January 2020

Occupational pension system enforced in Romania as of February

The Law on Occupational Pensions will enter into force in Romania on February 7, Adevarul daily announced. The provisions of Law 1/2020 indicate how much money the employers and employees can contribute to such funds (Pillar IV) on a monthly basis, the daily commented. Specifically, Law 1/2020 stipulates that the employer decides whether or not to propose to the employee an occupational pension scheme. This has to be included in the employment contract. Then, the employer will sign a...

US. The Secure Act is exposing the ugly truth about people’s hatred of paying taxes

We want a society where we have safe roads, low crime, good public schools and, for times when people fall short financially, a safety net. Our taxes support Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, which we know have kept millions of seniors out of poverty. Fifty-seven percent of retirees say Social Security is their major source of income, according to a 2019 Gallup poll. But the ugly truth about taxes is that many people hate giving up income to provide...

Canada. Fusion Pharmaceuticals Announces Investment from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB)

Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals, today announced an investment commitment of up to US$20 million from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). CPPIB joins Fusion’s existing group of top-tier investors adding to the US$105 million Series B announced in April 2019. The financing will primarily be used to expand the use of the Company’s Fast-Clear™ Linker Technology platform by investing in new partnerships and targeting molecules to create novel targeted alpha therapeutics, and...

Nigerian Governors should publish payment details of their pensions since 1999, SERAP ask court

Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court, Abuja to order the 36 state governors in Nigeria to “publish details and breakdown of payment of pensions to each of the former governors and other ex-officials, and the names and number of ex-governors and other officials receiving pensions under their respective State pension laws between 1999 and 2019.” Read Also Nigeria’s pension industry squeezed as risk outlook for banks worsens In the suit filed...

UK. Thousands of savers failing to report pension tax breaches

Thousands of savers are failing to report annual allowance breaches on their tax returns which leaves them at risk of missing out on tax relief or facing high tax bills, according to Royal London. Last year HM Revenue & Customs said it was aware some people had not reported breaching the annual allowance, which is currently £40,000. It warned that people who have used scheme pays, whereby their pension scheme pays the tax charge from their pension, must still...

France. French transport strike drags on despite government compromise on pensions

A crippling French transport strike dragged into its 39th day on Sunday despite the government’s offer to withdraw the most contested measure of the pension reform plans that sparked the protest. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Saturday he would drop plans to increase the official retirement age to 64 from 62 in an effort to end a strike which has paralyzed Paris and its suburbs, with bus, train and metro services all badly disrupted. “I am willing to withdraw...

Macron Scraps Proposal to Raise Retirement Age in France

Faced with an unrelenting protest over proposed changes in France’s generous pension system, officials withdraw a move to raise the full-benefit retirement age to 64 from the present 62. Read Also France. French transport strike drags on despite government compromise on pensions With tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators once again coursing through the streets of Paris and other cities and clouds of tear gas and smashed store windows punctuating the urban landscape, the French government made a major concession on...

ESG future-proofing can help to defy market risks

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (Eiopa) found in its most recent stress tests of European pension funds that sustainable investments would help them to withstand an adverse scenario. The 2019 occupational pensions stress test assessed the resilience of the European pension sector to identify areas of weakness and discuss possible preventive measures. Eiopa is part of the European System of Financial Supervision and supports the stability of the financial system, the transparency of markets and financial products...

Beyond green ambitions

By Liam Kennedy Europe has lofty ambitions as it positions the European Green Deal as Europe’s growth plan for the coming decade and beyond. There is much to do to promote sustainability in Europe and the EU can undoubtedly blaze a trail. But the incoming Commission will also need to maintain its focus on the Capital Markets Union (CMU), the flagship economic policy of the previous Commission. One element of the CMU as announced in 2014 was indeed to foster...

Athene Closes $6 Billion in Pension Risk Transfer Transactions During 2019

Athene Holding Ltd. ("Athene") (NYSE: ATH), a leading retirement services company, announced it has reached approximately $6.0 billion in total pension risk transfer (PRT) transactions for 2019, which includes approximately $800 million from a recently completed funded reinsurance transaction with a leading U.K. insurance company. Under the terms of Athene’s inaugural transaction in the U.K. market, which closed December 19, 2019, the Company will reinsure a block of pension benefit liabilities through its wholly owned subsidiary Athene Life Re...