June 2020
18Jun

US. Trump SEC Chairman Urges 401ks To Gamble Away Coronavirus Losses

By Edward Siedle Trump SEC Chairman Jay Clayton urges 401k plan sponsors and investors to gamble on private equity funds as a means of recovering coronavirus losses. Since when is it the job of the Chairman of the world’s premier securities regulator to encourage reckless risk-taking by American workers already reeling from pandemic losses? Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor opened the door for plan sponsors to add private equity funds to their 401(k) plans. The Trump administration claims...

June 18, 2020
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02Jun

Japan. Relieve non-regular workers’ anxiety through reform of pension system

By The Japan News Editorial There is great significance in improving the foundation of the quality of life in old age for part-timers and other non-regular workers. Laws related to pension system reform have been passed. The range of people eligible for employee pensions will be expanded to include short-term workers from companies with fewer employees. Read also India. Modifications in National Pension Scheme financially untenable: Finance Ministry Currently, companies are required to join the employee pension program if they meet the...

June 2, 2020
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May 2020
27May

US. The Federal Employee Retirement Plan Should Add, Not Delete Chinese Stocks

By Ric Edelman Never mix investing with politics, as I wrote in my bestselling book, The Truth About Retirement Plans and IRAs. Sadly, for millions of American public servants, the board that controls their $600 billion retirement savings plan just did. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board just halted its plans to include Chinese stocks in the Thrift Savings Plan, the 401(k) equivalent for federal employees and members of the military. First, some background. The TSP has five core...

May 27, 2020
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26May

The Arrival Of The ‘Unavoidable Pension Crisis’

By Lance Roberts I wrote an article in 2017 discussing the “Unavoidable Pension Crisis.” At that time, most did not understand the risk. Since then, the situation has continued to worsen. COVID-19 pandemic has likely triggered a rolling pension collapse over the next couple of years. This idea was discussed in more depth with members of my private investing community,Real Investment Advice PRO. Read also Allianz unveils the first edition of its Global Pension Report In 2017, I wrote an...

May 26, 2020
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26May

US. The No.1 reason people make early withdrawals from retirement funds may surprise you

By John Anderer Retirement is the prize at the end of the work marathon. Any financial advisor or accountant will tell you it’s a good idea to start saving for retirement as early as possible, and the average working adult spends decades adding money, little by little, to his or her retirement fund. When the time comes, that money will be spent on leisure, fun, and everything else we can’t do while working full time. Now, you’re not supposed to touch...

May 26, 2020
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25May

South Africa. Eskom must tackle the cost of its coal contracts

By Vuslat Bayoglu The lockdown is imposing additional financial strain on Eskom and necessitates urgent solutions to get the company on a sustainable path beyond Covid-19. It is estimated Eskom will lose between R2.5 billion and R3 billion in revenue per month due to the low electricity demand triggered by the national lockdown. This will compound existing problems: R450 billion debt, maintenance arrears, costly Medupi and Kusile faults, and money lost during state capture. The other perennial problem, perhaps...

May 25, 2020
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25May

How will the current financial climate affect UK pensioners?

By Rebekah Evans Pension saving often involves a lot of forward planning, with key decisions having to be made at particular times within a person’s life. However, due to the economic and financial disruption brought about by coronavirus, many savers have expressed uncertainty in the current pension market. Read also Transaction costs make up 37% of UK pension investment costs: CACEIS It is feared pension savings could potentially be at risk, and a significant number of savers are looking for ways...

May 25, 2020
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06May

What are the implications for pension funds coming out of coronavirus crisis?

By Janet Rabovsky Last August, I wrote about whether central banks were creating a financial bubble with their coordinated easing programs intended to spur economic growth and/or lift inflation. In January 2020, I wrote about the end of the economic cycle, the potential for a recession and what that might mean for positioning an investment portfolio. Little did I know, when I wrote these articles, that we would be experiencing further central bank action as a result of COVID-19,...

May 6, 2020
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06May

What are the implications for pension funds coming out of coronavirus crisis?

By Janet Rabovsky Last August, I wrote about whether central banks were creating a financial bubble with their coordinated easing programs intended to spur economic growth and/or lift inflation. In January 2020, I wrote about the end of the economic cycle, the potential for a recession and what that might mean for positioning an investment portfolio. Little did I know, when I wrote these articles, that we would be experiencing further central bank action as a result of COVID-19,...

May 6, 2020
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04May

Trouble with pensions is a lack of innovation

By Steve Watson Recent research found that two thirds of employers think that pensions are far too complicated and providers are not innovating enough to offer new and progressive products. The research, which looked at the challenges employees face when it comes to pensions, found that almost 45% of employers felt that ensuring all employees have adequate funds when they retire was a huge challenge. While auto enrolment has made a huge difference to the numbers of employees saving into...

May 4, 2020
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