February 2020

10Feb

Asian pension markets post nearly 12% jump in assets under management

Asia-Pacific’s seven top pension markets – Japan, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and India – saw their assets under management climb by 11.6 per cent in 2019, according to Thinking Ahead Institute’s Global Pension Assets Study released Monday. Also Read Asia Hedge Funds Brace for Lean Times as Investors Stay Away Japan is the largest of Asia’s pension markets, followed by Australia, with both countries in the top seven pension markets globally, the study said. “Asia Pacific...

February 10, 2020
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07Feb

Coronavirus fallout hits pensions and ISAs as investors urged not to flinch

The first day back to work after a long holiday is always a bit grating. But for those logging in at the Chinese stock market for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak, all bets were off. Read also Super funds push for lower pension age for Indigenous Australians The rest of the world’s markets have been riding the waves of coronavirus-induced volatility for weeks now as the infection spreads, while the epicenter remained economically silent. Read also Pension inequality:...

February 7, 2020
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07Feb

World’s Largest Pension Fund Gains on Stocks, Foreign Debt

The world’s biggest pension fund posted a gain for a fourth consecutive quarter, with foreign stocks providing the best return among assets amid a thaw in trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund returned 4.6%, or 7.4 trillion yen ($67 billion), in the quarter ended Dec. 31, with assets totaling 168.9 trillion yen, it said Friday in Tokyo. Foreign stocks were the fund’s best performing investment, gaining 9.7%, while domestic equities added 8.6%. The...

February 7, 2020
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07Feb

CDPQ Goes Local for Private Credit in India

Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which manages funds primarily for Canadian public and parapublic pension and insurance plans, has formed a partnership with Piramal Asset Management Private Limited to invest in illiquid credit opportunities in India. The two organizations will invest US$300 million, with 75 percent of the money coming from CDPQ and the remainder from Piramal. CDPQ oversees C$326.7 billion (US$246 billion) in net assets. CDPQ’s partnership with Piramal, an India-based manager that is part...

February 7, 2020
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01Feb

Reforming Pensions in Developing and Transition Countries (Social Policy in a Development Context)

By K. Hujo This book moves beyond technical studies of pension systems by addressing the political economy of pension reform in different contexts. It provides insights into key issues related to pension policy and its developmental implications, drawing on selected country studies in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. Get the book here

February 1, 2020
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January 2020

29Jan

Japan. Wanted: rational pension reform

The government is required by law to examine the long-term financial health of Japan’s public pension system every five years. In the latest review released last August, it was confirmed that in most of the scenarios considered, the income substitution rate — the ratio of pension payouts to the after-tax income of the working generation — will be maintained at 50 percent or more. Read also The 7 biggest fintech trends to watch in 2020 This means that retirees will...

January 29, 2020
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24Jan

Health Inequality Among Chinese Older Adults: The Role of Childhood Circumstances

By Binjian Yan, Xi Chen, Thomas M. Gill This paper examines the extent to which childhood circumstances contribute to health inequality in old age and how the contributions may vary across key dimensions of health. We link the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2013 and 2015 with its Life History Survey in 2014 to quantify health inequality due to childhood circumstances for which they have little control. We evaluate comprehensive dimensions of health ranging from cognitive...

January 24, 2020
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17Jan

Japan supports IDB’s social projects in Caribbean

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says it has partnered with Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) in promoting and developing “socially responsible capital markets” through investments in IDB social bonds focused on education-youth-employment (EYE) in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Washington-based financial institution on Wednesday said that its social (EYE) bonds “foster human capital development from the classroom to the workplace”. “The funds raised through them will finance projects in Latin America and the Caribbean that promote effective...

January 17, 2020
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16Jan

China’s social insurance system remains stable

China's social insurance system remained stable in 2019, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. By the end of 2019, a total of 967 million people were covered by basic old-age insurance, about 205 million were enrolled in unemployment insurance, and around 255 million people held work-related injury insurance. The gross revenue of the three social insurance funds totaled 5.82 trillion yuan (about 844 billion U.S. dollars), and the total expenditures hit 5.41 trillion yuan in...

January 16, 2020
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15Jan

United Arab Emirates: The Introduction Of The DIFC Employee Workplace Savings Plan And Other Qualifying Schemes

the DIFC Authority is replacing the existing arrangement of statutory end of service gratuity, payable on termination of employment, with a defined contribution savings scheme, in which contributions are made monthly into a scheme (the Qualifying Scheme). The Qualifying Scheme which is being supported by the DIFC Authority is the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings plan (DEWS). However, employers may choose to use a Qualifying Alternative Scheme (QAS). The laws implementing the new arrangements, through amendments to DIFC Law No....

January 15, 2020
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