April 2025

Insurers and pensions fill infrastructure lending gap: AllianzGI

The volume of debt being taken up by institutional investors has steadily grown. Insurers and pension providers are plugging the lending gap for infrastructure projects, which commercial banks have been shunning for more than a decade because of a stricter regulatory framework that discourages them from holding longer-tenor loans. “The 2008 global financial crisis significantly changed the infrastructure debt market, which previously relied on commercial banks for about 90% of private infrastructure debt,” Claus Fintzen, chief investment officer for Infrastructure Debt at Allianz...

Survey reveals thoughts on Americans’ ideal retirement age

When is the best time to retire? It depends on who is answering the question, but that answer gives food for thought for senior housing developers and providers creating and renovating spaces for older adults. In recently published results of a survey of Americans, the answer, on average, was 61.8 years — more than five years before a current 61.8-year-old would be able to collect full Social Security and more than three years before that person would be eligible for...

UK. TPR turns to AI in effort to detect scammers but government can do more to help

Tom Selby, director of public policy at AJ Bell, comments on The Pensions Regulator (TPR) and Pension Scams Action Group (PSAG) adopting the use of AI to detect scam websites: “Stopping pension scammers is a perpetual game of whack-a-mole. Whenever one scam is shut down another soon starts up in its place. That means it is vital that regulators and bodies like Action Fraud use every tool at their disposal to fend off scams as they emerge, closing down fraudulent...

A Silent Crisis: Rising Occupational Deaths and Diseases in Iran’s Workforce

Recent data from Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organization reveals a troubling surge in workplace fatalities, with at least 1,900 people losing their lives in occupational accidents in the past year. This figure is nearly four times higher than the 455 deaths reported by the Social Security Organization for 2022, exposing a stark discrepancy between official agencies and raising serious concerns about the accuracy of government statistics and the effectiveness of occupational safety monitoring in Iran. The Social Security Organization’s data is based...

2025 ‘key year’ for pension schemes considering their endgame strategy

Following recent regulatory and market developments, 2025 represents an important year for schemes reviewing their endgame strategy, Aon has suggested. Withsignificant improvements in funding for defined benefit pension schemes over the last two years, many sponsoring employers and trustee boards have already reconsidered their scheme’s endgame, the firm claimed. However, it said the rest of the year represented an important period for schemes that have yet to commit to a particular approach. “There are several factors at play,” explained Aon associate partner and...

FSD Africa Commits GBP 10 M In ARM-Harith To Tap Nigeria’s Pension Power For Climate Equity

FSD Africa Investments (FSDAi), a UK-backed specialist development finance investor, has announced a GBP 10 M (USD 13.2 M) commitment into Lagos-based private equity firm ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment Limited to unlock local institutional capital—specifically local pension funds—for climate infrastructure development. The investment, directed into ARM-Harith’s Climate and Transition Infrastructure Fund (ACT Fund), isn’t just another capital injection; it’s a bold attempt to solve a problem that’s kept billions in local pension assets parked on the sidelines. For years, Nigerian pension funds have been hesitant...

US. Millenials are the most educated generation…yet the most broke

Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, hold more college degrees than any previous generation in U.S. history. Roughly 40% have earned at least a bachelor's degree. But despite their academic achievements, many are confronting a harsh economic reality: they're significantly behind previous generations when it comes to wealth building and financial security. According to a report from the Federal Reserve, millennials earn about 20% less than baby boomers did at the same stage in life. In 2013, the median income for a...

UK. Why pension schemes should not overlook SDR

The FCA’s Sustainability Disclosure Regulations (SDR) might be voluntary for institutional investors, but the new rules have arrived at a crucial moment. Pension schemes are under increasing pressure to invest in a way that supports the transition to a more sustainable economy, while continuing to maximise members’ financial outcomes. Could understanding potential implications of the regime help them navigate the evolving sustainable investment landscape while meeting their fiduciary duties? Let’s first consider the facts. One of the key components of...

US pension funds pay the price for tariff turmoil

PitchBook’s recently released pension fund tracker shows that the top 50 US funds returned an average 7.4% over the past ten years. There is very little dispersion around that figure, with the best performer, the US$205 billion Washington State Investment Board achieving 8.9%, and the worst, the $123 billion North Carolina Retirement Systems, achieving 5.5%. The one-year data, however, looks far better, with an average return of 10.8%. The California Public Employees' Retirement System, the top fund with some $341.4...

US. The Real Retirement Crisis

Not long ago, I picked up a book that states “why (almost) everything you know about the US retirement system is wrong” — and it’s definitely worth a read. The book — entitled The Real Retirement Crisis: Why (Almost) Everything You Know About the US Retirement System Is Wrong — is the work of American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Andrew Biggs — and it’s a comprehensive assessment of any number of the misstatements, mischaracterizations, flawed assumptions and downright obfuscations that plague any...