May 2025

China. Eld­erly patients to get improved clin­ical care

China plans to build more clin­ics spe­cial­iz­ing in geri­at­rics at major hos­pit­als and strengthen their cap­ab­il­it­ies as part of broader efforts to address the needs of a rap­idly aging soci­ety, accord­ing to a recent guideline released by the National Health Com­mis­sion. The updated guideline on the estab­lish­ment and man­age­ment of clin­ics for eld­erly patients, issued on Thursday, replaces an earlier ver­sion from 2019. It man­dates that hos­pit­als in the upper two tiers of the coun­try’s three-tier hos­pital sys­tem estab­lish such clin­ics...

One of the Largest Teacher Pension Funds in the U.S. Sold Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple and Piled Into a Popular Pharmaceutical Stock Up 395% Over the Last 5 Years

With the second quarter of 2025 now over a month old, many investment funds will soon begin disclosing what stocks they held at the end of the first quarter, essentially providing investors a glimpse of what they bought and sold. It's a particularly interesting time to see how large institutional funds invested early in the year, given all of the volatility. First-quarter filings won't show what the market did in April, following President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" announcement on April...

UK. TPT preparing to launch first multi-employer CDC scheme

TPT Retirement Solutions is preparing the UK’s first multi-employer collective defined contribution (CDC) pension scheme, it announced today. It follows confirmation from pensions minister Torsten Bell that legislation to enable CDC schemes to operate will be laid before parliament later this year. Bell welcomed TPT’s announcement today, adding that CDC schemes were “set to be an important, innovative addition to the UK pensions’ landscape with the potential to improve the pension outcomes for millions of savers”. TPT first announced its interest in the CDC...

Jamaica. House Approves Pension Reform, Grants Early Retirement with Full Benefits for Public Officers

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday (May 6), passed legislation granting public officers born between August 1, 1961 and February 28, 1963 the option of retiring before reaching age 65 while still receiving full benefits. The Pensions (Public Service) (Amendment and Validation) Act 2025 was piloted by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams. The Bill also seeks to validate and confirm, as lawful, all the actions and omissions made by any person in relation to the grant...

No one wins in a U.S.-China trade war, Milken speakers say

The standoff between the U.S. and China over trade and tariffs presents enormous risks for the global economy, with implications for combatting climate change, nuclear weapons security, and for the development of international standards for artificial intelligence, speakers said May 6 at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 in Beverly Hills, Calif. “We are tearing apart an international trade regime that served our country and the world very well," Robert Rubin, who served as secretary of the Treasury in the...

UK. Pension savers urged not to panic despite potential impact of volatility on DC savings

Defined contribution (DC) pension savers could see their potential retirement income fall by up to 20 per cent as a result of market volatility seen following the introduction of US tariffs, although those in defined benefit (DB) schemes are unlikely to be affected, research from the Society of Pension Professionals has revealed. The SPP acknowledged that, in the wake of US President, Donald Trump, announcing new import taxes on goods from almost every country, the economic turbulence felt across the...

Nigeria. PenCom DG laments negative growth in pension industry

The Director-General of the National Pension Commission, Omolola Oloworaran, has lamented the negative growth recorded in the pension industry since 2021. Oloworaran expressed this concern on Thursday at the 2025 Pension Industry Leadership Retreat organised under the theme, ‘Sustainable Retirement – Strategic Blueprint for Economic Development and Inclusion.’ The Pension Reform Act 2004 empowers PenCom to regulate, supervise and ensure the effective administration of pension matters in Nigeria. The functions of the Commission include: Regulation and supervision of the Contributory Pension...

Europe’s costly military pensions complicate defence build-up

European nations want to spend big on artillery, missiles and drones, but costly military pension commitments risk constraining those ambitious plans, according to previously unreported NATO-member defence budget data compiled by Reuters. NATO's European members are rushing to ramp up spending on military hardware as a bellicose Russia threatens their eastern flank and U.S. President Donald Trump's long-term commitment to European security appears suddenly in doubt. But for over a dozen NATO members, whose military spending Reuters analysed, pensions make up a large - and largely overlooked -...

Largest 100 Corporate Pension Plans See Strong Increases in Funding Surplus

The largest U.S. corporate pension funds had a collective funding surplus last year for the first time since 2007, according to Milliman’s 2025 Corporate Pension Funding Study. Funding ratios of the Milliman 100 rose to 101.1% in fiscal year 2024, up from 98.5% in 2023. This is the first time these companies have had an average funding surplus since 2007, when that figure stood at 106%, before falling to 79% during the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. In fiscal 24,...

New buyout strategy for pension funds?

There is a wrinkle developing in the overall theme of depressed buyout markets, and especially difficult exit conditions. And it’s hardly a positive one. According to news reports, leading pension funds which used to be stalwart independent executors of buyout transactions are now pulling back from direct investment and pursuing more partnership deals with buyout firms. Higher borrowing costs have also reduced the allure of direct investment deals. Canada’s Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has already launched a strategic...