October 2017

05Oct

Canada’s Pension Funds Are Piling on Leverage, Moody’s Warns

Canada’s public pension funds, among the biggest in the world, are piling on risk with leveraged bets in a chase for higher returns, Moody’s Investors Service warns. The nation’s six biggest pension funds have increased their average leverage to 24 percent, from 19 percent in 2009, in an effort to offset the impact of declining pension member contributions and low interest rates on their cash flow and investment returns, Moody’s said in an Oct. 3 report written by analyst Jason...

October 5, 2017
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04Oct

Ukraine parliament approves heavily amended pension reform

The Ukrainian parliament approved pension reforms on Tuesday aimed at easing pressure from a pensions deficit of more than $5 billion while also raising the minimum pension. Passing laws to put the buckling pension system on a sustainable footing is a key requirement for the next loan tranche from the International Monetary Fund. But last week a senior World Bank official said the bank and the IMF were concerned about the hundreds of amendments that have been added to the...

October 4, 2017
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04Oct

Rwanda. Your pension will never be enough

An important consideration in planning for retirement is the level of income you will need and where the income will come from. Most people have unrealistic expectations as to the level of pension they will receive in retirement. This explains why in Rwanda today many mumble at the benefits paid by Rwanda Social Security Board. The RSSB pension arrangement is defined benefit and you can know at onset the level of pension benefits you may receive at any time should...

October 4, 2017
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04Oct

‘Shame on you’ chant Greek pensioners over bailout cutbacks

Several hundred elderly Greeks shouting “shame” marched through Athens on Tuesday protesting against deep cutbacks to pension payments ordered by the indebted country’s creditors. In weak autumn sun and a city teeming with tourists, pensioners took to the streets angered by more than a dozen rounds of cuts since Greece toppled deep into crisis in 2010. More cuts will be on the way in 2019, under further reform to pension regulations. Creditors including the EU and the IMF took some of...

October 4, 2017
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04Oct

UK. Royal Mail staff vote to strike over pensions

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said 73.7% of its 110,000 members cast their votes, with 89% backing a strike. It is the first major vote since the introduction of the Trade Union Act, which requires strike votes to have a 50% turnout. The CWU said the postal executive will meet later this week to determine any potential strike dates. Earlier this year, the Royal Mail announced that it would close its current defined benefit scheme in March 2018. Although the pension...

October 4, 2017
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04Oct

US. Here’s how many millennials are actually saving for retirement

When you're young, retirement can seem too far off to think about. And if you're putting off saving for it, you're not alone: Just 31 percent of millennials are contributing to a retirement account, a new survey from Earnest, Amino and Ipsos finds. Some experts say that if millennials don't change their habits they'll miss the boat completely. The longer you wait to start saving, the farther behind you'll fall and the more you'll miss out on compound interest, which...

October 4, 2017
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03Oct

UK. May’s Brexit Budget Offer Is Conditional on Trade, Officials Say

The U.K. will leave a 20 billion euro ($23 billion) hole in the European Union’s budget unless the bloc agrees to give Theresa May the sweeping Brexit trade deal she wants, according to senior British officials. Britain won’t fulfill May’s offer to cover the U.K.’s share of the EU budget through 2020 without a broader Brexit deal, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. The U.K. also hasn’t accepted that it’s liable for a share of the pensions of...

October 3, 2017
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03Oct

Singapore. More may be able to transfer CPF savings to parents and grandparents

Proposed changes to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Act will lower barriers for members to transfer funds to their parents and grandparents for their retirement. The CPF Amendment Bill 2017 was introduced for its first reading in Parliament on Monday (Oct 2). After amendments to the CPF Act are passed, members will have to set aside a lower sum before they can transfer CPF savings in their accounts to their parents and grandparents, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in...

October 3, 2017
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03Oct

UK. Savers who transfer pensions are ill-advised in 53pc of cases, says watchdog

Savers trying to swap their "final salary" pensions for cash face a crackdown from the City watchdog following a damning report into the quality of financial advice they are receiving. Growing numbers of people are swapping final salary pensions for "defined contribution" plans. This involves giving up guaranteed, inflation-proofed income for life, in return for often highly attractive cash offers and greater flexibility over how pensions can be spent. It is thought about 80,000 transfers have taken place this year...

October 3, 2017
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02Oct

US. Prudential Entrusted with Pension Promises to Approximately 45,000 International Paper Retirees

International Paper (NYSE:IP) will settle approximately $1.3 billion of its pension obligations by purchasing a group annuity contract from The Prudential Insurance Company of America (NYSE: PRU), a leader in retirement benefits. The agreement transfers to Prudential the responsibility for paying pension benefits to roughly 45,000 of International Paper’s retirees and their beneficiaries. International Paper’s decision to transfer a portion of its pension obligations to Prudential is consistent with a strong trend among U.S. companies that are seeking solutions to...

October 2, 2017
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