March 2025

The value of active strategies in old-age provision

The choice between active and passive strategies should not be reduced to a binary decision, eg, based solely on fees. Instead, it should reflect the investor’s unique goals, the product framework (eg, unitlinked or pension plans) and the market environment. In the context of old-age provision, we question the suitability of passive strategies. In a competitive market situation, with greater volatility and structural shifts, we think active approaches with selective decisions have greater potential to outperform and protect...

US. 4 Reasons Your Retirement Plan Is Overly Conservative

A flaw of conventional retirement planning is its detachment from reality. This disconnect often leads to overly conservative retirement income plans that require retirees to make unnecessary spending sacrifices. That’s a problem because the goal of retirement planning is to maximize quality of life, which involves taking a realistic look at a retiree’s situation to enhance retirement income and to encourage spending. Let’s explore four common factors contributing to overly conservative retirement income plans and how to avoid them. #1 Not...

Australia. Retirees more pessimistic about retirement expectations: report

Australians have changed their retirement expectations over the past 12 months, with higher living costs creating a pessimistic attitude among pre-retirees, according to a report from Colonial First State. The Rethinking Retirement Report 2025 revealed that rising living costs have eroded comfortable living standards for retirees, and fewer retirees said they are currently able to enjoy a comfortable retirement compared to last year. It continued that three-quarters of retirees are using pension payments to cover essential living expenses, while close to one in...

Navigating the retirement window: Introduce more certainty to outcomes

For most savers, the primary objective of their financial plan is to ensure they have sufficient funds to meet their spending needs during retirement. Despite this intention, taking action can be daunting due to the uncertainty surrounding a new phase of life and a lack of information around critical decisions that must be made. These are some reasons why, when it comes to retirement, many Americans are unprepared. A Federal Reserve study found that 25% of working Americans have no...

What Age Do People Around the World Think Is Best to Reach Major Life Milestones?

When is the right time in life to get married or have a child? What is the best age to buy a home? Is there an ideal age for retirement? We asked adults in 18 mostly middle-income countries what they think is the best age to reach these life milestones. Overall, there is a lot of agreement around the world. A chart showing The ideal ages for major life events, according to people in 18 nations On average across the countries...

A roadmap to adequate retirement incomes for all

By Phoenix Insights Achieving decent, financially secure retirements for people in the UK is an essential priority for individuals, government and industry alike. Phoenix Group previously called for a holistic review of pensions adequacy, and are pleased to see the new Government’s commitment to do so in the coming months. The long standing question of ‘how much is enough’ for retirement can be complex and wide reaching one. The question will need to be answered through a collaborative approach and followed by an action plan....

UK. A shocking number of over-40s think they’ll have to work past pension age – for one clear reason

A huge number of over-40 workers in the UK fear they’ll be unable to retire from the workforce until into their 70s - because they won’t have the pension in place to do so. New research data shows more than a third of over-40s think they’ll still be working far past the state pension age, currently 66, while over a quarter are concerned they don’t know enough about their pension plans because their employers do not provide the necessary information. In the UK, the deadline...

February 2025

Micro-retirement: has gen Z found a brilliant fix for burnout?

Is this one of those things where gen Z takes an old concept, gives it a new name and pretends they invented it? Not at all. The concept is taken from a 2007 book called The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. I take it back. Although nobody really talked about it until this year, when a bunch of TikTokers started doing it, so you’re partly right. So what is it? You know work-life balance? I am vaguely aware of it, yes. And you know how the company you work for only cares...

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. ...

Philippines. Funding your future: The road to retirement income

"SOCIAL security will cover most of my retirement expenses and I can fully rely on my company's retirement plan to further support me. Additionally, I can live comfortably on a smaller budget in retirement." While these thoughts are common when people think about retirement income, it is important to consider whether they might be too optimistic, as they could lead to complacency and hinder adequate preparation for retirement. The Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (GPI), launched in 2009, is...