July 2021
16Jul

UK. Pension tax change proposals branded ‘tragic’ and ‘crazy’

On the go: Rumours that the Treasury is planning to raid pensions have been branded “tragic” and “crazy” by speakers at a Hymans Robertson webinar, who warned that any reforms harming incentives to save could undo the work put in to boost retirement standards. Pensions Expert reported in June on the rumours that Treasury officials have drawn up a list of three reforms to the way pension contributions are taxed, with the aim being to find the money to pay...

July 16, 2021
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16Jul

How geopolitics impact global public investors

In the world of institutional investing, geopolitical risk has emerged as a pressing concern. While some asset owners contend that they are fully capable of analysing and managing such risk, they appear to be in the minority. Many public investors are still largely unprepared, lacking proper analytical frameworks and relevant expertise to tackle geopolitics in a structured and rigorous way. However, there is a relatively simple and straightforward solution to this: asset owners can apply some of the same...

July 16, 2021
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15Jul

BlackRock Closes In on the Once Unthinkable, $10 Trillion in Assets

BlackRock Inc.’s second-quarter profit rose 14% on new money coming into the giant asset manager, a sign that investors are becoming more confident about an economic recovery. Read also He runs the worst-funded public pension in the country. Here’s his ‘good news’ story The company posted a quarterly profit of $1.378 billion or $8.92 a share, up from $1.214 billion or $7.85 a share a year earlier. Its revenue grew 32% to $4.82 billion. Read also Transferring A Business Following Insolvency In...

July 15, 2021
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14Jul

Green pension 21x more effective than common climate change efforts

UK savers have been urged to make their pension green after research revealed that this was a “staggering” 21 times more effective at cutting carbon footprints than stopping flying, becoming a vegetarian and moving to a renewable energy provider combined. Read also Is there really an ESG bubble? The analysis, from Make My Money Matter (MMMM), Aviva, and Route2, found that those with an average sized pension pot of £30,000 who moved from a traditional fund to a sustainable option can...

July 14, 2021
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09Jul

Hong Kong’s pension fund posts 4.5 per cent investment gain in first half, but policy and regulatory challenges lie ahead

Hongkongers probably earned the most returns in two years from their US$154 billion pension scheme in the first half of this year from a rally in global stocks. These winnings could be eroded by policy tightening in the US and a tech sector crackdown at home by China. Read also ESG: Fad or Future? The Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) generated HK$52.6 billion (US$6.8 billion) of investment income in the January to June period, according to calculations by the Post based on...

July 9, 2021
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08Jul

The EU’s new green plan to achieve carbon neutrality

The European Commission revealed a new green financial plan on July 6 to meet its 2030 goal of cutting emissions by 55% across EU member states. The European Union body will need to raise €350 billion ($414 billion) a year to promote the use of natural gas over coal for power generation and push financial institutions to go green. Achieving the 55% cut in emissions will be a major step toward achieving carbon neutrality by the middle of the...

July 8, 2021
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06Jul

Asset owners managing US$6 trillion call for global carbon price

Investors managing more than US$6 trillion in assets on Tuesday (Jul 6) called for a coordinated global price on carbon and said emissions costs would need to almost treble by 2030 to reach the world's climate goals. The call by The Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance, whose 43 members include some of the world's biggest pension schemes and insurers, comes ahead of the next round of global climate talks in November. Currently, 64 carbon pricing instruments such as emissions trading schemes...

July 6, 2021
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06Jul

UK. Nearly a third of Gen Xers have inadequate pension savings

Almost one in three Generation Xers — individuals aged between 41 and 56 — have inadequate pension savings and face a minimum-at-best standard of living in retirement, according to research by the International Longevity Centre and Standard Life. The ILC’s ‘Slipping between the cracks’ report found that 60 per cent of Gen Xers in a defined contribution scheme are not contributing enough for financial security or flexibility later in life, while 59 per cent of those with insufficient savings lack...

July 6, 2021
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05Jul

Australia’s Biggest Pension Fund Posts Record Annual Return

Australia’s biggest pension fund notched a record return in fiscal 2021 as strong market performance in the wake of the pandemic lifted assets under management. Read also US. Do You Get Your Money’s Worth From Buying An Annuity? AustralianSuper Pty.’s default investment option returned 20.43% in the 12 months ended June 30, the 12th consecutive year of gains, the fund said in a statement Monday. The Melbourne-based fund’s assets under management rose to A$225 billion ($169 billion) from A$180 billion a...

July 5, 2021
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02Jul

World’s Top Pension Fund Books ‘Historic’ $339 Billion Gain

The world’s biggest pension fund posted a record return for the fiscal year ended March, boosting its assets to a new high and beating its benchmark for the first time in seven years. Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund booked a gain on its investments of 25%, or 37.8 trillion yen ($339 billion), in the 12 months ended March, the most since the fund started managing the nation’s pension reserves in 2001. Overseas stocks were its best-performing asset in the period, returning...

July 2, 2021
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