January 2020

France. French transport strike drags on despite government compromise on pensions

A crippling French transport strike dragged into its 39th day on Sunday despite the government’s offer to withdraw the most contested measure of the pension reform plans that sparked the protest. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Saturday he would drop plans to increase the official retirement age to 64 from 62 in an effort to end a strike which has paralyzed Paris and its suburbs, with bus, train and metro services all badly disrupted. “I am willing to withdraw...

Macron Scraps Proposal to Raise Retirement Age in France

Faced with an unrelenting protest over proposed changes in France’s generous pension system, officials withdraw a move to raise the full-benefit retirement age to 64 from the present 62. Read Also France. French transport strike drags on despite government compromise on pensions With tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators once again coursing through the streets of Paris and other cities and clouds of tear gas and smashed store windows punctuating the urban landscape, the French government made a major concession on...

UK. Ombudsman reports pension scheme to TPR

The Pensions Ombudsman has reported the Green Coal Limited Occupational Pension Scheme to the Pensions Regulator with concerns over the “status of the scheme”, after upholding a complaint against it. A client dubbed Mr E complained to the ombudsman that he had not been provided with any information on his pension for a year. Previously employed by the Royal Air Force, Mr E was a deferred member of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, which transferred £20,824 at his request in December 2013...

The end of Retirement

By John D. Stoll. It took about six years of annual asset reviews with my financial planner, Joe Mackey, to confront a big question. After I spent my entire adult life trying to save enough to quit working by 65, Mr. Mackey wanted to know what my rush was. “Do you even think you’ll want to retire?” I’m a 42-year-old writer with a job offering travel, intellectual grist and social connection. With few hobbies and an allergy for sitting still, it’s...

Brexit and pensions: everything you need to know

Retirement savers will have to keep an eye on state pension payouts, the value of the pound and consumer protections now the country’s exit from the European Union is imminent. After one of the most stunning political turnarounds in history, Brexit now looks almost certain to happen on Jan 31. But the question on most people’s minds will be what it all means for them and their money. Pensions will be affected in a number of ways and, like all things when it comes...

Nationwide protest in France over pensions as talks continue

Rail workers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and others joined a nationwide day of protests and strikes Thursday to denounce French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to overhaul the pension system. As the government and unions pushed on with crucial negotiations about the changes, street protests were staged in Paris and other French cities, with railway strikes entering their sixth week. Read Also Critical week in frances pension reform protests The Eiffel Tower was shut as employees joined the protest movement. Paris metro traffic was...

Estonia. Public ill-informed about pensions and retirement: Research

According to recent market research, awareness among the Estonian public about the impending pension reform is low, with many not knowing key facts surrounding the move to make the so-called second pillar, referring to employee contributions to pension schemes, voluntary, where it had previously been mandatory for most wage earners. This was particularly the case among young people, with higher awareness recorded among those aged over 55, as well as professionals, according to the survey commissioned by pollsters Turu-uuringute on...

Solving Chile’s Crisis Starts With Fixing Its Pension System

BY JORGE HEINE Protesters cite the Pinochet-era retirement scheme as their top grievance. Fixing it will mean a return to basic principles of social security. As Chile’s protests continue into the new year, it is important to understand the reasons behind the public’s frustration – and for policymakers to come up with ways to address it. In that, no issue is more important than Chile’s private pension scheme, singled out in opinion polls as the most important issue for...

FRR names supervisory board chair

FRR, Franklin Templeton, Mercer, HSBC Global Asset Management, Veritas, AllianceBernstein, Arabesque S-Ray, Eumedion, De Nationale APF, ASR, PGB, Hermes, Netspar, Sampension, Rabobank, Kempen, UBS, Aegon, LOIM Fonds de réserve pour les retraites (FRR) – The €32.6bn French sovereign investor has a new chair of the supervisory board, with Sandrine Lemery having been appointed to the position by government decree. She was the first deputy secretary general of ACPR, the prudential authority for banks and insurers, from 2013 until the beginning of January 2019. She...

Inside a Pension Fund’s Search for a Risk Management System

The LACERA investment team recommended MSCI’s risk analytics over competitors including BlackRock’s Aladdin system and FactSet. After a lengthy search, the investment team at the Los Angeles County Employees’ Retirement Association has settled on a new risk analytics provider. The investment team has recommended that its board hire MSCI Analytics to provide total fund analytics for the $59.6 billion pension fund, according to the agenda from a LACERA investment board meeting held on Wednesday. MSCI beat out rivals including FactSet and...