that more people are turning to this type...