April 2017

“Pension tax could discourage savings” Interview with Stanlib Uganda’s General Manager

What are the key elements in your management philosophy as a manager? A managerial role normally comes with responsibilities over the operations of the entire company and you cannot do things on your own. It is a team effort. I work with experts in the various departments to ensure that the company meets its goals. What is your assessment of fund and investment management in Uganda? We have been in Uganda since 2001 although handling mostly institutional or large scale investment management....

UK. Providers Take First Steps Towards Pension Dashboard

The government has challenged pension providers to build a fintech app that will revolutionise retirement planning by showing all a saver’s pensions in one online place. Pension dashboards are a way of urging retirement savers to put more money aside for when they give up work by helping them see just how much they have saved – and how much money they need for a comfortable retirement. According to official statistics, most workers will have at least 11 jobs during their...

Can Pension Funds Help Solve Africa’s Infrastructure Deficit?

Despite the global focus on growth trends in Africa, one trend has flown mostly below the radar: the increase in the number and size of pension funds. In addition to evidencing increased income security, the continent’s growing number of pension funds could potentially be a new source of funding to address Africa’s infrastructure deficit, estimated by Ernst & Young to be $90 billion annually. African pension funds, which are currently estimated to hold USD 334 billion in assets, are now...

South Korea. Daewoo Shipbuilding’s Bailout Plan Cleared by Pension Fund

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., the world’s largest shipbuilder, won a reprieve from major bondholder National Pension Service and other lenders, helping avert a payment crisis that had threatened to almost shut the company. The NPS agreed to restructure 1.55 trillion won ($1.4 billion) of bonds issued by the company after the shipbuilder, the Korea Development Bank and Export-Import Bank of Korea took steps to ensure repayment of the debts, the pension service said in a statement April 16....

Nigeria. Row over N22b pension legacy fund

Are 10 insurance firms owing the Federal Government’s Pension Transitional Directorate Department (PTAD) N22 billion meant for the Pension Legacy Fund? Yes, says PTAD. Yes, but. .., say some of the firms. The fund includes the liabilities and assets of pension funds of erstwhile pension offices and treasury funded pensions of parastatals, universities and colleges of education in charge of pensioners under the old pension scheme, known as the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS). The PTAD, under the Pension Reform Act (PRA)...

Factors Aligning to Accelerate Pension Activity in the US

While combined pre‑funding and risk transfer actions have typically been economically positive, primarily due to the substantial increase in Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) premiums and other defined benefit (DB) maintenance costs, many plan sponsors have stayed on the sidelines or managed pension risk tentatively, Mercer notes in a report. However, Mercer says, pension sponsors are growing tired of market and regulatory volatility and are contemplating bolder action. Potential tax changes that will drive accelerated pre‑funding make a tipping point...

UK Recognized overseas pension schemes notification list

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has temporarily suspended the ROPS notification list. It will return on Tuesday 18 April 2017. Pension schemes appear on the published list if their scheme managers have agreed to provide certain information to HMRC. They must agree to this undertaking for their scheme to be a qualifying recognised overseas pension schemes (QROPS). Since 9 March 2017 scheme managers have been required to pay tax to HMRC on certain transfers. They had until 13 April 2017 to...

Chile’s President Bachelet Presents Bill to Boost Pensions

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet announced on Wednesday evening that she was sending to Congress a bill that would dramatically increase the size of public pensions in the face of growing opposition to the nation's current system. The bill would include an increase in the amount of savings held collectively, a new 5 percent payroll tax, and a corresponding boost in retirement savings. Current pensioners would see savings rise by around 20 percent, while workers currently paying into the system would...

Yield-seeking Japanese investors seen helping to fund global real assets

Traditionally conservative Japanese investors are eyeing higher-yielding investments such as global infrastructure and real estate after a prolonged period of low economic growth and yields, according to analysis from Australia-based AMP Capital. With AUM of about 500 trillion yen (US$4.4 trillion), the Japanese institutional investment market “represents a substantial source of capital for investment into real assets across the globe”, the company says in a statement on Tuesday (April 11). According to Toshiaki Yamashita, Japan-based managing director of AMP Capital, Japanese...

UK. Will LISA kill pensions?

The recently launched Lifetime ISA (LISA) is designed to help under 40s (18-39) purchase their first home or save for retirement. While I applaud the introduction of any tax-free saving platform that rewards savers with bonuses, I am not convinced this latest addition to the ISA portfolio, is as some describe, a credible alternative to pensions. Confusion There’s already confusion over the account’s purpose – is it for first-time-buyers or those wishing to save for retirement? Surely such contrasting savings aims...