August 2025
15Aug

UK hospital workers vote for historic NHS strike over pay inequality

Nearly 400 essential facilities staff at St Helier and Epsom hospitals in the UK have voted overwhelmingly to strike in a dispute over pay and conditions, delivering what their union has described as a “historic” ballot result. The United Voices of the World (UVW) members – most of whom are from migrant and minority ethnic backgrounds – recorded an 81% turnout, with 98% voting in favour of industrial action. They are employed directly by the National Health Service (NHS) but...

August 15, 2025
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15Aug

Social Security isn’t the broken piece of America’s retirement crisis. Here’s what really needs to be fixed.

In the beginning, the aims of Social Security were both noble and modest. “We have tried to frame a law,” said President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the signing of the Social Security Act, “which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.” It was Aug. 14, 1935. The key phrase was “some measure of protection.” Social Security was never meant to be the principal...

August 15, 2025
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15Aug

Retirement with dignity? The debate on active ageing in Europe

With an ageing population and increased life expectancy, Europe faces a very concrete challenge: how to fund its pension systems. Earlier this year in Brussels, pensioners took to the streets to demand better job security and to oppose the raising of the retirement age. In Europe, some are advocating lowering the retirement age as a way to improve workers' quality of life and to encourage generational turnover in the workforce. Others argue that this would jeopardise the sustainability of pension systems,...

August 15, 2025
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15Aug

Retirement with dignity? The debate on active ageing in Europe

With an ageing population and increased life expectancy, Europe faces a very concrete challenge: how to fund its pension systems. Earlier this year in Brussels, pensioners took to the streets to demand better job security and to oppose the raising of the retirement age. In Europe, some are advocating lowering the retirement age as a way to improve workers' quality of life and to encourage generational turnover in the workforce. Others argue that this would jeopardise the sustainability of pension systems,...

August 15, 2025
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14Aug

Global investors find greener pastures beyond US borders

A sharp US$13.6bn moved into global ex-US equity funds in July, the largest monthly inflow since December 2021, as per LSEG Lipper data reported by Reuters. Investors increasingly redirected capital away from the United States, citing economic concerns, high stock valuations, and a weakening dollar. According to S&P Global, July’s US Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.7 percent year-on-year, unchanged from June and below market expectations. While this bolstered market conviction for a September interest rate cut—pricing in nearly 100 percent likelihood compared to...

August 14, 2025
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14Aug

UK investment industry reaches £10tn; share of pension assets falls to 27%

The share of pension assets managed by the UK investment management industry has fallen from a peak of 45 per cent of total assets under management (AUM) in 2018 to 27 per cent in 2024, the Investment Association (IA) has revealed. The IA's report explained that the fall was driven by an increasing number of defined benefit (DB) schemes winding down as memberships age, alongside schemes achieving full funding and transferring their liabilities and assets to insurers. The IA also highlighted...

August 14, 2025
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14Aug

Romania proposes pension reforms as it moves to join OECD

Romanians will be limited to withdrawing a quarter of their private pension funds upon retirement and will receive the rest in monthly payments under a draft reform of the system unveiled on Friday that aims to boost the country's OECD candidacy. The EU member state overhauled its communist-era pension system in 2008, making it compulsory for working Romanians under 35 to contribute to a so-called "second pillar" of private pension schemes in addition to their state pension. Under the scheme, more...

August 14, 2025
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14Aug

UK. DWP insider explains why State Pension won’t be means tested

Pensions Minister Torsten Bell recently confirmed that the State Pension will not be means-tested in the future, following growing speculation on social media suggesting that the contributory benefit could be next in line for review by the Labour Government. Under the Triple Lock system, the New and Basic State Pensions increase each year in accordance with whichever is highest between average annual earnings growth from May to July, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation in the year to September or 2.5 per...

August 14, 2025
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13Aug

Analysis: The US$400 trillion global retirement gap

By Paul Mackintosh   In a recent discussion with the World Economic Forum (WEF), Yie-Hsin Hung, chief executive officer of State Street Investment Management, addressed the global retirement savings gap, estimated to have hit some US$50 trillion ten years ago and forecast to reach around $400 trillion by 2050. The US is expected to account for 33% of the $400 trillion, China, 30%, and India, 20%. In the US, those who are 45- 60 years old or Generation X save on average around...

August 13, 2025
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13Aug

US. The Silver Tsunami: Navigating Retirement Risk in a Declining Financial Literacy Landscape

As the global population ages, a quiet crisis is unfolding: financial literacy rates among older adults have plummeted to below 60%, a stark drop from 69.5% in 2020. This decline, driven by cognitive aging, digital disengagement, and inadequate educational resources, is creating a perfect storm for retirement planning. With 78% of retirees underestimating their life expectancy and $28 billion in U.S. scam losses reported in 2023 alone, the stakes for long-term financial resilience have never been higher. The erosion of...

August 13, 2025
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