April 2021
01Apr

Europe’s New ESG Rules Create an Opportunity for US Investors

By Hari Bhambra American asset managers with little connection to Europe might dismiss the European Union (EU)’s new sustainable finance regulations as irrelevant to their business. They would be mistaken to do so, however. The regulations will have a tremendous impact on asset managers and firms operating outside the bloc. The EU might be the first to move on sustainable finance regulations, but its objectives are a harbinger of things to come around the globe. To stay competitive in today’s borderless financial...

April 1, 2021
News, OP Ed, Slider, , , ,
Read more...
01Apr

Mercer commits to net zero by 2050 in UK, Europe and Asia

Mercer has targeted net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for UK, European and Asian clients with discretionary portfolios and the majority of its multi-client, multi asset funds domiciled in Ireland. The company said this represented a combined total of £31.5bn in assets under management as of 31 December 2020, adding that it would seek to achieve its net-zero goal by reducing portfolio relative carbon emissions by at least 45 per cent from 2019 baseline levels by 2030. Following the creation of a...

April 1, 2021
News, Slider, , , , ,
Read more...
01Apr

Ireland. Pensions complaints process needs more teeth

Have a complaint about an investment? You can bring it to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) and potentially benefit from compensation of up to €500,000. Have such concerns about a pension, however, and you can bring it to the same office, but don’t expect a windfall, even if you should be due one. Yes, it’s a curious state of affairs that the FSPO has greater oversight to award compensation against a wide range of financial services providers, including...

April 1, 2021
News, Slider, ,
Read more...

March 2021
31Mar

World’s Top Pension Fund Faces Moment of Truth on China Debt

The world’s largest pension pot will soon have to choose between political sensitivities and cold hard returns. With FTSE Russell set to proceed with a plan to add Chinese debt to its benchmark global bond index from October, Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund will now have to decide whether to put its money into China’s sovereign debt, or risk lower returns elsewhere. Read also Thailand plans new retirement plan to support its aging population Investing Japanese pension money in Chinese government debt...

March 31, 2021
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
31Mar

Thailand plans new retirement plan to support its aging population

Thailand aims to create a new retirement program to support an aging population that will add about 1 million new retirees annually starting in 2023. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha wants to ensure that Thais can receive income upon retirement, government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said Tuesday, after the cabinet approved in principle a new national retirement plan. The program will be mandatory for all employees who aren't participating in other retirement plans, she said. Read also South African retirement fund guidelines are...

March 31, 2021
News, Slider, , , ,
Read more...
31Mar

New Zealand. How KiwiSaver could be used to supercharge innovation

KiwiSaver has grown tremendously since it launched in 2007, but it is pretty vanilla. Most investments are lazily thrown into listed stocks and bonds – the scheme is designed that way. We could be using some of this money to invest in such alternatives as startups, scaling successful businesses to go international, and infrastructure that we need, as is done routinely internationally. KiwiSaver is big enough and old enough to ask how we can unleash the power of capital towards the...

March 31, 2021
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
31Mar

Guyana. IDB study calls for overhaul of pension system

With Guyana’s pensionable cohort projected to reach 20% of the total population size by 2050, a complete overhaul of its pension system is being recommended by a recent Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Study. “The financial sustainability of the pension scheme is at risk, and… without any major reform the increasing pension expenses…will erode the government’s ability to provide other relevant services to the population,” the study stressed, while warning that the window of opportunity for reform is closing rapidly as...

March 31, 2021
News, Slider, ,
Read more...
30Mar

Canada’s Largest Federal Pension Plan Divests From US Private Prisons

Government pension plans provide a sense of security to millions of workers globally — allowing workers to sleep more soundly knowing they will have money to support themselves and their families. But most pensioners have no idea where their money is actually being invested. Imagine the horror of discovering that your family’s security is actually being attained by separating someone else’s family. This is precisely what just happened in Canada as pensioners discovered their money was being invested in private...

March 30, 2021
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
27Mar

Retirees who pay the most in taxes make only $36,000 a year on average, study finds

Retirees who have the most money pay the most in taxes, according to a recent working paper, but they’re not necessarily rich. “Most of the tax burden is carried by the top quintile of households,” Anqi Chen, co-author and assistant director of savings research at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, told Yahoo Money. But “it's important to keep in mind that when we think about the top quintile of households — the top 20% — they're not...

March 27, 2021
News, Slider, , , ,
Read more...
26Mar

Chile begins debate on third pension withdrawal amid second wave of the pandemic

The Constitution Committee of the Chamber of Deputies will analyze five legislative initiatives, opposed by the Government and presented by parliamentarians and pro-government members, and will decide whether to merge them into a single one, since they have similar characteristics. Read also Colombia govt presents capital markets bill The approval of a third withdrawal is almost assured, although it has generated much debate in recent months and the Government has threatened to appeal it in courts, under the premise that close...

March 26, 2021
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...