December 2023
06Dec

U.S. corporate funding ratios rise in November – 3 reports

U.S. corporate pension funds saw funding ratios rise slightly in November, thanks to very strong market returns offsetting a significant rise in liability values, three new reports say. Wilshire Advisors estimated the aggregate funding ratio of U.S. corporate plans reached 105.4% as of Nov. 30, up from 105.1% a month earlier. The change was driven by a 7.8 percentage-point increase in asset values offsetting a 7.4 percentage-point increase in liability values. The two increases rounded to a funding hike of 0.3...

December 6, 2023
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01Dec

2023 Prudent Pension Funding Report: A story of positive trends and persistent outliers

By Michael Hall  In the wake of last year’s market turbulence, are most corporate pension plans still on a pathway to achieving full funding? Yes, according to our latest research. Our 2023 Prudent Pension Funding Report reveals most (97%) corporate pension plans can achieve full funding without a significant draw on corporate cash, based on the respective firms’ latest disclosures as well as market and interest rate movement so far in 2023. This finding increased from 86% in last year’s report. Despite...

December 1, 2023
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November 2023
29Nov

97% of US Corporate Pensions Can Achieve Full Funding Without a Significant Draw on Corporate Cash: Report

Russell Investments has released its 2023 Prudent Pension Funding Report, which reveals most (97%) corporate pension plans can achieve full funding without a significant draw on corporate cash, based on the respective firms’ latest disclosures as well as market and interest rate movement so far in 2023. This finding increased from 86% in last year’s report. "Despite a challenging economic environment in 2023, pension plans continue on a positive trend for full funding," said Michael Hall, Managing Director, Americas Institutional at Russell Investments....

November 29, 2023
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28Nov

IBM unveils details of retirement benefit account

International Business Machines has provided details to employees of the company's scrapping its 401(k) corporate match and replacing it with a cash balance component called a retirement benefit account, which is part of the IBM Personal Pension Plan, a defined benefit plan. The company confirmed earlier this month that the RBA would replace the 5% match for the 401(k) plan on Jan. 1, but didn't discuss details. The IBM Personal Pension Plan — closed to new participants since 2005 and frozen...

November 28, 2023
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21Nov

IBM reopening pension plan turns industry heads

When it comes to dealing with an overfunded frozen pension plan, International Business Machines is putting into action what some of its peers are thinking about. The company recently confirmed that it will cancel its defined contribution plan company match and replace it with a component within its IBM Personal Pension Plan, a defined benefit plan, on Jan. 1. The 401(k) match is 5% of an employee’s salary. The IBM 401(k) Plus Plan had $53.2 billion in assets as of Dec....

November 21, 2023
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15Nov

US. Aon: Almost 80% of corporations expect to keep pension plans

Almost four-fifths (78%) of U.S. private-sector plan sponsors said their long-term objective is something other than pension plan termination, while the remaining 22% expect to terminate their pension plan, according to Aon's U.S. Global Pension Risk Survey, which was released Nov. 14. For plan sponsors that seek to maintain their pension plans over the long term, most intend to continue derisking the assets and/or shrink the liabilities through lump sums or partial annuity settlements. Read also U.S. public pension funding dips...

November 15, 2023
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14Nov

US Corporate Pension Funding Status Keeps Climbing

The funding status of U.S. corporate pension plans increased in October, largely due to a reduction in liabilities stemming from an increase in discount rates, which were offset by negative investment returns. According to some trackers, pension funding status is at its highest point in decades. Funding Status Increases Fueled by High Interest Rates According to WTW’s pension finance tracker, U.S. corporate pension funding is at its highest level since mid-2001, with the funding ratio of WTW’s benchmark plan increasing 1.1...

November 14, 2023
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07Nov

U.S. corporate pension plan funding ratio climbs to new high for year

The overall funding ratio at the 100 largest U.S. corporate pension plans edged up to 104.2% as of Oct. 31 – a new high for the year, according to the latest Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index released on Nov. 6. The funding ratio was 103.6% at the end of September. An investment return of -2.68% in October, the third consecutive month of losses, was offset by a significant increase in discount rates to 6.2% from 5.84%, which contributed to the gain. Assets...

November 7, 2023
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06Nov

South Africa: Potential Major Changes Affecting Occupational Retirement Plans

The South Africa government has proposed that changes to the two-pot retirement system, which gives workers access to pension funds before retirement, be delayed by a year. Employer Action Code: Act Draft legislation to amend South Africa's Income Tax Act and the Pension Funds Act would allow members of occupational retirement plans to access part of their future retirement accruals during employment, with the remainder accessible only upon retirement or death (known as the "two-pot" system). Existing payout rules would still...

November 6, 2023
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October 2023
26Oct

Inflation hits occupational pensions in Germany, says Deloitte

Inflation is having a negative impact on occupational pensions in Germany, with both the number of employers interested in, or contributing to company pension schemes declining this year compared with 2022, according to an occupational pensions study conducted by Deloitte. According to the research, 38% of the employers surveyed is “clearly” worried about losses in terms of retirement provision because of the current level of inflation, 14% consider the impact of increasing consumer prices on pensions dramatic, whereas only 14% is...

October 26, 2023
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