September 2021
20Sep

Japan’s older population hits record high

The estimated number of people aged 65 or older in Japan stood at a record high of 36.4 million as of Wednesday, an increase of 220,000 from a year before, the internal affairs ministry said Sunday. Read also Saving govt pensions by encouraging citizens’ savings The share of those aged adults in the nation’s total population rose to a record 29.1%, the highest among 201 countries and regions across the world. Read also Changing energy landscape fuels infrastructure investing Older men totaled 15.83...

September 20, 2021
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20Sep

UK. Dipping into pension could cost savers their benefits

People using pension freedoms to dip into their retirement pot at 55 could end up losing their benefits, Sir Steve Webb, partner at LCP and former pensions minister, has warned. According to Webb, as furlough schemes finish and the additional £20 on universal credit payments comes to an end, people who are over 55 and still working might become concerned about their jobs or might find themselves made redundant. This could put a strain on people's finances, and lead to them...

September 20, 2021
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20Sep

Changing energy landscape fuels infrastructure investing

Asset owners are pushing hard into renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure while still committing capital to other projects supporting the fossil-fuel energy segment, albeit at lower levels. Sustainability is a big theme right now as investors become more attuned to the risks and investment opportunities inherent in a changing energy environment. At the same time, they are attracted to infrastructure as a whole to shield their portfolios from inflation threats and potential increases in interest rates. As a result, infrastructure fundraising...

September 20, 2021
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20Sep

Saving govt pensions by encouraging citizens’ savings

All Arab countries, except for three, have deficits in their pension funds exceeding 50%. As for the three countries, two recapitalize its fund early last decade. Likewise, these three countries are not immune from deficits of similar proportions during the next to decades if they end up doing the same thing. Up until now, there is one thing all Arab countries have in common in addition to the Arabic language, which is their so governments on a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) basis....

September 20, 2021
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20Sep

Texas pension funds receive lessons on cryptocurrency

Although cryptocurrencies aren't a common asset found within pension plan portfolios, a non-profit educational organization for Texas-based retirement fund officials and service providers is keen to show plan sponsors how digital assets could become a staple in their investment pools. At its annual Summer Educational Forum held in August, the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems featured two panels discussing the basics of institutional investors allocating to digital assets. In addition to holding a "Cryptocurrency 101" session hosted by Mannik...

September 20, 2021
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17Sep

UK watchdogs team up to gauge value for money in DC pensions

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR) have published a joint discussion paper on developing a common framework for measuring value for money in defined contribution (DC) pension schemes. The aim is “to drive a long-term focus on value for money across the pensions sector”, they said in a statement. Read also UK. Dashboard will not have accurate DB quotations DC savers can only maximise their retirement income if their scheme delivers value for money and the regulators said...

September 17, 2021
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17Sep

Canada’s third-largest pension fund beefs ups plan to cut carbon emissions

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPP), Canada’s third-largest pension fund, announced on Thursday new interim targets to cut the carbon emissions intensity of its portfolio as part of a plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. OTPP, which manages C$227.7 billion ($180.11 billion) in assets, plans to reduce emissions intensity by 45% by 2025 and 67% by 2030, from 2019 levels. Fellow pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec also has a net-zero target by 2050, but environmental campaigners...

September 17, 2021
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17Sep

Aviva : announces £320m bulk annuity deal with the John Laing Pension Fund

Aviva today announces it has completed a £320m bulk purchase annuity transaction with the John Laing Pension Fund. John Laing is an active investor and manager of infrastructure projects, focused on major transport, social and environmental infrastructure projects and renewable energy projects, across a range of international markets including the UK. This is the second buy-in transaction between Aviva and the John Laing Pension Fund. It follows a £211 million transaction in December 2008. Aviva will insure the defined benefit...

September 17, 2021
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17Sep

Should ESG Funds Be In Retirement Plans?

Investors are pouring record amounts of money into mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that screen holdings based on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. Read also Study: As a population gets older, automation accelerates Yet, odds are most people won’t find an ESG fund option in their 401(k) retirement-savings plan. Just 2.6% of 401(k) plans had an ESG option in 2019, according to the latest data from the Plan Sponsor Council of America. Read also Canada’s third-largest pension fund beefs ups plan...

September 17, 2021
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15Sep

US. The State Pension Funding Gap: Plans Have Stabilized in Wake of Pandemic

The nation’s state retirement systems finished the 2021 fiscal year in their best condition since the Great Recession of 2007-09. According to projections by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the gap between the cost of pension benefits that states have promised their workers and what they have set aside to pay for them dropped in 2021 to its lowest level in more than a decade. Pew estimates that state retirement systems are now over 80% funded for the first time...

September 15, 2021
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