August 2025
27Aug

UK. 94% of pension transfers raise scam warning in July

Some 94 per cent of cases reviewed by the XPS Scam Protection Service raised at least one scam warning flag in July 2025, data has revealed. XPS Group’s Scam Flag Index found there was a “sharp” increase in the amount of pension transfers that raised a scam warning flag, with 6 per cent more cases than June. July’s finding represented the second time the index has surpassed 90 per cent over the past 12 months. XPS Group senior consultant, Helen Cavanagh, said: “The increase...

August 27, 2025
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19Aug

US. Working longer to afford retirement is a risky plan, economists say — but some employees are counting on it

As Americans live longer and worry about outlasting their money in retirement, a growing number are counting on one strategy for their future financial security: working longer. Roughly 70% of U.S. workers who haven’t retired yet have considered pushing back their retirement date, according to a recent survey from F&G, an insurance company. Nearly half of the 2,000 adults surveyed said they’re afraid they won’t have enough money to retire. Some people have gone beyond considering the strategy. “Two in 10 workers adjusted their target retirement age...

August 19, 2025
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08Aug

Optimization Algorithms for Pension Asset Allocation Under Market Volatility

By Akshay Sharma & Satish Kabade Pension fund organizations function as essential financial entities that protect employee retirement funds to provide complete and punctual pension distributions. Pension fund effectiveness through asset distribution determines how well a fund meets its future obligations. Traditional methods of portfolio optimization align with the Modern Portfolio Theory through the Markowitz model to help determine asset allocation by defining the relationship between return and risk. These static modeling approaches fail to fulfill their purpose in real...

August 8, 2025
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08Aug

What private assets in 401(k) plans mean for investors

Investors may soon have greater access to private assets — that is, investments that are not publicly traded — in their 401(k) or other workplace retirement plans. Financial advisors say that for many workers, the risks may outweigh the rewards. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to increase the availability of alternative assets in 401(k) plans. The order instructs the Department of Labor to reexamine its guidance to employers and plan administrators on incorporating such assets into...

August 8, 2025
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July 2025
30Jul

How pension funds are handling US equity concentration risk

With more of the US market’s fate tied up in a handful of enormous technology stocks, investment teams are having to reconsider their exposure, as Jon Yarker reports. In recent years, the size of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” technology stocks has soared, absorbing an increasing amount of the US equity market. According to Hymans Robertson, the weight of the 10 largest market-cap stocks in the MSCI World sits at 23%, well above the historical norms of 10–15%. The septet of tech...

July 30, 2025
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29Jul

Kenya. Why caution is need as pension funds step into PPP space

Infrastructure is increasingly being positioned as a strategic investment class for long-term institutional investors across the world. For pension funds, the allure is understandable as well-structured projects like roads, ports, and energy grids promise stable, long-term cash flows that align well with the long-term liabilities of the fund. However, while the promise of infrastructure is compelling, the reality, especially in emerging markets like Kenya, demands a cautious and informed approach. The Kenya National Highways Authority recently announced that it had received...

July 29, 2025
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28Jul

UK. ‘More to be done’ to improve risk transfer process, SPP says

There is “more that could be done” in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in the risk transfer process, the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has stated, despite numerous developments in this area over recent years. The report, Less friction, better transfers: creating a more agile risk transfer process, noted that the UK bulk annuity market has continued to go from strength to strength, and targeting an insurance transaction remains an attractive option for many. Citing data from WTW, the SPP highlighted that the...

July 28, 2025
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25Jul

Unintended Consequences: How Scaling Back Public Pensions Puts Government Revenues at Risk

By National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems The argument that taxpayers cannot afford public pensions has gained traction despite a woeful lack of empirical evidence to support it. Legislators across the nation are contemplating options for the future funding of public-sector worker retirement benefits at a time when competition for finite state and local resources is fierce. The reasons are familiar: the lingering effects of recession and misguided budget priorities have taken a toll. Time and again, defined-benefit pensions...

July 25, 2025
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25Jul

Population Aging and Financial Stability: An Empirical Analysis

By Hun Jang This study empirically examines the impact of population aging on financial stability. Constructing an unbalanced panel of 7,148 banks across 38 OECD countries over 27 years, we find that deeper demographic aging undermines banks’ capital adequacy and lowers their Z-Scores, thereby exerting a negative effect on financial stability. These adverse effects arise because slower growth, higher interest-expense burdens, and compressed net interest margins erode profitability, prompting banks to loosen risk standards in an effort to offset mounting...

July 25, 2025
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24Jul

Why nature-related risk is the next strategic priority for pension schemes

Climate-related risk is now firmly embedded in trustees’ responsibilities and consciousness. However, the broader environmental agenda, including biodiversity loss, natural capital depletion and ecosystem degradation, impacts pension schemes (through investment implications, economic stability generally and the long-term financial wellbeing of members) and now demands board-level attention. With the World Economic Forum ranking biodiversity loss among the most severe global risks, stakeholders are increasingly recognising that reporting frameworks should reflect its value. In 2024, 320 organisations from over 40 countries (accounting...

July 24, 2025
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