August 2026

The Global Transition – The Impact of Demographics and AI on Economic Power

By Seth Benzell, Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Victor Yifan Ye This study deploys a multi-region, dynamic life-cycle, general equilibrium model to assess demography’s impact, through the course of this century, on global development. Our model’s 17 regions encompass more than 150 countries comprising 99% of the world’s population. Output is produced with three labor skill groups and internationally-mobile capital, with each country deciding annually whether to adopt its frontier automation technology. Our model features region-specific fiscal policy, TFP growth, and...

The political economy of pension management in Ghana

Decisions about who contributes, who receives benefits, where pension funds are invested and how institutions are governed are influenced by government policy, economic conditions, organised labour, financial markets and competing national interests. The political economy of pension management, therefore, concerns the interaction between political power and economic decision-making within the pension system. In Ghana, this interaction has become increasingly important because pension funds represent both the retirement savings of workers and a substantial pool of long-term national capital. Ghana’s pension system...

US. Are Recession Fears Affecting Retirement Saving Approaches?

Are concerns about whether there will be a recession are arising among three quarters of non-retired investors affecting the approach some take to retirement saving and investing? A new study suggests that they are. In fact, the Nationwide Retirement Institute study found that more than three quarters (77%) of non-retired investors are concerned about a U.S. recession over the next 12 months. However, it also shows a shift from caution to action, as 1 in 3 (33%) non-retired investors say...

July 2026

Retirement at Risk: The Political Economy of Public Pension Governance

By Allen Mendenhall & Dan Sutter State public pension systems manage over $6 trillion in assets while facing approximately $1.3 trillion in unfunded liabilities, raising fundamental questions about governance effectiveness and fiduciary accountability. This Article examines these challenges through the analytical framework of governance, applying insights from public choice, principal-agent models, and corporate governance to argue that details in implementation significantly impact outcomes. We offer Ohio's State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) as a case study. Recent governance reforms in Ohio-including...

June 2026

Cuba’s Elderly: Struggling Amid Sanctions and Economic Hardship

In Cuba, the elderly find themselves in dire straits as economic struggles, exacerbated by U.S. sanctions, tighten their grip on the island. The collapse of once-reliable state provisions leaves them vulnerable, with many unable to secure basic needs like food and healthcare. As Cuba’s population rapidly ages, the country faces a crisis as pensions shrink, prices soar, and essential services crumble. Despite being promised support in their old age, seniors now grapple with the harsh reality of insufficient services amid...

March 2026

Iran war forces Asian economies to confront sliding currencies and surging oil

Policymakers in the Asia-Pacific region are facing their toughest test since the Covid-19 pandemic, with few easy options, as they race to cushion their economies from an energy shock that is hitting harder and sooner than elsewhere. Asia buys about 80 per cent of the oil that is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz and, according to JPMorgan commodity analysts, it faces shortages that will worsen through April and May – meaning authorities will need to respond swiftly. In Manila, drivers...

December 2025

Why is inequality so high in Latin America? An interview with Francisco H. G. Ferreira

Economic inequality in Latin America has historically been – and is currently – higher than in much of the rest of the world. For a time, it seemed that large pro-poor programmes, particularly conditional cash transfers (CCTs) – conditional mainly on attending schools and health visits – made some dent on inequality. Such CCTs were pioneered in Mexico, though it has now discontinued that policy, and have been pursued in a major way in Brazil, Colombia, Chile and elsewhere....

US. Retirement Accounts Are The Country’s Emergency Funds

The Charade That “Retirement” Accounts Are For Retirement It’s time we stop the charade. Congress should rename 401(k)s and IRAs what they really are: "Emergency Savings Accounts for the Poor and Middle Class." Because that’s how they function for the bottom 90% of American workers. A new Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) report confirms what retirement experts have long understood: Americans are draining their 401(k)s to survive today, sacrificing tomorrow's security. The study reveals where borrowed retirement dollars actually go—not toward...

Trump said he’s looking into an Australian-style retirement program for the U.S.

The Trump administration is looking Down Under for inspiration on how to improve the United States’ retirement savings system. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said at the White House that his administration is looking into an Australian-style retirement program. “We’re looking at it very seriously,” Trump said. “It’s a good plan. It’s worked out very well.” Australia’s primary retirement savings program — known as “superannuation” — might have caught the attention of Washington officials. How superannuation works Superannuation, or “super” for short, is Australia’s...

Is the world ageing out of interest rates?

From global rate hikes to political pressures, central banks can’t stay out of the news these days. But these headlines overlook a growing challenge for central banks: With the share of the population aged 65 or over set to nearly double by 2054, their policy tools may become less effective. Interest rates have long been a key instrument of monetary policy, used much like car pedals, with cuts made to accelerate economic activity and hikes to slow it down. Historically,...