May 2021

Population and Labor Dynamics in Large Informal Markets: Implications for Pension Systems with Evidence from Ecuador

By Margarita Velín-Fárez This paper reviews Ecuador’s population structure and labor market dynamics with a focus on the causes of inequality, particularly among older adults receiving contributory pensions. This serves as a basis for characterizing the main restrictions that the Ecuadorian pension system must address. This analysis is valuable for three key reasons. First, the population structure of many less developed countries is converging toward that of developed countries, with older age groups increasing in proportion. Second, Ecuador is among...

UK pension asset owners join Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance

Three UK pension asset owners have signed up to the UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance. As reported by our sister publication, European Pensions, Phoenix Group, Legal & General (L&G) and Rothesay all joined alongside Germany’s largest pension fund under public law, Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK), and Asia- and Africa-focused insurance group, Prudential plc. The five new signatories have added a combined USD 900bn AUM to the alliance, meaning it now consists of 42 assets owners managing a combined USD 6.6trn of assets. By...

US. Market Rebound Spurs Record 33.55% Return for NY State Pension Fund

The New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYSCRF) reported a 33.55% investment return for the fiscal year ending March 31, the largest one-year investment return in the fund’s history. It easily beat its long-term expected rate of return of 6.8%. Read also US. New York City Pensions to Fund $250 Million Apartment Venture The performance, which reflected the financial markets’ rebound from last year’s market crash after the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, raised the fund’s asset value to an estimated $254.8...

Africa’s Biggest Fund Manager Loses Head of Impact Investing

Roy Rajdhar, the executive head of impact investing at Africa’s biggest fund manager, has quit. Rajdhar’s departure comes after South Africa’s Public Investment Corp. told staff on May 6 that his 14-month suspension had been lifted. Rajdhar on Thursday confirmed his departure, but declined to comment further. The executive’s exit comes after employees of the Isibaya Fund, which includes the department Rajdhar ran, accused some of the money manager’s senior leaders of causing an “existential crisis” by allowing a mandate with...

Perú inicia el tercer retiro de las AFP y futuro para las compañías luce incierto poselecciones

Desde esta semana en Perú se puede solicitar el tercer retiro de los fondos en las AFP, empatando así a Chile, donde también se ha acudido tres veces a los fondos previsionales para dar respuesta a la crisis económica que ha desatado el Covid-19. Leer también Análisis comparativo de la rentabilidad y liquidez en las administradoras de fondos de pensiones, Perú Las otras dos normativas ya han dejado huellas importantes en el Sistema Privado de Pensiones (SPP). Según los últimos datos...

México. Pese a crisis, los retiros de Afore no han alcanzado niveles tan altos como en otros países de América Latina

Pese a la crisis económica, a diferencia de otras naciones de América Latina, en México no se registró el retiro masivo del ahorro para el retiro de los trabajadores, indicó Juan Haro, director de fondos de inversión de Fitch. Según datos de la Consar, durante la pandemia casi 2 millones de trabajadores que se quedaron sin empleo han retirado recursos por un total de 21 mil 700 millones de pesos, aproximadamente mil millones de dólares Los retiros por desempleo en México...

Canada’s top pension funds boost investments in high-carbon oil sands

Canada's biggest pension managers boosted their investments in the country's major oil sands companies in the first quarter of 2021, raising questions about the funds' recent commitments to greening their portfolios. Read also Pension-Fund Investment in Forestry The cumulative investment by the country's top five pension funds into the U.S.-listed shares of Canada's top four oil sands producers jumped to $2.4 billion in the first quarter of 2021, up 147% from a year ago, a Reuters analysis of U.S. 13-F filings...

UK. Covid fails to inject interest in pensions

The pandemic has failed to spark interest in pensions according to a survey from Canada Life. It reveals that 67% of UK adults have not logged into their pension online in a year. This figure rises to 78% for those aged over 55 while 56% of adults said they haven’t received a pension statement that they read. The research also shows that 16% of those who have not logged into their pension were not interested in doing this. Fifteen percent admitted they did...

India. Demise of govt employees covered under NPS

Central Government employees covered under National Pension System have been given the option under rule 10 of CCS (Implementation of NPS) Rules, 2021, to choose benefits either from old pension schemes or accumulated pension corpus under NPS in the event of their death. The family of a deceased government employee cannot exercise this option. Read also Africa’s Biggest Fund Manager Loses Head of Impact Investing In case, the employees could not furnish the option in this regard, there is a default...

How Regulators Use Sex-Disaggregated Data and RegTech to Enhance Financial Inclusion

By Toronto Centre Financial inclusion of women brings disproportionate benefits to their families and to economic development, yet in many countries an access-to-finance gender gap remains. Sex-disaggregated data (SDD) is key to monitoring and addressing this problem. This study examines the role that financial services regulators can play in efforts to address financial inclusion of women: how they are using, or could use, SDD to enhance women’s access to and use of financial products and services of the right quality that...