March 2025

Women in Hong Kong face huge retirement income shortfall, Fidelity study shows

For nearly half the working women in Hong Kong, their main concern is insufficient income after retiring, according to one of the largest managers of the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), the city’s compulsory retirement scheme. Women in Hong Kong generally retire earlier than men at 62 and expect to incur an average monthly expense of HK$24,235 (US$3,120) in retirement, according to Fidelity International’s Asia-Pacific Investor Study released on Thursday, ahead of International Women’s Day on Saturday. The amount accounts for nearly 70 per...

February 2025

Hong Kong raises ESG disclosure standards for MPF managers

Hong Kong’s pension regulator said money managers would need to raise their disclosure standards on environment, social and governance (ESG) funds to help contributors understand their risk management and investment strategies The 12 participating fund managers, or trustees, including HSBC and Manulife, should improve the transparency levels on ESG-related reporting in their pension schemes, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) said on Monday. The trustees must clearly state ESG strategies and focus on risk management in their brochures, as well...

More Than Half of Workers in Hong Kong are Considering Changing Employers in 2025, Aon Study Reveals

Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today released results from its 2025 Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study with new insights specific to employees in Hong Kong. The global study of more than 9,000 employees across 23 geographies, including the U.S., UK, China, India and Australia, found that more than half of workers in Hong Kong are considering changing employers. The research reveals a troubling trend: almost one in five employees (17 percent) in Hong Kong feel undervalued in...

Hong Kong. HSBC warning as thousands locked out of pensions with no access to savings

HSBC is refusing to transfer £978million in pension savings belonging to thousands of Hong Kong exiles who have fled to Britain. The FTSE 100 bank is withholding funds from tens of thousands of former Hong Kong residents who sought refuge in the UK following pro-democracy protests and the introduction of national security laws. The banking giant, which has its headquarters in London but maintains significant operations in China, claims legal barriers prevent it from releasing the pension funds to those who...

December 2024

Empowering the Next Generation: Adapting Hong Kong’s Workforce for Tomorrow

As we look toward the future of work in Asia, understanding the evolving dynamics of the workforce is crucial, particularly in the Hong Kong market. Mercer’s 2024 Global Talent Trends survey reveals that generational shifts, especially the influence of Gen Z, are reshaping workplace expectations and strategies. With a strong emphasis on flexible work arrangements, well-being, and technological engagement, companies in Hong Kong must adapt to meet the needs of this emerging workforce. By fostering a work environment that aligns with...

October 2024

Hong Kong Sets AI Guidelines for Finance, Eyes Tax Break for Digital Assets

Hong Kong has unveiled its inaugural policy guidelines focused on the use of artificial intelligence in finance, alongside a potential tax incentive for digital assets, in a bid to strengthen its position as a premier business hub in Asia. According to Bloomberg, the new measures aim to create a supportive yet regulated environment for AI and digital asset investment, central to Hong Kong’s strategy to draw international investors back to its markets. On Monday, senior government officials announced a unified framework designed...

Hong Kong launches e-platform for pension scheme

The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (‘MPFA’) has commenced a major overhaul of the Hong Kong pensions system with the launch of the eMPF Platform in June 2024. The Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) is Hong Kong’s pension scheme, which involves compulsory contributions to privately managed fund plans. The eMPF Platform is a centralised electronic platform designed to streamline MPF administration for employers, employees and MPF trustees. This is the largest reform of the MPF system since its inception in December 2000. What is the eMPF Platform? The eMPF Platform is an electronic...

August 2024

Hong Kong’s pension regulator to give members bigger say in picking providers, investments

Hong Kong will undertake further reforms to the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) to enable employees to switch service providers and widen real estate investment trust (Reit) choices following the successful introduction of the eMPF Platform. The eMPF's introduction in June has improved the administrative process while supporting the switching of MPF providers, Ayesha Macpherson Lau, chairwoman of the Mandatory Provident Fund Authority (MPFA), said in a small group interview. In addition, the abolition of an offset mechanism that allowed bosses to dip into...

July 2024

Exiled pro-democracy Hong Kong activists blocked from accessing pensions

Two exiled pro-democracy Hong Kong activists have been blocked from accessing their pensions, depriving them of tens of thousands of US dollars of their savings and raising questions about the complicity of western financial institutions in the persecution of Chinese government critics. Assets, including pension savings, belonging to Ted Hui, a former pro-democracy legislator who is now based in Australia, were frozen shortly after he fled from Hong Kong in December 2020. The assets are held by HSBC, a British bank. HSBC briefly unfroze Hui’s...

Hong Kongers fleeing to Britain leave $5.1b trapped behind

Emigration has been top of mind for many residents after Hong Kong’s government in March passed Article 23, a domestic security law. For those moving to the UK, not being able to access their pension money has palpable financial impacts. “With Article 23, there will be more people trying to leave Hong Kong, more people trying to get early withdrawals to build their new lives, and more denials,” said Ms Megan Khoo, research and policy adviser at British-based activist group...