January 2025
30Jan

UK. Pensions experts react to government’s DB surplus plan

Pensions experts have largely welcomed new proposals from the government to allow surplus funds in DB schemes to be invested in the wider economy. It intends to allow part of a DB fund surplus to be returned to the employer for them to invest in their core business, or bolster pension-scheme members’ benefits. However, Rachel Vahey – head of public policy at AJ Bell – said in doing so, the government is “encouraging trustees to take risks with other people’s money”. TPR...

January 30, 2025
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
28Jan

Trump’s DEI pushback targets universities, foundations and other institutional investors

The Trump administration’s pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion is now targeting universities, foundations and public companies — a new development in the movement to dismantle DEI. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 21 in which he calls for “Encouraging the Private Sector to End Illegal DEI Discrimination and Preferences.” That order mandates federal agencies determine which universities, foundations and corporations should be investigated for their DEI policies, among other things. Specifically, the order directs each agency to identify up...

January 28, 2025
News, Slider, , , ,
Read more...
27Jan

UK. Reeves set to announce plans for DB pension surplus rule changes

Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to reveal a range of initiatives to promote economic growth later this week, including plans to make it easier for sponsors of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes to access surplus funds, Sky News has reported. According to the reports, Reeves is set to announce that she wants to change DB surplus rules to boost investment in the UK economy, with government sources suggesting that this could unlock more than £60bn of pension surpluses held in DB schemes. At...

January 27, 2025
News, Slider, ,
Read more...
23Jan

US. Pension funds push once again for private equity transparency

Pension funds and other institutional investors are pressing private-equity firms to provide more standardized reporting on fees and investment performance, reflecting long-standing frustration over inconsistent and opaque disclosures. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Institutional Limited Partners Association, a trade group representing pension plans such as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, recently proposed new guidelines aimed at improving transparency in the private-equity sector. According to the Journal, those guidelines...

January 23, 2025
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
22Jan

South African ban on cryptocurrency for pensions in the crosshairs

As the value of cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, continues to rise internationally, there have been growing calls for South African pension funds to be allowed to invest in cryptocurrencies. Currently, Regulation 28, which governs where pension funds can invest, tightly restricts their investment options. Proposals suggest amending this regulation to include cryptocurrencies, which could have significant implications for the industry and investors. Farzam Ehsani, co-founder and CEO of major South African cryptocurrency exchange VALR, said South Africans deserve nothing less than to lift...

January 22, 2025
News, Slider, , ,
Read more...
21Jan

Japan to have more part-timers join employee pension program

Japan plans to have a wider range of part-time workers join the kosei nenkin employee pension program by changing some rules, sources have said. Currently, companies with 51 or more employees must have their part-time workers join the kosei nenkin program, which pays benefits on top of those paid under the basic pension program providing universal coverage. The government plans to lower the corporate size threshold to 21 employees in October 2027 and scrap it two years later. The government sees the need to...

January 21, 2025
News, Slider, ,
Read more...
17Jan

Some British local government pension schemes object to UK pooled fund plans

 Almost a third of Britain's local government pension schemes object to UK plans to consolidate more of their assets into pooled funds, saying the plans raise the potential for poor investment returns, adviser Hymans Robertson said on Thursday. The UK government wants to increase pooling of local government assets, opens new tab to boost domestic pensions investment in British companies, including start-ups, because it sees larger pooled funds as better placed to make such investments. Under the proposals, schemes would be...

January 17, 2025
News, Slider,
Read more...
16Jan

Bank of England warns billions of pounds in UK pension pots at risk

The UK's main financial regulator has told insurance companies it can foresee an "endemic risk" in using insurance cash from foreign companies to pay out pensions. In an advisory notice sent out to insurance companies last week the Bank of England said it was concerned about an increase in the growing use of a type of insurance known as funded reinsurance. Gareth Truran, executive director and Shoib Khan director, said there was a risk with this type of funding and that...

January 16, 2025
News, Slider, ,
Read more...
15Jan

Torsten Bell named new UK pensions minister

Torsten Bell has been appointed as the new pensions minister for the UK government in yet another quickfire change to the line-up of people responsible for this important and complex area. Bell’s appointment follows the resignation of Tulip Siddiq as Economic Secretary to the Treasury yesterday (14 January) over an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh. Consequently, the previous pensions minister, Emma Reynolds, was appointed as the new Treasury minister, leaving the pensions role vacant for Bell. Kate Smith, head of Pensions at Aegon...

January 15, 2025
News, Slider,
Read more...
14Jan

UK pension schemes in “robust position” to deal with market movements

Pension schemes in the UK are in a "robust position" to deal with market fluctuations, an industry body has said. The pound fell to a fresh 14-month low on Monday, while UK government bonds, also known as gilts, continued to see 10-year yields hit highs not seen since 2008. Yields are a key indicator of market confidence, moving inversely to bond prices. There has been speculation over potential impacts for pensions from the gilt market rout, as well as mortgages, with comparisons...

January 14, 2025
News, Slider, ,
Read more...