August 2026

UK. Reform’s new economic adviser has called for end of pensioners’ triple lock

Reform UK’s new economic adviser has previously called the pensions triple lock unsustainable, advocated privatising the NHS and welcomed migration as a poverty alleviation tool, the Guardian can reveal. Robert Jenrick, Reform’s economic spokesperson, has appointed Mitchell Palmer, a rightwing economist at the free-market Adam Smith Institute, as one of his key aides. Palmer’s background is as a champion of economic liberalism, in many cases putting him to the right of Reform’s existing policy platform. His appointment comes amid tensions within...

Japan’s inflation paradox is creating winners and losers. Pensioners are the second

In the coastal city of Murakami, the 72-year-old widow relies on a monthly pension of ¥110,000 ($671). In April kerosene costs alone ate up more than a third of her budget, because of the Iran war. “When I don’t have money, I just have to put up with it because I have no other choice,” she says. With many senior citizens facing a similar situation in her community, Murakami passed a petition in December, urging Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to...

June 2026

South Africa. Has the retirement industry underestimated inflation risk?

The South African Reserve Bank's higher-for-longer interest rate outlook and revised inflation expectations have sharpened a critical challenge for retirement savers and funds: generating real returns is becoming more difficult, annuity pricing and liability assumptions may need recalibration, and portfolios designed for a low-inflation environment could struggle to deliver the outcomes members expect. For years, trustee agendas have been dominated by corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and investment performance. But as the macroeconomic landscape shifts, it’s becoming clear that parts of the industry...

New Zealand. Pensioners facing $100 a week rent rise

Pensioners could face rent hikes of almost $100 per week under an Ashburton District Council proposal. The council currently charges 55% of the market rate for some of its 102 elderly persons housing units, but is looking at increasing it to an 80% minimum. This would mean rent increases from $4 to $96, depending on whether the residents could access Government accommodation support. The elderly person housing units are situated in six complexes spread throughout Ashburton, Methven, and Rakaia in Canterbury. In 2021,...

May 2026

US. Aging in place comes with major financial hurdles

More than 75% of older Americans say they want to “age in place,” or live in their home for as long as possible. Sounds reasonable. But 40% have doubts about whether that's possible, according to a survey by AARP. For many, financial constraints will force them to downsize, relocate to a less expensive city or state or move in with family or into an independent retirement or assisted living community. Money issues such as the cost of age-proofing a home, the...

US. Inflation is at a 3-year high. This is the ‘triple threat’ that retirees now face because of it

Plus, here’s how retirees can smartly deal with the secondary impacts of inflation. For retirees, inflation can hit especially hard thanks to three factors that interact with these rising costs: increased withdrawals, taxes and how those parlay into depleting savings, says Jay Sharifi, CEO of Legacy Wealth Management. Indeed, inflation can trigger a chain reaction, as it can necessitate larger withdrawals so retirees can afford their life. Those withdrawals then inadvertently create larger tax bills — and that may in...

March 2026

Pensions get selective as geopolitical risk, energy shocks hits global markets

As geopolitical turmoil continues to shape markets, pension investors are being forced to adjust their portfolio playbook accordingly. But David Kletz, lead portfolio manager at Forstrong Global Asset Management, warns that complacency remains a dangerous undercurrent across institutional portfolios. He sees a disconnect between the scale of geopolitical turmoil and how markets are responding to it. And despite significant moves in asset prices, global equity markets have not priced in the possibility that current conflicts could escalate further "I think there's...

February 2026

India. Report shows retirement plans can face inflation and longevity risks: How to prepare

A new analysis by OmniScience Insights Labs shows that traditional retirement strategies in India may fall short in sustaining income over long retirements. The report highlights how structural design, rather than corpus size alone, determines whether retirees can maintain their lifestyle amid rising costs and market volatility. Inflation risk: Even stable nominal income erodes purchasing power over decades. For example, ₹1 lakh monthly expenses today could rise to nearly ₹1.8 lakh in 10 years at a 6% inflation...

Liability-Driven Portfolio Choice for Pension Funds under Regime-Switching Inflation

By Myung Jun Kim, Hyeontae Jo & Bong-Gyu Jang This paper studies optimal portfolio choice for a pension fund with inflation-linked liabilities under regime-switching market dynamics. We consider a fund manager who invests in stocks, inflation-indexed bonds (IIBs), and a risk-free asset to maximize expected utility of the terminal funding ratio, subject to a Value-at-Risk (VaR) constraint. Asset returns and inflation expectations follow a two-state Markov chain representing high and low inflation regimes. The main methodological challenge is solving the...

October 2025

UK. Savers back pension reforms despite cost-of-living strains

Despite the cost-of-living strain, most savers are continuing to save into their pension, research from Pensions UK has found, with 4 per cent of savers having reduced pension contributions. The research showed that many are struggling, as 44 per cent of people say their financial situation is worse than 12 months ago, up from 34 per cent in 2024. As a result, many are cutting back on everyday spending, including eating out (39 per cent), takeaways (35 per cent), holidays (32...