September 2026
04Sep

Global pension asset allocations and debt markets

By Ding Ding, Xiang Fang, Bryan Hardy & Karen K. Lewis The pension sector is an important investor group in global financial markets and a key holder of government and corporate debt. This article examines the evolution of pension fund asset allocations around the globe and documents two important structural changes. First, pension investors have shifted portfolio share allocations away from fixed income securities. This trend is robust across Defined Contribution (DC) and Defined Benefit (DB) programs as well as...

September 4, 2026
Books, Books, Investment, Reports, , ,
Read more...
04Sep

Pensions from Capital: How Pension Funds in the United States, Japan and Europe Invest -and What Private Investors Can Learn from Them

By Roland Rupprechter This paper examines the pension funds of the large industrial countries — with more than USD 68 trillion between them, the heaviest group of investors in the world. It compares how funded retirement provision is organised in the United States, in Japan and in Europe: how state, occupational and private provision differ, who grants which tax advantages to whom and at what level, and why equity quotas diverge so widely across regions — from 25 per cent...

September 4, 2026
Articles, Pension Management, , , , , ,
Read more...
03Sep

Danish pensions meet 2030 transition investments goal

The Danish pensions industry has met its 2019 joint commitment to invest DKr450 billion ($70.1 billion; €60.2 billion) in the green transition by 2030, according to Insurance and Pension Denmark (IPD). At the end of 2025, green investments had grown to DKr478 billion, the industry association said, with 44 percent of the investments in Denmark. A shareholder proposal has renewed calls for Starbucks to separate its board chair and CEO positions. Filed by SOC Investment Group and United Church Funds,...

September 3, 2026
News, ,
Read more...
01Sep

What does good pension scheme performance look like?

When assessing pension scheme performance, the familiar question ‘what does good look like?’ is particularly apt. Having spent many years evaluating investment performance in asset management, I am clear on one principle: performance must be judged against objectives. For an investment manager running a mandate or fund, the objective may be relatively simple: outperform a specified benchmark. That makes assessment, if not achievement, straightforward. Even then, implicit objectives may matter, such as performance relative to peers. Pension trustees face a more complex...

September 1, 2026
News
Read more...

August 2026
31Aug

South Africa. Why Treasury’s unclaimed assets plan has retirement funds worried

Several financial industry representatives have welcomed proposals for centralised record management of South Africa’s nearly R90 billion in unclaimed financial assets, while raising concerns about the proposed transfer of unclaimed retirement benefits to the Corporation for Public Deposits (CPD). The CPD, a subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank, manages deposits from public-sector entities. Industry experts have warned that retirement assets transferred to it may no longer enjoy the protections that currently apply under retirement fund legislation. The National Treasury discussion paper...

August 31, 2026
News,
Read more...
28Aug

African Pension Funds shift more capital into private equity

Ghana is increasingly being recognised as one of Africa’s most credible examples of how domestic pension savings can be invested in more diverse alternatives and channelled into assets such as private equity, venture capital and SME growth financing. Ghana has spearheaded notable pension industry initiatives focused on shifting domestic capital pools towards the real economy, including GVCA’s 5% Pension and Insurance Industry Compact, launched in April 2025, Impact Investing Ghana’s Pension Industry Collaborative, and the $70m SME Fund of Funds...

August 28, 2026
News,
Read more...
26Aug

BlackRock overhauls $1bn high-yield ETF duo for Nordic pension fund

BlackRock has switched the indices of euro and US dollar high yield corporate bond ETFs in favour of softer ESG credentials to suit the updated sustainability targets of a Nordic pension fund. The $582m iShares € High Yield Corp Bond ESG Paris-Aligned Climate UCITS ETF (HYPE) and the $423m iShares $ High Yield Corp Bond ESG Paris-Aligned Climate UCITS ETF (HYDP) will switch from tracking their respective versions of the Bloomberg MSCI Corporate High Yield Climate Paris-Aligned ESG Select index...

August 26, 2026
News,
Read more...
25Aug

Look beyond funded ratios for hidden pension risks

Pension funding risk has evolved into a structural debt obligation — akin to an obligor's bonded indebtedness from a secondary credit consideration — having minimal impact on yield levels. Public pension fund risk assessment stands at the intersection of investment management practices and a municipal credit evaluation process for governments and revenue enterprises that prioritizes funding discipline and fiscal capacity. While funded ratios remain a key barometer of pension funding risk, they do not tell the full story. Beyond simply...

August 25, 2026
News, ,
Read more...
20Aug

UK. Standard Life launches £2bn pension risk transfer partnership

Standard Life announced Thursday a pension risk transfer partnership backed by investments of up to £2 billion ($2.72 billion) with a consortium led by CVC and Prudential Financial to target large UK pension schemes. The partnership, called Standard Life PRT Solutions, will be funded through capital commitments of up to £2 billion over five years. Standard Life will contribute £500 million, while CVC committed £400 million. Other consortium members will provide the remaining funds. The consortium includes Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), MS&AD...

August 20, 2026
News, ,
Read more...
18Aug

Malaysia’s pension fund investment income jumps 48 pct in H1

Malaysia's state-owned pension fund, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), recorded investment income of 57.50 billion ringgit (14.16 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2026, up 48 percent from a year earlier, helped by strong global equity markets, the fund said Monday. Investment income for the second quarter also rose 44 percent year-on-year to 29.77 billion ringgit, the retirement fund said in a statement. EPF Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn said the fund benefited from strong global equity markets...

August 18, 2026
News, ,
Read more...