November 2023

U.S. Treasury to propose rule to ban investment on China’s tech

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said Nov. 7 the Treasury Department hopes to propose a rule "in the coming weeks" to implement the president's executive order prohibiting investments in certain Chinese technology sectors. "I think the president and his counterparts across the G7 have made very clear that our goal is not to decouple but rather to derisk the relationship with China," Adeyemo said at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's annual meeting. 2 House lawmakers ask Treasury to 'urgently'...

China pension fund posts 0.33% gain in 2022

The basic pension fund managed by China’s social security fund gained RMB 5.1 billion, or 0.33% in 2022, down from a 4.9% gain in 2021, the National Council for Social Security Fund said on Saturday, reports Reuters. The shrink in yield was mainly impacted by deep changes in global economic and political situations and increasing fluctuations in the financial markets, the state investor said in a statement. China’s stock benchmark CSI 300 lost 21.6% in 2022 and so far this year...

Canada. ‘Take your job seriously’: Employment Minister tells Alberta to stick with Canada Pension Plan

Federal Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault says he is against any attempt by the Alberta government to leave the Canada Pension Plan. "I can tell you that the federal government and I are very clearly committed to working with Albertans to keep them in the Canada Pension Plan," Boissonnault told CTV’s Power Play on Friday. "It's simply wrong to politicize pensions." Alberta's governing United Conservative Party contends that the province's workers put more into the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) than they get...

2022 Future Focus Survey: ESG and sustainable investing trends in Europe

By J.P. Morgan Asset Management   While allocations to sustainable investing strategies continue to grow, the average allocation across Europe is relatively low, at 23%. Even in Finland, which tops the table, the average allocation is only 33%. It is clear that even in the region where sustainable investing is most popular, broad ESG adoption is still at the early part of its journey.* Interestingly, there is far more divergence among the investors within countries than between them. Therefore, we urge investors to focus on the...

Alberta pension plan: Analysis of costs, benefits, risks and considerations

By LifeWorks Alberta Treasury Board and Finance (ATBF) has engaged LifeWorks to prepare a detailed analysis of the costs, benefits and structure of a potential Alberta Pension Plan (APP). This analysis includes actuarial, economic, legal, and technical information regarding the establishment and ongoing operation of an APP. This analysis will give ATBF a clearer picture on what a future provincial pension plan may look like and help answer key questions that Albertans are asking about the costs and benefits of such a move. This report does...

The Impact of Population Aging on Financial Services and Economic Development

By Hongyu Fang With the increasing aging population, it has had a profound impact on the financial services industry and economy. This study aims to explore the effect of population aging on the financial service industry and economy and propose corresponding countermeasures and suggestions. The aging population has brought challenges to the financial services industry. The increase in the elderly population has led to a rise in demand for financial products and services. Financial institutions innovate and develop financial products...

World’s Largest Pension Fund Posts $4.5 Billion Quarterly Loss

Japan’s state pension fund, the world’s largest, posted a loss of ¥683.2 billion ($4.5 billion) on total assets during the three months through September as its holdings of domestic debt slumped by a record. The Government Pension Investment Fund lost 0.3% during the quarter, the fund said in Tokyo Thursday. Total assets rose slightly to ¥219.32 trillion due to a transfer of funds from the government’s account that manages its pension, according to a spokesperson. Domestic bonds lost 2.7%, the...

UK household wealth has tanked and it’s a sign of what could happen in the US

Household wealth in the UK has fallen sharply over the last two years in part thanks to high interest rates, and the factors that led to the drop suggest a similar scenario could be heading for the US. New research from the think tank Resolution Foundation found that median household wealth in the UK fell 21% from the start of 2022 through the third quarter of 2023, representing a loss of £2.2 trillion (US$2.7 trillion). The fall is due, in large...

Canada Pension Plan Increases Green, Transition Investments by 20% to C$79B

The C$575 billion ($416.4 billion) Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s investments in green and transition assets rose 20% to C$79 billion, as of March 31, from C$66 billion at the same time in 2022, according to its “2023 Report on Sustainable Investing.” The pension giant, which aims to invest at least $130 billion in green and transition assets by 2030, also announced it has reached carbon neutrality for internal operations for scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions sources for fiscal...

October 2023

US department of labor announces proposed rule to protect retirement savers’ interests by updating definition of investment advice fiduciary

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Employee Benefits Security Administration has proposed a retirement security rule updating the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Aligned with the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to protect retirement investors, the proposal would require trusted investment advisers to adhere to high standards of care and loyalty when they make investment recommendations and avoid recommendations that favor their financial and other interests at the expense of retirement savers. The updated...