June 2026
03Jun

Pensions UK backs action on adequacy as retirement living costs increase

The latest Retirement Living Standards (RLS) update from Pensions UK has highlighted the scale of the retirement savings challenge facing UK workers, as the Pensions Commission considers whether minimum automatic enrolment contribution rates should rise in future. The annual standards, calculated by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, show that a minimum retirement lifestyle now costs £13,900 (€16,000) a year for a single-person household and £22,500 for a two-person household. A ‘moderate’ lifestyle costs £32,700 and...

June 3, 2026
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May 2026
21May

Why millions of Britons face a pension cliff edge

In today’s newsletter: A new report warns that many in the UK are under-saving for later life, leaving some with little choice but to work longer. Good morning. I am going to whisper this gently so you don’t get spooked back under the duvet – there is a good chance that you are one of at least 15 million Britons not saving adequately for retirement. That is according to a report published this week by the Pensions Commission. The pensions “cliff edge” is...

May 21, 2026
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20May

UK. Asking people to save 12% of salary into pensions could tackle looming retirement poverty crisis

Poverty in retirement could be drastically reduced if minimum work pension contributions were boosted, a new report finds. Some 12.2 million people or nearly a third of adults face hardship in later life on current forecasts. That is the number of people heading for an income of less than the Pensions UK benchmark for a basic standard of living - £13,400 if you are single or £21,600 for a couple. The figures do not account for income tax, housing or care costs. However,...

May 20, 2026
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20May

Europe’s wage and pension gaps reveal deep east-west divide

Who earns most?: Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Iceland top average wage rankings, while Eastern and Southern nations remain at the lower end. Pensions vs. costs: In 20 of 39 European countries, pensions fail to cover living costs, with the worst gaps in Georgia, Albania, and Ukraine. Minimum wage spread: Luxembourg, Ireland, and Germany lead nominal minimum wages, but purchasing power narrows the gap between east and west. OECD’s 2026 wage report shows stark disparities The OECD’s 2026 data reveals average gross wages ranging from €18,590 in Turkey...

May 20, 2026
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04May

Hundreds of thousands of Germans take to the streets over threat of pension and benefit cuts

In Germany, 366,000 people took part in protests against social benefit cuts. Trade unions are opposing reductions in pensions and healthcare spending. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for May Day demonstrations in Germany. Participants of the rallies warned the government that they are ready to fight against cuts to pensions, social benefits, and the healthcare system, UNN reports, citing DW. "Our work first, your profit second" — under this slogan, more than 400 events were held across Germany, according...

May 4, 2026
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April 2026
20Apr

Croatians protest seeking higher wages, pensions

Thousands of Croatians protested on April 18 in the capital Zagreb to demand higher salaries and pensions amid rising inflation in the EU nation in recent months. The protest dubbed "Croatia Together for Higher Wages and Pensions" was held as the country in March registered inflation of 4.89 percent, the highest in the euro-zone. Carrying banners saying "Stop the tax of poverty" and "If everything got more expensive, why didn't our salaries?", protesters marched through downtown Zagreb before gathering at the main Jelacic square. The rally was...

April 20, 2026
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20Apr

Germany. Lufthansa resumes flights

The German airline “Lufthansa“ (Lufthansa) announced that flights were resumed as scheduled today after a series of strikes during the week, BTA reported. “Everything resumed as planned“, a spokeswoman told DPA after thousands of flights were canceled. Around 650 flights were canceled at Frankfurt Airport, Germany's main aviation hub, on Friday alone, and more than 400 at Munich Airport. Together with the cabin crew union “Ufo“ (Ufo), the pilots' union “Vereinigung Cockpit“ (VC) suspended operations “Lufthansa“, “Lufthansa Cargo“ and “Cityline“ for five...

April 20, 2026
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10Apr

Police fire tear gas at Venezuela protesters as workers demand higher pay

Police fired tear gas at protesters in Caracas on Thursday, as workers marched to demand higher wages and better pensions. Demonstrators, reported to number around 2,000, attempted to reach the presidential palace but were blocked by officers in riot gear. Videos shared on social media show police in helmets and shields scuffling with protesters as clashes broke out along the route. The protest is the latest in a series of anti-government demonstrations that have occurred since the U.S. removed longtime leader...

April 10, 2026
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01Apr

Iran war may increase mortgage payments for extra 1.3m households, says Bank of England

The US-Israel war on Iran could end up increasing monthly mortgage payments for more than one million more UK households, the Bank of England has predicted, adding that the conflict had dealt “a substantial negative supply shock” to the world economy. Financial market jitters over the conflict in the Middle East have resulted in banks pulling about 1,500 mortgage products, with many banks raising interest rates on their remaining 7,000 home loan products in recent weeks, the Bank’s financial policy committee (FPC) said. The increases,...

April 1, 2026
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01Apr

UK. Why younger retirees are earning more from their pensions

Data on pensioner incomes were published last week, and it made for interesting reading. Pensioner incomes have remained stable over recent years, with average income after housing costs hitting £455 per week. However, looking a bit deeper there’s some interesting trends to pick out. Female pensioners continue to have lower pension incomes than men; single pensioner households get by on less than half of their coupled-up counterparts, and younger pensioner households have higher incomes than older ones. There’s also interesting data...

April 1, 2026
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