March 2025
11Mar

Oman. Early retirement poses risk to pension fund sustainability: SPF CEO

Early retirement remains a major challenge to the sustainability of pension funds in Oman and the Gulf region, according to Dr Faisal bin Abdullah al Farsi, CEO of Social Protection Fund (SPF). He also said that extended provision of job security benefits is straining the fund’s reserves. Speaking at the inaugural session of Communication Dialogue, organised by Government Communication Centre, Farsi emphasised the need for reforms to ensure long-term financial stability. He noted that early retirement is a system unique...

March 11, 2025
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10Mar

Most young Brits have no pension plan… despite hoping to retire EARLY

Millions of young Brits have zero pension plan despite believing they will retire young and be easily able to travel the world, new research has revealed. The damning YouGov findings by savings and investment business M&G have shown that more than three quarters of 18 to 24 year olds, alongside nearly half of 25 to 34 year old's, have not started making a financial plan for their post-work life. However, a substantial number of the 2,000 young people surveyed said that...

March 10, 2025
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February 2025
19Feb

UK professionals prepare for ‘unretirement’ to become the norm

70% of UK professionals (from all age bands) have stated that they are ‘expecting’ that they will have to work for longer or delay retirement due to financial concerns post-retirement. In fact, 31% of ‘unretirees’ state they have returned to work either in a full/part-time or in a casual capacity over the past 18 months. The new research comes from global talent solutions provider Robert Walters – and showcases an emerging trend of ‘unretirement’ – which shows no signs of abating. Recent figures from Legal and...

February 19, 2025
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19Feb

US. What the 2025 Social Security Age Change Means for Retirement Planning

If you're nearing retirement, you’ve probably wondered when to start taking Social Security benefits. For years, age 65 was considered the “normal” retirement age, but a law passed in 1983 gradually raised this age to reflect the increasing life expectancy of Americans.1 As of 2025, the full retirement age (FRA) is still rising depending on your birth year.2 Knowing when to claim benefits can significantly impact your monthly checks. Key Takeaways Full Retirement Age rises to 66 years and 10 months for those born in 1959. ...

February 19, 2025
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07Feb

Challenges and concerns surrounding China’s retirement age reform

By China Labour Bulletin China is currently grappling with a pressing demographic challenge, marked by record-low birth rates and low retirement ages, leading to a continuous decline in the working-age population. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the working-age population dropped to 61.3% in 2023, down from 62% the previous year. The shrinking workforce and ageing population are increasingly straining China’s pension system. Current projections indicate that, without intervention, the social security system’s resources will be depleted by 2035. In response to...

February 7, 2025
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January 2025
31Jan

Allianz Global Pension Report 2025: Time to walk the talk

By Allianz Research  Allianz published the third edition of its “Global Pension Report”, which analyzes 71 pension systems around the globe with the help of the company's own “Allianz Pension Index” (API). The indicator consists of three pillars: analysis of the demographic and fiscal situation, and an assessment of the sustainability (e.g. financing and contribution periods) and adequacy (e.g. coverage and pension levels) of the pension system. A total of 40 parameters are taken into account, with scores between 1...

January 31, 2025
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31Jan

South Africans face the prospect of retiring at 80

Based on data from over 300 000 Sanlam Umbrella Fund members. While 65 remains the official retirement age, most South Africans will need to work until 80 before they can afford to retire comfortably. This is according to data from Sanlam Corporate, based on insights into its over 300 000 Sanlam Umbrella Fund members. The company’s research highlights a growing retirement funding crisis, with estimates that only one in four South Africans will be able to retire at 65. Sanlam Corporate CEO Kanyisa...

January 31, 2025
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17Jan

Retirement Consumption and Pension Design

By Jonas Kolsrud, Camille Landais, Daniel Reck & Johannes Spinnewijn This paper analyzes consumption to evaluate the distributional effects of pension reforms. Using Swedish administrative data, we show that on average workers who retire earlier consume less while retired and experience larger drops in consumption around retirement. Interpreted via a theoretical model, these findings imply that reforms incentivizing later retirement incur a substantial consumption-smoothing cost. Turning to other features of pension policy, we find that reforms that redistribute based on...

January 17, 2025
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December 2024
19Dec

UK Government denies compensation to Waspi women

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the decision to reject compensation for women hit by changes to the state pension age, arguing that the taxpayer "simply can't afford the tens of billions of pounds" in payments. He added that "90% of those impacted knew about the changes that were taking place". However, during Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir was repeatedly pressed on the government's decision, with one MP calling for a vote. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign group say that...

December 19, 2024
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09Dec

Pakistan. Can lower retirement age cut pension bill?

THE country’s federal pension bill currently exceeds Rs1tr, with Rs260bn allocated for civil servants and Rs750bn for armed forces. Its magnitude is as staggering as its growth rate, which is outpacing the increase in revenue, making it unsustainable without holistic reforms. As it stands, the government is spending more on pensions than the cost of running the bureaucracy. Successive governments have tried to implement reforms to cut the pension bill with the most recent proposal being lowering the retirement age by five years from 60...

December 9, 2024
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