October 2021
11Oct

AFM: Dutch pension funds urged to speed up SFDR implementation

Dutch pension funds must speed up the implementation of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), according to financial market regulator AFM. But for the time being, compliance will not yet rigidly be enforced, said AFM director Laura van Geest. “The pension sector is less far in implementing the SFDR than the asset management sector since many pension funds have chosen to [temporarily] opt-out of the SFDR,” Van Geest said, speaking at the annual congress of trade publication Pensioen Pro. Most of...

October 11, 2021
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11Oct

South Africa: A New Social Assistance Assessment Aims to Help Strengthen Policies and Programs for the Poor

By  India Education Diary Bureau Admin  The World Bank, in collaboration with the Government of South Africa, released a new report assessing the country’s social assistance programs and systems. In an environment of high unemployment, persistent poverty, weak economic growth and shrinking fiscal resources that has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Social Assistance Programs and Systems Review: South Africa report underscores the critical role of the grant and social assistance system in mitigating poverty. This report also provides...

October 11, 2021
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11Oct

Employers offering retirement benefits report greater productivity during COVID, cite reduced employee stress: New research from HOOPP and Maru/Matchbox

Employers that offer retirement savings benefits report higher levels of employee productivity over the past year and have greater optimism for the future, according to the Canadian Employer Pension Survey, a survey of 845 Canadian employers by HOOPP and Maru/Matchbox. In addition, employers that offer retirement savings benefits believe it is very important to recruitment, retention and helping employees manage stress. “The survey found that a majority of employers see a connection between reducing employees’ financial stress and productivity,” said Steven...

October 11, 2021
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08Oct

National pension reform: Why it is imperative in South Africa

When the Department of Social Development (DSD) released its Green Paper on Comprehensive Social Security and Retirement Reforms, the proposal to set up a national pension scheme was swiftly shot down. The Green Paper proposed a National Social Security Fund to which all workers earning over R1,667 a month would contribute. Employers and employees would initially contribute between 8% and 12% of earnings up to a ceiling of R23,000 a month. Such was the force of the opposition that there was...

October 8, 2021
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08Oct

Pension Fund Management Software Market to Witness Huge Growth by 2026: Oracle, Visma, Aquila Software

Advance Market Analytics published a new research publication on “Pension Fund Management Software Market Insights, to 2026” with 232 pages and enriched with self-explained Tables and charts in presentable format. In the Study you will find new evolving Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities generated by targeting market associated stakeholders. The growth of the Pension Fund Management Software market was mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world. Some of the key players profiled in the study are: Oracle Corporation (United...

October 8, 2021
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08Oct

Australian Pensions See Foreign Currencies as Cushion From Shock

Australia’s pension funds are set to boost foreign currency holdings as an alternative to fixed-interest assets to shore up their portfolios against market shocks. That’s the view of Mark Delaney, the Chief Investment Officer of AustralianSuper Pty, who sees this happening over the next five years amid persistently low yields on government bonds. Given the Australian dollar’s link to demand for commodities and global growth, holding overseas currencies can be a good hedge against market volatility and downturns, he told the...

October 8, 2021
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08Oct

Trans women granted backdated state pension in UK

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWS) has recognised that transgender women in the UK are eligible for backdated state pension. This follows a court ruling which states that a trans person who has had gender reassignment surgery and lived in their acquired gender for a “significant period” must be recognised in their acquired gender for state pension purposes. But the move will only apply to a small number of trans women. The DWP said that only those born between 31 October...

October 8, 2021
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08Oct

2021 End-of-Year Plan Amendment Deadlines and Other Considerations

As the year draws to a close, it is helpful for employers to pause and evaluate employee benefit plan amendment deadlines and other crucial fourth quarter benefit considerations, as described below. Plan Amendment Deadlines Many benefit plan changes must be amended by year end to reflect pandemic relief provisions implemented under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. CAFETERIA PLAN AND FSA...

October 8, 2021
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07Oct

More Holocaust survivors to receive pensions from German government

The Claims Conference, which negotiates payments for Holocaust survivors with the German government, announced Wednesday it had secured pensions for an additional 6,500 Holocaust survivors who endured the siege of Leningrad, as well as other groups who were able to flee Nazi terror in other parts of Europe. In its annual negotiations with the German government, the NGO works to expand the number of people eligible for compensation. The 6,500 survivors who will benefit from the latest announced payments will...

October 7, 2021
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07Oct

Assembly candidate: New Jersey should mine Bitcoin to pay off its debts

New Jersey ranks 50 out of 50 when it comes to its financial state. According to Truth in Accounting, New Jersey has accumulated $189.6 billion (as of September 2020) in debt. Ballpark best guess, we each owe $57,900 — and we have Trenton insiders to thank for this ever-escalating burden. The state’s financial grade is an F and we are going to have to get creative to settle our accounts. I’ve not even mentioned the over $225 billion in retirement...

October 7, 2021
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