January 2022
03Jan

Germans see pandemic, pensions as biggest topics for 2022-poll

Germans want their new government to focus on fighting the coronavirus pandemic and safeguarding pensions in 2022, with fewer people wanting them to prioritise the climate crisis, an opinion poll showed on Sunday. The survey by pollsters Insa for the Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed that 61% of the 2,004 people questioned think combating the pandemic is the most important task of the government, followed by securing pensions. Germans also want the government to deal with a shortage of staff...

January 3, 2022
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03Jan

Private climate investment needs to get intentional about gender and equity — here’s how

By Suzanne Biegel The private capital committed by members of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) has the potential to transform climate investments. Yet climate investment decision-makers don’t reflect the diversity we need for a just transition. They are therefore likely to overlook the women outside of their networks driving many solutions. Read also ESG Investing Is Not Sustainable Investing This is true in both developed and developing markets. Growing research shows that having more women in decision-making positions results...

January 3, 2022
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03Jan

Why having so much pension money became a headache for Iceland

This is one of those first world problems that we would like to have in Latin American countries: “I don’t know what to do with so much money.” Although it is a cartoon, the truth is that Iceland’s pension system, which has been listed as one of the most successful in the world, has such a gigantic amount of resources that there is now a debate in the country about what is the best way to invest those funds. With assets...

January 3, 2022
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03Jan

Can China’s creaky health insurance scheme withstand its ageing population and coronavirus?

For two decades, 65-year-old farmer Che Xiuyue had been troubled by osteophytes, bony lumps that grew on her knees, causing her unbearable pain and stiffness. Read also Commentary: China and ESG — a delicate balance In 2019, unable to stomach the discomfort any longer, she finally had surgery to treat them. But when she received the bill of 10,000 yuan (US$1,569), Che was overcome by a new wave of distress. Read also Taiwan fund to issue $2.3 bln climate change pension mandate,...

January 3, 2022
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December 2021
31Dec

US. Gig Economy Retirement Planning

Gig workers, like everyone else, deserve a pension. Freelancers, contract workers, self-employed, temp workers, on-call employees, and individuals with side hustles make up a significant component of our economy. Currently, 57 million Americans are estimated to be gig workers. Since March of last year, freelancing and gig marketplaces like Gigspot and Upwork have reported growth in users. Freelancers may make up half of US employment by 2023. Statista reported data from a 2018 poll in January indicating 27% of full-time...

December 31, 2021
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30Dec

UK. Platforms must help advisers reduce carbon footprints

Platforms must explore ways to support advisers in their digital and sustainable goals, M&G Wealth’s sales director has said. Justin Blower told FTAdviser UK platforms needed to keep up the momentum in their digitisation and automation strategies, as hybrid advice becomes more important in a post-pandemic world and the UK government increasingly prioritises carbon neutrality in the wake of Cop26. “Generally, advice firms have embraced portals and technology that allow them to service clients remotely,” said Blower. “And many more clients...

December 30, 2021
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30Dec

US. New Lifetime Annuities in 401(k) Plans Could Cut Advisors Out of the Picture

One of the primary reasons many retirees seek out financial advice is to convert their savings into a steady stream of income that can support their current lifestyles for the rest of their days. That’s why, to some advisors, the news this November that State Street Global Advisors launched a deferred lifetime income annuity within the University of California’s retirement plan could seem unsettling. That retirement plan has $35 billion in assets that advisors might not be able to manage...

December 30, 2021
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30Dec

ETF investors want impact with ESG allocations, survey finds

Investors are aligning themselves with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when allocating to ESG, according to a survey conducted by ETF Stream and Amundi. The survey of 105 investors across Europe, which featured in a report of initial findings titled ETF Scan: The Big Picture, found 35% of respondents said they want ESG exposure linked to either impact or the 17 SDGs, the most across all responses. This highlights the use case for thematic ETFs which can offer targeted...

December 30, 2021
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29Dec

The Elevated Economy: Why Investors And Companies Can’t Ignore ESG

By Richard Steel Over time, public companies will be forced to take stances on environmental, social and governance issues, pressured by shareholders, public opinion, clients and customers. I believe the same will be true with pension funds and endowments. Just look at the activism around the Harvard endowment and the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, which manages Norway’s assets and is dropping $13 billion of fossil fuel investments. Not only companies but also consumers are embracing — even demanding — an...

December 29, 2021
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28Dec

US. With Pandemic Lessons Learned, Institutional Investors Gear Up for 2022

Recently, the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (MassMutual) announced it had finalized the consolidation of Barings’ mutual funds with MassMutual funds onto the MassMutual investments platform. To mark the occasion, PLANSPONSOR sat down with Keith McDonagh, the head of MassMutual’s institutional solutions business, to talk about this and other developments, including the state of competition in the institutional services space and the challenges he is hearing about from brokers, consultants and their institutional investor clients. At a high level, McDonagh...

December 28, 2021
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