April 2021

China’s Coming Pro-Natalist Campaign

Birth rates in China are crashing. Last year, they fell to the lowest level since Mao Zedong founded the modern Chinese state in 1949. This poses immense long-term challenges for everything from pensions to labor markets. Beijing’s leaders realize this. This is why China’s notorious “one-child policy” was loosened nationwide to a two-child one back in 2015. Read also Asia Is Increasing Its ESG Asset Appetite But the next step will be far more dramatic. After decades of attempting to limit births,...

Chile. Comisión de Constitución aprueba en general el tercer retiro de los fondos de AFP

Con bastante puntualidad se inició la sesión de la comisión de Comisión del Senado, que este lunes revisó hasta total despacho el proyecto de reforma a la Constitución que permite un tercer retiro desde las cuentas de capitalización individual. Leer también Chile. Gobierno ya presentó requerimiento al Tribunal Constitucional contra el tercer retiro A la instancia fueron invitados los Ministros de Hacienda, Rodrigo Cerda; de la Secretaría General de la Presidencia, Juan José Ossa y del Trabajo y Previsión Social, Patricio...

UK. Industry tightens up on pension scams as losses hit £10bn

Pension schemes face tougher due diligence requirements on transfer requests as new figures show the amount lost to pension scams and fraud has hit £10 billion five years after the introduction of the pension freedoms. Regulators, courts and The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) have all made significant statements in recent months which cover both the fall-out from previous scams and the prevention of future scams. In its recent report, the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee called on the government...

US. DOL Issues Cybersecurity Best Practices for Retirement Plans

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) on April 14 issued much-anticipated cybersecurity guidance for employee retirement plans. The essence of the guidance is that responsible plan fiduciaries have an obligation to ensure proper mitigation of cybersecurity risks. Read also Comfortable retirement still on track for most Americans despite pandemic – survey EBSA set out in the following materials on its website, although the "Online Security Tips" are directed more to plan participants than plan fiduciaries: Read also The...

A Fintech Revolution: How The Pandemic Accelerated The Adoption Of Digital Solutions

I don't know about you, but I haven't used the cash in my wallet since the onset of the lockdowns in March 2020. And I don't miss it at all. I've found that the digital financial life is fast, safe and provides easy ways to track. Digital, mobile and social channels are an indispensable part of everyday life. This was true before the pandemic but is even more definitive now. Economic lockdowns, social distancing and remote work have all contributed...

Chile. Piñera sube el tono por pensiones y confirma que irá al TC para frenar el tercer retiro de AFP

El Presidente de la República, Sebastián Piñera, confirmó esta mañana que como gobierno acudirán al Tribunal Constitucional (TC) para impugnar el tercer retiro de fondos desde las AFP que aprobó la Cámara de Diputados, argumentando que se busca respetar la Constitución y el Estado de Derecho vigente. "El Presidente, los ministros y los parlamentarios cuando asumen los cargos, juran o prometen respetar y hacer respetar la Constitución", afirmó. Sin entregar la fecha específica para acudir al organismo para frenar el retiro, el...

México. Retiros por desempleo en afores reflejan lenta recuperación de la economía

Los retiros por desempleo que registraron las Administradoras de fondos para el retiro (Afore) en el primer trimestre del año auguran una lenta recuperación de la economía mexicana , así como de la creación de empleos. De acuerdo con datos de la Comisión Nacional del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (Consar), las afores registraron un total de 452,605 retiros por desempleo, lo que significó una salida de 5,098.7 millones de pesos. Esta cantidad es el monto más alto que se...

Asia Is Increasing Its ESG Asset Appetite

Sustainability funds explode onto the global financial scene, and the momentum is not stopping anytime soon. JPMorgan’s head of environmental, social, and governance research Elaine Wu pointed out that sustainability funds doubled in 2020, and the market segment could double again in Asia, CNBC reports. Read also Fintech but make it eco-friendly. “We’ve seen the amount of asset under management dedicated to ESG investing double in the last year,” Wu told CNBC. “We expect that to double again, in Asia, for the coming...

Vanguard launches price war in UK pensions market

Vanguard has launched its financial advice service in the UK, charging an 'all-inclusive' ongoing fee of 0.79 per cent. The headline cost will incorporate annual platform charges of 0.15 per cent, ongoing fund charges of 0.12 per cent, transaction costs and an advice fee of 0.5 per cent. Vanguard said it would not charge an initial, or any other, fee. The service will be targeted at clients with assets of £50,000 or more. The company is to focus on providing restricted advice...

Fintech but make it eco-friendly.

Green finance has long been becoming more and more popular as the race to save our planet is increasingly important. For years now we’ve heard about how we all need to do our bit to slow the rapid pace of global warming and it seems like the message has taken a hold of the fintech world. There’s a growing trend among firms in the sector to operate in a more eco-conscious manner, from planting trees to offering fossil-fuel-free investment options, the...