October 2025
22Oct

Mental exercise can reverse a brain change linked to aging, study finds

Scientists are reporting the first compelling evidence in people that cognitive training can boost levels of a brain chemical that typically declines with age. A 10-week study of people 65 or older found that doing rigorous mental exercises for 30 minutes a day increased levels of the chemical messenger acetylcholine by 2.3% in a brain area involved in attention and memory. The increase "is not huge," says Étienne de Villers-Sidani, a neurologist at McGill University in Montreal. "But it's significant, considering that you get a...

October 22, 2025
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22Oct

A Closer Look at the Retirement Prospects of the Middle Class

Representing more than half of the U.S. population, people in the middle class embody the American dream by working hard, caring for their families, and saving for the future while navigating an ever-changing economy and society. So how are they addressing these complexities? In “Retirement Throughout the Ages: The American Middle Class,” the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS) in collaboration with Transamerica Institute examines the road to retirement for people in the middle class across age ranges, their life...

October 22, 2025
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21Oct

Failed low-carbon transition could wipe 33% off pension fund returns

The immediate costs of a low-carbon economy transition are significantly outweighed by the costs of continued inaction, research from Ortec Finance has found, estimating that a failed low-carbon transition could wipe up to 33 per cent off pension fund returns worldwide by 2050. As part of its analysis, Ortec Finance applied its proprietary 2025 climate scenarios to the investment portfolios of 180 pension funds across the six largest global pension systems, revealing the consequences of further delaying the net-zero transition. This...

October 21, 2025
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21Oct

Britain’s biggest pension funds back regional growth drive

20 of Britain’s largest pension providers and insurers set to launch Sterling 20 group at first-ever Regional Investment Summit on Tuesday. Investment drive kicks off with Legal & General (L&G) and Nest committing billions to build more affordable housing, improve broadband connections in rural areas and provide scale-up finance for growing businesses. Chancellor set to meet providers and Australia’s biggest fund in Birmingham as government ramps up efforts to drive regional growth and put more money into people’s pockets through the...

October 21, 2025
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21Oct

Japan’s GPIF underlines impact shift in sustainability report

Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), the world’s largest pension fund with ¥260trn (€1.5trn) in assets under management, has taken a further step towards adoption of a more impact-oriented investment strategy with the publication of its latest ‘Sustainability Investment’ report. The name change for an annual publication previously known as an ESG report seeks to entrench GPIF’s move towards a more sustainability-linked investment strategy that considered social and environmental impact in addition to ESG-related measures. The shift in thinking was signalled in policies...

October 21, 2025
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21Oct

US. Options for Overfunded Pension Plans

You’ve done a good job making sure that the pension plan is fully funded. So good, in fact, that you — and the plan — are overachievers and the plan is fully funded and then some. And THAT surplus spells…opportunity. The Grist Funding of pension plans generally has been on an upward trajectory for a number of years. The improvement in funded status has been dramatic, yet incremental. Willis Towers Watson’s figures show as much: they show that the funding of a hypothetical benchmark...

October 21, 2025
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20Oct

Pensions UK AC 2025: Pensions transfer costs need to be under £10, experts say

The current pensions transfer system isn’t working, is too expensive, and requires providers working together to speed up the process, Smart Pension CEO, Jamie Fiveash, has stated, suggesting that the cost of a pension transfer needs to be cut to less than £10. Speaking at the Pensions UK Annual Conference, Fiveash pointed out that it currently costs £60-£90 to transfer a pension pot, which “is way too high”, arguing instead that the cost of a transfer needs to be less...

October 20, 2025
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20Oct

India. EPFO, NPS, Atal Pension Yojana covers less than 25% of workers: Mercer report on systemic flaws in retirement schemes

India’s pension safety net remains alarmingly narrow, with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), National Pension System (NPS), and government-backed schemes like the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) together covering less than 25% of the workforce — one of the lowest inclusion rates globally. A new Mercer–CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025 report has flagged this limited reach, pointing to low coverage, inadequate benefits, rigid investment norms, and weak regulatory oversight as the country’s biggest pension challenges. As India’s working-age population...

October 20, 2025
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20Oct

Ghana. Gov’t intensifying pension reforms to cover informal sector workers – Minister

Government is intensifying efforts to integrate informal sector workers into voluntary pension schemes as part of broader reforms to secure dignified retirement for all Ghanaians. Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, said this at the Third Health Sector Occupational Pension Scheme Annual General Meeting in Accra. The meeting was held on the theme: “Strengthening Ghana’s Pension Ecosystem for Development and Retirement Security.” While there are more than 200,000 potential beneficiaries, only about 8,000 have been integrated into the...

October 20, 2025
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20Oct

US. The Full Retirement Age Hits 67 in 2026–Here’s How To Avoid a 30% Benefit Cut

Social Security may have been created in 1935, but it’s a very dynamic system. Changes are made to the program every year, from the amount of the cost-of-living adjustment to more fundamental modifications. One “change” coming in 2026 that may seem sudden has actually been on the books since 1983, according to the Social Security Administration. But it’s an important one to be aware of because it could translate to a reduction in your Social Security check. Here’s what to know...

October 20, 2025
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