October 2025
21Oct

US. Options for Overfunded Pension Plans

You’ve done a good job making sure that the pension plan is fully funded. So good, in fact, that you — and the plan — are overachievers and the plan is fully funded and then some. And THAT surplus spells…opportunity. The Grist Funding of pension plans generally has been on an upward trajectory for a number of years. The improvement in funded status has been dramatic, yet incremental. Willis Towers Watson’s figures show as much: they show that the funding of a hypothetical benchmark...

October 21, 2025
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17Oct

Investments, loans, insurance or pensions with a sustainable focus: what you need to know?

By European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority Through the choices we make, we all play a part in shaping our future. Are you interested in contributing to a more sustainable future? Learn more about how your financial choices can support the environment and society, and keep in mind a few tips! You may, for example, make a financial decision in a sustainable way if you put your money in an investment fund that invests in companies that recycle household waste, or in...

October 17, 2025
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14Oct

Is longevity a risk for pension insurers and schemes?

Insurers are better placed to pool and manage longevity risk than pension schemes, according to Ash Williams, risk settlement partner at XPS Group. Speaking on a panel at the XPS Group’s 2025 Pensions Conference, Williams explained that insurers have three tools in their box when it comes to managing longevity risk. Longevity risk is the chance that life expectancies and survival rates exceed expectations, resulting in greater-than-anticipated cash flow needs on the part of insurance companies or pension funds. Williams said insurers...

October 14, 2025
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09Oct

US. CalSTRS Forms Climate Co-Investment Partnership With Carlyle Alpinvest

The California State Teachers’ Retirement System is partnering with Caryle Alpinvest to expand the $374.3 billion pension fund’s ability to access co-investment climate solution opportunities, Carlyle Alpinvest announced Tuesday. “This partnership is designed to expand CalSTRS’ ability to invest alongside private equity managers in climate solution opportunities beyond CalSTRS’ direct investment program,” Carlyle Alpinvest stated. Carlyle Alpinvest is a specialist subsidiary of the Carlyle Group.  Alpinvest reports $97 billion of assets under management, the Carlyle Group manages $465 billion in total, including...

October 9, 2025
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03Oct

Venture & growth capital in Europe – mapping pension funds’ attitudes

By Pensions For Purpose Across Europe, pension funds manage over €3tn in assets, yet only roughly 0.12% is allocated to venture and growth capital (VC). Meanwhile, VC investment in Europe totalled €15bn in 2023. These numbers together highlight two persistent questions: can allocation to VC be compatible with the fiduciary duties of pension funds? If so, why has the historical aggregated allocation of pension funds to this asset class been so modest? To address these questions, we embarked on a journey...

October 3, 2025
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03Oct

UK and European pension funds laying the groundwork for VC surge

UK and European pension funds are laying the groundwork to become a more significant source of venture capital (VC) funding, according to a report from Venture Connections, European Women in VC and Pensions for Purpose, with Nordic pension funds the most active, despite growing momentum in the UK. The report, Mapping Pension Funds Attitudes to Venture & Growth in Europe, suggested that pension funds have the chance to help savers benefit and support long-term economic renewal, estimating that while only...

October 3, 2025
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02Oct

US. Amid Higher Funded Status, Pension Plans Consider Their Options

The assets of the 100 largest corporate defined benefit pension plans rose by $8 billion in August to $1.29 trillion, and the funded ratio of DB plans increased for the fifth consecutive month to 106.2%, according to data from Milliman. “[The current level of funding] is a significant milestone in the DB space, as the surplus funding gives plan sponsors more options for how to proceed with their plan, whether they want to continue operating their plan on a [liability-driven investment]...

October 2, 2025
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September 2025
29Sep

China’s local pension fund reaps over 5 pct investment return in 2024

China's local pension fund saw a return on investments of 5.52 percent in 2024, official data showed on Monday. The fund, managed by the National Council for Social Security Fund (NCSSF), generated investment income of nearly 105.69 billion yuan (about 14.87 billion U.S. dollars) last year, according to the NCSSF's annual report. Despite rising economic challenges at home and abroad in 2024, the NCSSF managed to preserve and grow the value of the fund, thereby helping to bolster the country's efforts...

September 29, 2025
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29Sep

Strengthening Nigeria’s pension sector: Rethinking the new capital requirements for PFAs and PFCs

The National Pension Commission’s (PENCOM) newly revised capital requirements for Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) & Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs), while aimed at strengthening the financial resilience of operators, risk creating unintended consequences that could undermine investor confidence, restrict innovation, and distort the competitive landscape of Nigeria’s pension sector. This public commentary advocates for a more balanced and globally aligned approach that preserves the safety of pension assets while enabling growth, competition, and sustainable operations. 1. Understanding the Nature of Pension...

September 29, 2025
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26Sep

Aligning your pension scheme with the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures recommendations

By Department for Work and Pensions This guide aims to help trustees evaluate the way in which climate-related risks and opportunities may affect their strategies. Trustees should consider how different investments and strategies could be impacted by transition and physical risks, at an asset class, sector and firm level where appropriate. Schemes should set out what risks and opportunities they consider to be relevant or material to them over the short/medium/long term time horizons for their scheme. They should use scenario analysis...

September 26, 2025
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