October 2020

20Oct

These Are the World’s Best (and Worst) Pension Systems in 2020

The Netherlands and Denmark have cemented their positions as having the best pension systems in the world, even as other countries falter during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an annual global survey. Read also Pandemic puts pressure on global pensions The countries again took the top two slots in the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index published Tuesday, drawing praise for holding their nerve and not allowing citizens to drain their accounts during the crisis. Read also Asia managers set...

October 20, 2020
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20Oct

Asia managers set strategies for expected U.S. election chaos

Money managers in Asia are deploying a range of traditional and unconventional strategies to cushion any losses as they brace for turbulence in the lead-up and aftermath of the U.S. presidential election. Chinese equities feature high in some recommendations on expectations the vote will have a limited impact on Asian assets, while derivatives that protect against a market slide are also listed among the strategies. Several investors suggest more conventional hedges such as the yen and gold as well...

October 20, 2020
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20Oct

Chile’s pension funds join global gold ETP rush

Chilean pension funds have been given the go-ahead by the country’s financial regulator to invest in gold exchange traded products for the first time. The relaxation is part of a brace of reforms in Latin America, alongside Brazil’s decision to allow cross listings of overseas exchange traded funds in the form of depositary receipts, that could help breathe new life into the region’s stuttering ETF industry. Felipe Cousiño, a partner at Alessandri, a Chilean law firm, said the move...

October 20, 2020
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20Oct

Pensions In Spain Will Be Revalued By 0.9% In 2021

The Government is forecasting a 0.9% revaluation in public pensions in 2021, following the increase already applied this year. This would allow for ensuring pensioners’ purchasing power, as it is included in the 2021 Budget Plan which the Executive sent last Thursday to Brussels. The increase corresponds to the government’s forecast for the GDP deflator, the index closest to the CPI, for next year, which predicts a rise of 0.9%. However, the government must now negotiate this rise with...

October 20, 2020
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20Oct

US. Employers Need to Reinvent Retirement-Savings Match

One of the building blocks of the U.S. retirement savings system is the employer match. If workers contribute to their retirement savings, 54% of employers will contribute as well, according to a recent report by the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA). By helping people prepare for retirement, the match boosts the financial security of workers while giving employers additional workforce flexibility. The recession threatens to undermine the employer match as we know it. According to a survey by...

October 20, 2020
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19Oct

UK. Covid-19 has exposed the catastrophic impact of privatising vital services

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the catastrophic fallout of decades of global privatisation and market competition. When the pandemic hit, we saw hospitals being overwhelmed, caregivers forced to work with virtually no protective equipment, nursing homes turned into morgues, long queues to access tests, and schools struggling to connect with children confined to their homes. People were being urged to stay at home when many had no decent roof over their heads, no access to water and sanitation, and...

October 19, 2020
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19Oct

Kenya.Pension Bill for Members of Council Assembly gets governors’ backing

Governors will support MCAs in their push for a law that will give them pension after service. Read also Kenya mulls reforms to attract pension funds to invest in infrastructure projects The new legislation that is developed by the Council of Governors on the welfare of governors and deputy governors will also cover county assembly speakers and MCAs. Read also US. Pension Fund Freezes New Investment With Apollo Over Founder’s Epstein Ties Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said the proposed...

October 19, 2020
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19Oct

Canada. CPPIB urged to plan now for net-zero reality

Despite Canada's economic reliance on its oil and gas industry, finance experts and sustainability advocates are urging large public investors like the C$434.4 billion ($326.3 billion) Canada Pension Plan Investment Board to implement long-term investment strategies that better align with the federal government's pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Multiple sources agree that Toronto-based CPPIB, Canada's largest pension fund, should support the country's transition to a low-carbon economy, enhance its disclosure of fossil-fuel investments and set a...

October 19, 2020
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19Oct

Japanese pension funds may hold key to Chinese JGB puzzle

China has ramped up purchases of low-yielding Japanese government bonds China stormed back into Japanese government bonds over the summer with ¥2.2tn ($21bn) in purchases between June and August — the biggest three-month spree since Japan’s Ministry of Finance began compiling data in 2005. The country has made several similar incursions to the JGB market since 2016 — the previous record high for purchases — snapping up Japan’s notoriously low-yielding debt on a grand scale and causing head-scratching over what...

October 19, 2020
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16Oct

South Africa. Billions unclaimed from pension funds

Takalani Lukhaimane of the Financial Services board says over R50-billion worth of pension funds have not been claimed by the rightful beneficiaries. Read also Will emigrating South Africans be allowed to withdraw their retirement savings? The Financial Sector Conduct Authority is urging South Africans to go online through the FCSA database to check if they qualify. Read also South Africa. Deflation puts brakes on retired SA public servants’ pensions "We have various ways in which people can make an enquiry, one...

October 16, 2020
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