May 2020

EC summons Netherlands for taxing pensions moving abroad

The European Commission has summoned the Netherlands to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for taxing pensions moving abroad. It argued that the taxation conflicts with the principle of free movement of capital. According to the EC, workers must be able to transfer pension capital to another member state, even if the country of destination allows taking out a lump sum of up to the entire pension entitlement. Twelve member states, including Germany, Belgium and Denmark, have already introduced...

India. World Bank to provide $1 billion loan for social protection

After healthcare, the World Bank on Friday said it had cleared a $1 billion assistance for social protection and is in talks with the government for funding initiatives to assist micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). World Bank country director Junaid Ahmad did not elaborate on the size of the loans for MSMEs, saying they were being negotiated. Read also Covid-19 impact: Global pension funds pause India investment He, however, complimented the government’s approach, focusing on healthcare, social protection and...

Swiss pension funding levels recover after falling below 100%

The funding ratio of Swiss Pensionskassen bounced back to 103% in April after declining to 99.8% for a short time at the end of March, according to Complementa’s latest “risk check-up” analysis report. Central banks have sent a clear message through a series of interventions to say they “stand by” the equity market “whatever it costs”, Thomas Breitenmoser, head of investment consulting at Complementa, told IPE during a conference call. The funding ratio of Swiss pension schemes will depend...

How the UK pensions industry is paving the way for open data sharing ecosystems

As consumer expectations around digital services increase, businesses across every sector are looking to meet a growing demand for better, and more user-friendly, applications of data. The Covid-19 pandemic has only accelerated this shift to digital as traditionally offline activities move online, and businesses are racing to stay ahead of both their customers and their competitors. The UK pensions industry might not seem an obvious place to look for inspiration about how to adapt to digital transformation, but that...

US. Federal Retirement Fund Halts Planned China Investment Under Pressure

A government retirement fund on Wednesday halted plans to invest in Chinese stocks this year, after growing criticism that the move would channel the savings of government workers to companies that are working against the national security goals of the United States. Read also Beijing hits back at Trump call to block US pension fund investment in China In a statement, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which manages the retirement savings plan, said it had “deferred the transition” of...

Beijing hits back at Trump call to block US pension fund investment in China

Donald Trump’s order to stop the US government’s main pension fund from investing in Chinese equities will only hurt US investors, Beijing has warned as trade tensions between the countries threatened to turn into a “financial fight”. Beijing officials have been worried since late last year that Mr Trump would follow up his two-year China trade battle with action in financial markets. In letters to the head of the government’s main pension fund, which Mr Trump does not directly...

UK. Govt told to scrap pensions triple lock to reduce virus debt

The pensions triple lock could be scrapped in the near future as the government looks to recoup the hundreds of billions of pounds it has spent on Covid-19 support. According to a Treasury document dated May 5, seen by the Telegraph, chancellor Rishi Sunak has been advised to break one of the Conservatives’ manifesto pledges and scrap the pension triple lock on state pension rises. Under current rules, the state pension is increased by the triple lock which is...

Tesla’s Newest Board Member Talks About Changing The World Through Japan’s $1.5 Trillion Pension Fund

By putting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) at the heart of the world’s largest pension fund’s investments, Hiromichi Mizuno (known as Hiro) not only rocked the world of traditional pension finance but also had a profound impact on the cause of socially responsible investing. During his tenure as the Executive Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Japan’s $1.5 trillion Global Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), Mizuno reached the conclusion that the fund had become so big that it essentially...

US. Trump Pressures Federal Pension to Halt Planned Chinese Stock Purchases

The Trump administration is pressing an independent board charged with overseeing billions in federal retirement dollars to freeze plans to invest in Chinese companies that Washington suspects of abusing human rights or threatening U.S. security. At issue is whether administrators of the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a retirement savings fund for federal employees and members of the military, should allow its $40 billion international fund (I-Fund) to track an index that includes some China-based stocks of companies under scrutiny...

COVID-19 Economy: Why Nigeria must develop digital economy, increase national savings

Foreign Investment Network (FIN) has listed a number of economic strategies Nigeria and other African countries could adopt, to avert the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. FIN is a United Kingdom-based company driving foreign direct investment, FDI for Africa and other developing economies. Read also Tesla’s Newest Board Member Talks About Changing The World Through Japan’s $1.5 Trillion Pension Fund The group, in a video conference programme it organised, themed: COVID-19 and The Economic Threat: How Africa can overcome...