January 2022
20Jan

UK. More universities join USS strike

The University and College Union has secured the support of yet more institutions in its campaign for strike action over member benefit cuts in the Universities Superannuation Scheme. The UCU balloted its members in November over strike action in response to proposals agreed between the USS trustee and Universities UK, the group representing 340 USS employers, over the scheme’s controversial 2020 valuation. The union has argued that the agreement, which includes covenant support measures that UUK says are necessary to stave...

January 20, 2022
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20Jan

Why Sustainable Strategies Outperformed in 2021

It paid for investors to be sustainable in 2021, even as energy companies were among the stock market’s best performers. Companies that scored the strongest on environmental, social, and governance metrics saw some of the highest returns in 2021 with help from stocks such as Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), and TSLA (TSLA). The Morningstar U.S. Sustainability Leaders Index--representing the 50 U.S. companies with the best ESG scores as measured by Sustainalytics (a division of Morningstar)--returned 33.3% for the year, beating the...

January 20, 2022
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19Jan

Puerto Rico gets green light to end five-year bankruptcy

The judge overseeing Puerto Rico’s nearly five-year-long debt restructuring process has approved a debt adjustment plan that is intended to revitalize the commonwealth’s economy and reduce its $135 billion in liabilities. Read also UK. More universities join USS strike U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain approved the plan in an order filed on Tuesday, bringing nearly half a decade of litigation over Puerto Rico’s financial standing to a close and marking a historic moment for the largest-ever U.S. municipal debt restructuring. Read...

January 19, 2022
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19Jan

The elephant in the room: Bringing sustainable investment to Africa

By Fiona Stewart The coronavirus pandemic has renewed interest in sustainable investing strategies that allow investors to both protect the financial value of their assets and contribute to solutions to global problems such as climate change. These investments have become increasingly mainstream, and now account for more than $39 trillion in the five major global markets, a 34 percent increase over two years, according to the latest trends reported by the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance. Read also Ghana. Lack of Pension...

January 19, 2022
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19Jan

David Sinclair explains what an ageing population means for economies around the world

The world has been ageing for some time, according to David Sinclair, Director, International Longevity Centre, but policy has still not caught up to tackle the potential problems this may cause for the world. He says that an ageing population will have an impact on the future like at no other time in history and will change everything from cities, transport and consumption to relations between countries, and for that to be positive rapid policy changes are needed. The below interview...

January 19, 2022
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18Jan

Pension funds and other institutional investors reduce allocations to fixed income, says survey

In a new Aeon Investments' survey of pension funds and other institutional investors in Europe and the US, who collectively have around USD436.5 billion in assets under management, nearly one in four (23 per cent) said they have reduced their allocation to traditional fixed income assets over the past 18 months by up to 10 per cent, and half (51 per cent) said they have cut it by between 10 per cent and 15 per cent. A further 14 per...

January 18, 2022
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18Jan

Ghana. Lack of Pension plan for informal sector workers puts financial burden on youth and retirees

Workers in the informal sector face a lot of problems as they get older and retire. Many people have hung on to misconceptions and falsehoods about pensions throughout the years. But the failure to set up a pension plan frequently places a financial burden on the children of retirees. Many in the informal sector cringe at the mention of pension or end of service benefits. Seventy-four-year-old Obaapanin Yaa Ampomaah sells yam at Ayigya Market in Kumasi. She has been selling this food stuff...

January 18, 2022
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18Jan

UK. Lack of guidance for pension savers risks freedoms ‘failure’, MPs warn

A Work and Pensions Committee report calls on Government and regulators to play more active role in supporting savers to make better decisions about their money. The Government should commit to trial of automatic Pension Wise guidance appointments and set a target of at least 60% needed to boost uptake of pensions guidance and advice Automatic appointments with the Pension Wise service should be trialled as part of a renewed commitment from the Government to support people to make better decisions...

January 18, 2022
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18Jan

It’s Not ‘Woke’ for Businesses to Think Beyond Profit, BlackRock Chief Says

Laurence D. Fink, the founder and chief executive of the investment giant BlackRock, has become one of the most influential voices in business over the past decade in pushing corporate leaders to think beyond profits, to their social purpose. Read also Canada. ESG challenges: talent shortage and lack of consistent standards Mr. Fink has delivered his words in annual letters that have drawn remarkable attention, but also criticism from all corners: that he is beholden to politically correct antibusiness activists, or...

January 18, 2022
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17Jan

China’s birth rate drops to record low in 2021, population aging

The birth rate in mainland China slipped to a record low in 2021, government data showed Monday, despite efforts by the Chinese government to prevent the country's population from aging further. In China, 10.62 million babies were born in 2021, a rate of 7.52 per 1,000 people, the lowest level since Mao Zedong founded the Communist-led People's Republic of China in 1949. Read also David Sinclair explains what an ageing population means for economies around the world The population aged 65...

January 17, 2022
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