March 2021

UK women have up to 45% less in pension at retirement than men

The UK pensions system disadvantages women compared to men, with females having between 25% to 45% less in their pension pots at retirement, new data has shown. According to analysis from professional services consultancy Barnett Waddingham, the gender pension gap begins to diverge most after the age of 32, with men contributing up to £1,500 ($2,068) per annum more into their pension than women. This is despite contributing the same percentage of their salary. The research, which analysed the data and saving...

US. Pension relief paves way for more de-risking

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Biden contains the most important changes in single employer pension funding relief rules since the introduction of the Pension Protection Act in 2006. What is changing? The new rules enforce two key changes in how minimum required contributions (MRCs) are calculated. Read also Retirees who pay the most in taxes make only $36,000 a year on average, study finds Firstly, the Act extends and enhances the Interest Rate Stabilization mechanisms brought in over the last decade (specifically, Moving...

Retirees who pay the most in taxes make only $36,000 a year on average, study finds

Retirees who have the most money pay the most in taxes, according to a recent working paper, but they’re not necessarily rich. “Most of the tax burden is carried by the top quintile of households,” Anqi Chen, co-author and assistant director of savings research at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, told Yahoo Money. But “it's important to keep in mind that when we think about the top quintile of households — the top 20% — they're not...

Chile begins debate on third pension withdrawal amid second wave of the pandemic

The Constitution Committee of the Chamber of Deputies will analyze five legislative initiatives, opposed by the Government and presented by parliamentarians and pro-government members, and will decide whether to merge them into a single one, since they have similar characteristics. Read also Colombia govt presents capital markets bill The approval of a third withdrawal is almost assured, although it has generated much debate in recent months and the Government has threatened to appeal it in courts, under the premise that close...

US. Single-Employer Plans Can Lower Target Returns to 4% and 5%

What can corporate allocators expect now that the pension relief bill has passed? For starters, they can target lower returns and pursue less risky investment strategies. Plan sponsors at single-employer pension plans can reduce their return targets to as low as 4% or 5%, versus higher targets of 6% or 7%, when they extend their amortization periods to 15 years as a result of the stimulus bill, according to calculations from asset manager Insight Investment. Earlier this month, several provisions passed...

New Zealand. Investment or speculation: KiwiSaver fund enters the bitcoin era

NZ Funds Management’s KiwiSaver growth fund has invested in bitcoin, and chief investment officer James Grigor​ expects that within five years it will feature in more KiwiSaver schemes. Read also Cryptocurrency called next great investing opportunity The KiwiSaver provider changed its offer documents in October to allow it to invest in cryptocurrencies for the first time. Grigor said bitcoin had become a commodity, with many of the attractive hallmarks of gold, which investors often bought as a store of value in times...

Swiss pension fund posts $500m decarbonisation mandate on IPE Quest

An unnamed Swiss pension fund is looking for a global equity solution aligned with EU climate benchmark requirements for a $500m (€423m) mandate, according to a new search on IPE Quest. The fund said it is looking to decarbonise its global passive equity exposure with a rule-based carbon and ESG-optimised solution. According to search QN-2686, the solution should match the EU Climate Transition Benchmark (CTB) requirements. The investor specified that it wants minimal regional, sector and style deviation from the index,...

Nigeria. Workers withdrew N1.01bn pension savings in Q4 2020 –PenCom

The Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) witnessed the withdrawal of N1.01 billion by 924 workers from the voluntary contributions in their Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) with their Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) in the fourth quarter of 2020. Read also Pensions savings can fund Africa eco-plans The National Pension Commission (PenCom), disclosed this in its 2020 fourth quarter report. Read also Chile begins debate on third pension withdrawal amid second wave of the pandemic According to the guidelines on voluntary contribution under the CPS, PenCom...

Fully funded U.S. public pensions not necessary to ensure benefits -study

Most U.S. state and local government pension systems are not facing imminent crisis and do not need to achieve full funding to ensure benefits are paid to retired workers, according to a paper released on Wednesday by the nonprofit public policy Brookings Institution. Retirement plans for state and local government workers have nearly $5 trillion in assets, but would need an additional $4 trillion to meet all of their obligations to current and future retirees, according to the paper. Concerns over...

Pensions savings can fund Africa eco-plans

According to the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), the fastest-growing and largest category of impact investing assets under management by investment source is from pension funds and insurance companies. Pension funds that are putting money in impact investing are from the developed world and very little is happening in terms of the investments of the African pension funds. In many places, pension funds are riding on DFIs and other fund managers to make investments especially in developing countries including Africa....