September 2021
30Sep

Japan’s GPIF won’t buy China’s sovereign debt

Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund, the world's largest pension fund, said it won't include yuan-denominated Chinese sovereign debt in its portfolio. The decision comes as FTSE Russell is set to start adding Chinese debt to its benchmark global bond index, which the GPIF follows, starting in October. The pension fund will instead use a version of the World Government Bond index that excludes Chinese government bonds, Hiroshi Nagaoka, an official at the pension fund, told Bloomberg News. Minutes from a July...

September 30, 2021
News, Slider, , , , ,
Read more...
30Sep

UK. Pensions department faces ‘serious questions’ over non-payments

By Kevin Peachey A saga over unpaid state pensions means the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should face "serious questions" about its work, a leading MP has said. Thousands of people reaching the state pension age of 66 have applied for their state pension, but have not received any money. The backlog has been blamed on pandemic workload and staffing issues. Stephen Timms, who chairs the Work and Pensions select committee, said the issue would be raised with ministers. "There are clearly serious...

September 30, 2021
News, OP Ed, Slider, , , ,
Read more...
30Sep

Pension fund and other investors with $4 trln assets aim to tackle Asian firms on climate change goals

A group of six investors with a combined $4 trillion of assets under management, including Fidelity International, said on Wednesday it aims to step up engagement with big Asian companies like banks and energy producers to ensure they have a road map to meet climate change targets. Initial engagement will focus on carbon risk and coal at banks and coal-exposed power companies, the group of investors, facilitated by Singapore-based advisor Asia Research & Engagement (ARE), said in a statement. The move...

September 30, 2021
News, Slider, , , ,
Read more...
30Sep

Impact Investing: Embracing Change and Optimizing Long-Term Value

Expectations for the behavior of institutional investors are changing. As societies around the world deal with the challenges of climate change, a global pandemic, social upheaval and other adversities, institutional investors are being asked to take a much more expansive view of risk than many traditional investment models currently account for. Increasingly, this includes optimizing their investments and overall portfolio for environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact. According to Nuveen’s annual survey of institutional investors, almost 70% of investors indicated...

September 30, 2021
News, Slider,
Read more...
29Sep

Chilean bill to allow for fourth pension withdrawal advances in Congress

Chile's lower congressional chamber on Tuesday approved a bill that would allow citizens to make a fourth withdrawal from their pension funds, and sent it to the Senate for a vote, despite opposition from the government. The initiative passed with 94 votes in favor, just one more than the minimum needed, while 39 lawmakers voted against and 9 abstained. Chile's government and the Central Bank have warned that passing the bill would negatively affect the economy, as Chileans further deplete funds...

September 29, 2021
News, Slider, , , ,
Read more...
29Sep

US. Bridging The Retirement Readiness Gap With Focused Financial Literacy

Most Americans are behind the curve when it comes to their retirement readiness. However, there’s a significant racial gap in retirement readiness — especially between white and non-white individuals. As of 2016, 48% of white Americans between the ages of 30 and 59 were projected to be unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement, compared to 54% of Black Americans and 61% of Hispanic Americans, according to an analysis by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston...

September 29, 2021
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
29Sep

Canada’s second-largest pension fund says first to exit oil assets

Canada’s No. 2 pension fund, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, said Tuesday it will shed all of its oil production assets, valued at C$3.9 billion ($3.08 billion), by the end of 2022 and reduce carbon intensity by 60% by 2030. It said it would be the first institutional investor in Canada to exit oil production assets. As part of a plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Montreal-based Caisse plans to hold green assets worth C$54 billion by 2025...

September 29, 2021
News, Slider, ,
Read more...
29Sep

16.5% of S. Korea’s population aged 65 and older in 2021: report

People aged 65 and older made up 16.5 percent of South Korea's population this year, a report showed Wednesday, highlighting concerns that the fast-aging demographic transition could pose a drag on the country's economy. According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of people aged 65 and older stood at 8.53 million this year. The South Korean population is projected to peak in 2028 before going on a downward curve, the report showed. However, the graying of South Korea will accelerate,...

September 29, 2021
News, Slider, ,
Read more...
29Sep

UK. How to give pension advice to same-sex couples in divorce

It is not uncommon for pension rights to represent a significant proportion of the matrimonial assets. Therefore, dealing with these rights in a way that ensures that both parties’ interests are best served may lead to some difficult and acrimonious discussions. The circumstances of each party may be such that finding a solution that suits both is elusive. Advisers are likely to be approached by the legal representatives of one party with a view to reaching an optimal solution for that party. In...

September 29, 2021
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
28Sep

How to fix the gender pension gap

By Azka Ali, David Knox, Yvonne Sonsino The gender pension gap is a problem in most retirement income systems around the world. The causes and compounding effects are related to employment and pension design as well as socio-cultural issues. These issues need fixing at a multi-stakeholder level by HR and pension leaders, governments and women themselves. The gender pension gap exists in virtually every retirement income system around the world. The range is remarkable, with Japan having an almost 50%...

September 28, 2021
News, OP Ed, Slider,
Read more...