December 2020

Time for U.S. to address savings crisis for workers

U.S. president-elect Joe Biden has sketched out ambitious plans to reinvigorate the pandemic-battered economy. But without addressing a festering savings crisis, efforts to revitalize the middle class are doomed to fail. The U.S. savings and retirement system is broken, and desperately needs an overhaul to give Americans an opportunity to build lifetime financial resilience. The economic ravages of a pandemic mean that a national conversation in the U.S. on change is imperative, starting with ways to move towards more universal...

FinTech In The Time Of COVID: What Financial Services Companies Need To Know

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in early 2020, consumers and the business community have had to navigate new realities. The pandemic has dramatically changed the ways in which we interact, presenting challenges that were rarely, if ever, previously contemplated. Some industries have been affected profoundly, while others are naturally better suited to withstand the evolving pandemic landscape. Financial technology (FinTech) companies are a good example of an industry well positioned to thrive in this environment. Given the...

Asset management CEO arrested in Taiwan pension fund scandal

The CEO and other executives of one of Taiwan's largest asset management companies are being held incommunicado after being questioned over an alleged national labor fund investment scandal, the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office said Friday (Dec. 11). The office launched the third stage of its bribery investigation on Thursday (Dec. 10). A Ministry of Labor official responsible for labor fund management was arrested two weeks ago for allegedly engaging in stock speculation. You Wei-wen (游迺文), who had been working...

US. 4 Public Pension Funding Strategies Besides Employer Contributions

Maybe it’s time for pension plans to explore other funding strategies aside from public employer contributions. Plan sponsors typically use the annual required contribution (ARC) or the actuarially determined employer contribution (ADEC) to meet public pension liabilities. But a number of states have found success experimenting with lesser-known methods. It could be useful for other public retirement programs to consider these strategies, according to a report released this week from the National Institute on Retirement Security. While resilient...

New York’s $226 Billion Pension Fund Is Dropping Fossil Fuel Stocks

New York State’s pension fund, one of the world’s largest and most influential investors, will drop many of its fossil fuel stocks in the next five years and sell its shares in other companies that contribute to global warming by 2040, the state comptroller said on Wednesday. Read also Exxon Under Pressure From New Activist Fund With $226 billion in assets, New York’s fund wields clout with other retirement funds and its decision to divest from fossil fuels could accelerate...

Mexican Congress passes major reform to boost pensions

The Mexican Congress late on Wednesday passed one of the biggest overhauls to the country's pension system in years, boosting retirement benefits and reducing workers' mandatory contribution times, in a victory for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Read also The Consequences of Long-Term State Pension Underperformance The initiative, which the government originally set out in July, will lower to 1,000 from 1,250 the number of weeks workers must have paid in to claim retirement benefits. Read also Chilean lawmakers...

Aging China Must Work Longer and Invest Smarter

China is getting older. That means the Chinese people will have to work longer. But deeper reforms will also be necessary to ensure income growth doesn’t stagnate. Read also Asset management CEO arrested in Taiwan pension fund scandal The world’s most populous country has begun aging rapidly over the past decade, but the pace is going to pick up even more as tens of millions reach retirement age. The working population—people between the ages of 15 and 59—will drop by...

UK. Pension risk transfer market to hit up to £60bn in 2021

The UK pension risk transfer market could reach up to £60bn in 2021 through bulk annuities, longevity swaps and new risk transfer solutions, according to forecasts from Mercer. The firm has predicted continued growth in risk transfers during 2021, stating that increased activity will likely be driven by an increase in demand and innovative and streamlined processes, and could lead to the "busiest year on record". In particular, it predicted that there would be better affordability as more schemes...

South Africa. Sustainability should be paramount in pension fund investment

By Adam Bennot There is little point in making provision for a comfortable retirement if the society and environment in which you live is untenable. Nor will you actually have a decent pension if the retirement industry doesn't make sustainable investments with positive social and environmental impacts. The two are inextricably linked. From a public policy perspective, many stakeholders believe that impact investing can provide a public good, particularly in areas where the government lacks the resources. For pension fund...

Nearly Half Of UK Pension Savers Unaware They Are Saving Into Pension

EQ research shows that under half (48%) of full-time workers believe they are saving into a pension However, official statistics finds 88% of eligible employees are saving into an occupational pension scheme Findings demonstrate the success of auto-enrolment in pushing savers into later-life saving but need for further engagement Analysis from EQ (Equiniti Group plc), one of the largest providers of outsourced pension administration in the UK, suggests that nearly half of the UK's full-time workers don't realise that...