August 2025

Organisations concerned employees on DC plans aren’t saving enough for retirement

Over half of employers believe that defined contribution pension savers need to increase their savings during the accumulation phase to secure a comfortable retirement. That is according to new research by WTW. The Global DC Peer Study 2025, conducted by the Thinking Ahead Institute from WTW, brought together 20 leading defined contribution organisations from across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas. Collectively, the funds represent over $2.2 trillion in assets under management, with participants including both public pension funds...

Update to German pension legislation sets out comprehensive reform

New draft legislation from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) aims to comprehensively reform and strengthen occupational pension schemes, but it remains to be seen whether this idea will be realised, experts have said. Dr. Andreas Schöberle and Felix Pickert, employment law experts at Pinsent Masons, were commenting following the publication of the draft bill (56 pages/516 KB PDF). The aim is to increase the prevalence of occupational pensions schemes, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises and among low-income earners. According to...

70% of Americans Don’t Think They’ll Reach $1 Million for Retirement: 8 Things They Can Do Now

Hitting $1 million for retirement might feel out of reach, and most Americans agree. In fact, 70% say they don’t think they’ll ever get there. How People Feel About Saving for Retirement According to CNBC, a survey that was conducted by Schroders, an investment management company, shows that Americans who have an employer-sponsored retirement plan feel that they will need to have at least $1.28 million put aside for retirement. Only 30% of workers with a retirement plan will expect to have $1 million saved, 48%...

Argentina. Milei vetoes pension increases in bid for fiscal balance

President Javier Milei on Monday vetoed a law approved by Congress to increase pensions for the elderly and the disabled, arguing it undermined his attempts to balance Argentina's budget. It was the second time since August 2024 that Milei – a self-declared "anarcho-capitalist" – has prevented a pension increase. In a notice published in the government's Official Gazette, Milei also scrapped a provision that had temporarily allowed pensions for people who had not contributed to the system for the required 30 years. More than...

China’s GDP could slow by more than half in the next 30 years due to population shrinking

China’s long-term economic growth is at risk owing to a shrinking labor force and rapidly aging population, according to Oxford Economics. The country’s potential output growth could fall below 2% by the 2050s, as low birth rates and a rising dependency ratio strain productivity and public finances. While developed nations like the U.S. may buffer this with immigration, China and others face tougher challenges in sustaining growth and managing social support systems. China may be the only nation that could rival...

UK. Workplace Pension Stats Show Case to Boost “Invisible Worker” Pensions : PensionBee

UK’s online pension provider PensionBee noted that the Department for Work and Pensions has this morning published annual statistics on workplace pension participation and savings trends: 2009 to 2024. PensionBee also mentioned that the statistics showed that rates of “participation in Auto Enrolment have remained stable in recent years, along with stopping savings levels and contribution levels.” Nine-in-ten eligible employees, “21.7 million people, are saving into a workplace scheme, according to the DWP, while eight-in-ten of all employees are saving into a scheme, or 23.3 million workers.” The freezing...

US. Republicans want to give Uber workers benefits. There’s a catch.

Should independent contractors get employment benefits? The question has fueled decades of legal and political battles — and it might finally be coming to an end for the roughly 58 million people who currently work as freelancers, contractors and gig workers across America. Three Republican senators — led by Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who chairs the chamber’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee — have introduced bills to expand benefits like health insurance and retirement savings for contractors. The legislation...

US. The Silver Dividend: Navigating Longevity Risk in a Rapidly Aging World

The global demographic shift toward an aging population is no longer a distant forecast—it is a present-day reality reshaping economies, financial systems, and investment landscapes. By 2025, the number of people aged 65 and older has surpassed 61.2 million in the U.S. alone, while the U.S. median age has climbed to 39. Globally, 63 countries have already seen their population peak, and by 2080, the number of individuals over 65 is projected to reach 2.2 billion. This unprecedented aging...

UK. Over half of baby boomers not on track for retirement goals

Just over half (51 per cent) of UK baby boomers are on track to meet their retirement goals, with the rest expected to fall short of the income needed to maintain their current lifestyle or achieve a moderate standard of living in retirement, research from Vanguard has found. The Vanguard Retirement Outlook report revealed wide variation in retirement readiness across income groups and depending on the spending goals used. When assessing retirement preparedness relative to income, a U-shaped pattern emerged: both low- and...

This Bezos-Backed Real Estate Startup Is Quietly Disrupting the 401(k)

For decades, the 401(k) has been the gold standard of retirement planning in the U.S.—a slow-and-steady way to build wealth by investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds through your employer. But while that model has worked for millions, it's also left a lot to be desired: limited control, unpredictable returns, and almost no cash flow until you’re well into your 60s. That's why a new real estate investing platform backed by Jeff Bezos is turning heads—and quietly offering...