October 2025
15Oct

Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025 released.

The retirement systems of the Netherlands, Iceland and Denmark once again are the top three systems worldwide, according to the 2025 Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index. The same three topped Mercer’s 2024 report. For the first time in the 17-year history of the index, Singapore’s retirement system also received an A, the only country in Asia to achieve a rating at that level and the No. 5 system overall. Israel ranked fourth for the second consecutive year. A-grade countries offer...

October 15, 2025
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15Oct

French PM backs freezing Macron’s pension reform to save government

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has told parliament he backs suspending controversial 2023 pension reforms, in the face of crucial votes of no-confidence later this week. The changes, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, were seen as signature reforms in Emmanuel Macron's presidency. "This autumn I will propose to parliament that we suspend the 2023 pension reform until the [2027] presidential election," Lecornu said to applause from left-wing parties. Lecornu was reappointed prime minister last week only four days...

October 15, 2025
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15Oct

Germany greenlights €2,000 tax-free earnings for pensioners

Germany will introduce an “active pension” from 1 January 2026 that lets people who choose to work past the statutory retirement age earn up to €2,000 per month tax-free. Labour Minister Bärbel Bas framed the Aktivrente as a straightforward incentive intended to keep experienced workers in the labour market. Asked about the centre-right Union’s proposal for a tax-free top-up, Bas said “anyone who voluntarily wants to work longer needs attractive conditions”. She added that the government would lift the ban on prior employment, which...

October 15, 2025
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15Oct

Australian fertility rate falls to new record-low

Australia's fertility rate fell to a new record-low for the second straight year in 2024, official data published on Wednesday revealed. According to the data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the total fertility rate in Australia was a record-low 1.481 births per woman in 2024. It marks the second consecutive year that the fertility rate has been the lowest since records began in 1924, after the figure was 1.499 births per woman in 2023. The ABS said that the total...

October 15, 2025
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15Oct

Raising pension contribution levels ‘could boost financial security in the UK’

The UK’s retirement system could be improved by bringing more people, including the self-employed, into private pension schemes and raising the contribution levels required under automatic enrolment, according to a global report. The UK was graded “B” in the 17th annual Mercer CFA Institute global pension index – alongside several other countries such as Canada, New Zealand, France, Mexico, Belgium, Croatia, Germany and Ireland. Countries which received an “A” grade included the Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark, Singapore and Israel. Those rated “B-plus”...

October 15, 2025
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14Oct

US government shut down and rising government borrowing costs, but still pension funding soars

The quarter end was abruptly followed by the US government going into shutdown following a lack of agreement on funding measures into the new US fiscal year, which started on 1 October. This follows a quarter where the cost of government borrowing and above-target inflation remain key challenges for major global economies. Paradoxically, this market dynamic is serving pension schemes very well... Quarter in brief US government shutdown following funding shortfall The Bank of England and the Federal Reserve cut borrowing costs despite...

October 14, 2025
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14Oct

UK. Major pension changes expected by 2035; DC concerns remain centre stage

Whilst most Pensions UK members are confident that the pension industry will successfully adapt to any changes over the next decade, many remain concerned over defined contribution (DC) outcomes and political uncertainty. Research from Pensions UK found that nearly half (44 per cent) of its members expect to see a very significant change in the pensions industry by 2035, or sooner, with over a quarter (28 per cent) expecting to see very significant changes within the next five years. Yet most...

October 14, 2025
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14Oct

Is longevity a risk for pension insurers and schemes?

Insurers are better placed to pool and manage longevity risk than pension schemes, according to Ash Williams, risk settlement partner at XPS Group. Speaking on a panel at the XPS Group’s 2025 Pensions Conference, Williams explained that insurers have three tools in their box when it comes to managing longevity risk. Longevity risk is the chance that life expectancies and survival rates exceed expectations, resulting in greater-than-anticipated cash flow needs on the part of insurance companies or pension funds. Williams said insurers...

October 14, 2025
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14Oct

Saudi Arabia Named Arab Regional Center for Social Insurance Training by ISSA

The Liaison Office for Arab Countries at the International Social Security Association (ISSA) has approved Saudi Arabia as the headquarters of the regional center for training specialists in social insurance, underscoring the Kingdom’s leading role in pension and social protection systems at both regional and international levels. The center will focus on training national and regional professionals in social insurance and pension systems, enhancing their ability to keep pace with economic and social developments, and improving the efficiency of insurance...

October 14, 2025
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13Oct

Russia “froze” the National Welfare Fund: pensions of Russian citizens under threat

The Russian government is restricting the use of funds from the National Welfare Fund after almost two-thirds of its assets were spent during the war. For 2026, about $460 million is planned to be used from the fund, which is tens of times less than before. Thus, the main burden of financing state expenditures, due to income deficit and sanctions, will fall on the population. UNN writes with reference to the Center for Countering Disinformation. Details The Russian government has decided to limit the use...

October 13, 2025
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