Investment Archives - Pension Policy International

04MarMarch 4, 2026

UK. Government urged to withdraw mandation from Pensions Bill

Pensions UK is calling on the Government to withdraw the power that would allow it to direct how pension schemes invest UK workers’ retirement savings from the Pension Schemes Bill. As drafted, the reserve power extends significantly beyond the Government’s stated intention of supporting the Mansion House Accord, a voluntary commitment by 17 of the largest workplace pension providers to invest at least 10% of their defined contribution (DC) default funds in private markets by 2030, with 5% of the...

March 4, 2026

NewsInvestment, Regulation, UK

03MarMarch 3, 2026

Markets Brief: For Iran War Impact on Oil and Other Markets, Longevity and Strait of Hormuz Are Key

With the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, and Iran’s retaliatory strikes, investors are once again having to navigate a wave of geopolitical uncertainty. Beyond the human toll of the war, for now all eyes in the markets are on oil prices, and more specifically on the Strait of Hormuz. “The main transmission channel of the Iran crisis to the global economy and macro markets is its impact on energy markets, with the combination of severity and expected...

March 3, 2026

NewsInvestment

02MarMarch 2, 2026

Japan public pensions let domestic bond holdings slide as yields rise

Organizations managing public pension funds in Japan are keeping a smaller share of their assets in Japanese bonds, steering clear of buying in a trend that could add to the upward pressure on yields. The Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations had 19% of its holdings in domestic bonds at the end of 2025, well below its standard allocation of 25%. The organization has around 12 trillion yen ($76.8 billion) in assets under management. Similar, albeit smaller, declines...

March 2, 2026

NewsInvestment, Japan, Pension Management

02MarMarch 2, 2026

US. Indiana prepares to put bitcoin in its public retirement plans

Indiana lawmakers approved a bill allowing public retirement and savings plans to invest in digital assets and spot crypto ETFs, with Gov. Mike Braun expected to sign it soon. The move places Indiana among at least 21 states that are investing in or evaluating bitcoin and other digital assets for public funds, in line with the President of the US push to expand crypto holdings in the country. In a separate measure, Indiana legislators voted to ban crypto ATMs statewide after...

March 2, 2026

NewsCryptocurrencies, Investment, US

27FebFebruary 27, 2026

Japan public pensions let domestic bond holdings slide as yields rise

Organizations managing public pension funds in Japan are keeping a smaller share of their assets in Japanese bonds, steering clear of buying in a trend that could add to the upward pressure on yields. The Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Aid Associations had 19% of its holdings in domestic bonds at the end of 2025, well below its standard allocation of 25%. The organization has around 12 trillion yen ($76.8 billion) in assets under management. Similar, albeit smaller, declines...

February 27, 2026

NewsInvestment, Japan

26FebFebruary 26, 2026

Pension funds moving to scenario-driven and dynamic portfolio construction approach

Pension funds are adapting their portfolio construction approaches as uncertainty becomes more structural, return dispersion widens, and traditional anchors for asset allocation weaken, according to a report from BlackRock. Its 2026 Institutional Investment Direction report, which analysed pension schemes in the UK, US, and Euro area, highlighted a move away from relying on a single base case and towards a more scenario-driven and dynamic approach to portfolio construction. Pension investors were rethinking what they invest in and how portfolios are implemented as outcomes...

February 26, 2026

NewsInvestment, Pension Management

20FebFebruary 20, 2026

Are my pensions or investments at risk from an AI bubble?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been the story driving global markets for the past couple of years. From chipmakers to cloud computing giants, companies associated with AI have driven stock markets to record highs. But alongside the excitement, warnings are growing louder. With several of the so-called Magnificent 7 (Mag 7) seeing declines in recent months, investors are becoming increasingly nervous that the AI bubble is about to burst. If this happens, will it be bad news for your pension or investment portfolio? What...

February 20, 2026

NewsAI, Investment, UK

20FebFebruary 20, 2026

UK. High-risk DC pension funds failing to match FTSE 100 over five years

Almost nine in 10 (89 per cent) medium-high- and high-risk defined contribution (DC) pension funds have failed to match the FTSE 100's performance over the past five years, according to research from Investing Insiders. The analysis reviewed 12,983 funds available to UK savers between 31 December 2020 and 31 December 2025, collectively holding more than £1trn in assets. Of the 7,370 funds in the medium-high and high risk categories, 6,540 - or 89 per cent - underperformed the FTSE 100 over...

February 20, 2026

NewsInvestment, savings, UK

19FebFebruary 19, 2026

South Korean National Pension Service Crypto Holdings Plunge 28% in Q4 2025 Amid Market Turmoil

The National Pension Service of South Korea, the world’s third-largest pension fund, reported a significant 28% decline in its cryptocurrency-related stock portfolio during the fourth quarter of 2025. This substantial decrease marks the first downward movement for the fund’s digital asset investments since mid-2023, reflecting broader market turbulence that began in October. Consequently, the value of these holdings dropped from approximately 880 billion won to 640 billion won ($437.86 million), according to recent regulatory filings. South Korean National Pension Service...

February 19, 2026

NewsCrypto, Investment, Pension Management, South Korea

17FebFebruary 17, 2026

EU looks to pensions and capital markets to unlock private funding for defence and tech

EU finance ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, are again returning to an old problem with new urgency: how to persuade Europeans to move more of their household savings out of bank deposits and into longer-term investment, and how to do so across borders in a fragmented financial system. The discussion sits under the European Commission’s “Savings and Investments Union” (SIU) banner, which is presented as the successor framework to the long-running Capital Markets Union project. In...

February 17, 2026

NewsEU, Investment

March 2026

February 2026