November 2025

IRS Releases Updated Retirement Plan Annual Limits and Includes Unexpected Increase

The IRS released the cost-of-living adjustments for qualified defined contribution plans for the 2026 tax year (IRS Notice 2025-67). The following chart summarizes the key increases applicable to defined contribution plans for 2026: 2026 2025 Defined contribution plan limit $72,000 $70,000 Elective deferral limit (401(k), 403(b), and 457(b)) $24,500 $23,500 Catch-up contributions (Age 50+) $8,000 $7,500 Super catch contributions (age 60-63) $11,250 $11,250 Roth catch-up wage threshold for 2025 $150,000 Annual compensation limit $360,000 $350,000 Unexpected by many employers, the IRS changed the Roth catch-up contribution FICA wage threshold for 2025 (used to determine the limited status for 2026) from...

Nigeria. Pension fund soars to N26tn

Nigeria’s pension fund assets recorded 22.03 per cent growth as of the end of the third quarter, as they rose by more than N4.71tn, with Pension Fund Administrators deepening their allocation to Federal Government securities, according to the latest monthly data released by the National Pension Commission. The figures, contained in PenCom’s latest Monthly Industry Report, indicated that total pension assets increased from N21.38tn in September 2024 to N26.09tn in September 2025, marking a robust year-on-year expansion of the Contributory...

Public Pensions and Private Savings

By Esteban García-Miralles & Jonathan M. Leganza How does the provision of public pension benefits impact private savings? We answer this question in the context of a Danish reform that increased social security eligibility ages. Using administrative data and a regression discontinuity design, we identify the causal effects of the policy on savings throughout the financial portfolio. We find increases in contributions to personal and employer-sponsored retirement accounts when delayed benefit eligibility induces extended employment. We argue that inertia—the continuation...

UK. Most over-50s factoring risk into pension decisions

Research findings around pensions often emphasise the need for people to save and engage more with their pots and retirement planning. Savers not setting aside enough or having little knowledge of pensions are some of the conclusions that such surveys and analyses often draw attention to. Research from Aviva this year, for example, found a notable gap between levels of perceived and actual knowledge around pensions. While more than half of people (53 per cent) described themselves as knowledgeable about pensions, only a third...

Mexico. Retirement Savings Consolidate Their Weight in the Economy: They Now Amount to 22% of GDP

The AmAfore 2025 meeting will take place on November 12 and 13, and its program confirms the growing prominence of retirement savings in the global conversation on investments, private credit, and infrastructure. With the participation of international leaders such as Scott Kleinman (Apollo), Michael Rees (Blue Owl), Michael Smith (Ares Credit Group), and Kirk Smith (GTCR), the event highlights Mexico’s role as a bridge between local institutional capital and major global asset managers. The presence of the AFOREs, along with Banxico, Hacienda, and CONSAR, reflects the interest in strengthening the sophistication...

UK. Chancellor looking to cap salary sacrifice contributions to £2,000 in Autumn budget

The chancellor is planning to use the budget to limit the amount of someone’s salary that can be sacrificed through pension contributions without incurring national insurance (NI) payments to £2,000 a year. Reports in The Times and Financial Times this weekend said the chancellor would target pension salary sacrifice arrangements to raise up to £2bn a year and help fill a £30bn gap in public finances. At present there is no limit on the amount that an employee can put into their pension under salary...

Pension fund contributions overlooked by employers in South Africa

Some employers in the nation have a concerning tendency to deduct employees' pension contributions without transferring the funds to the pension fund account. This is against the law and unethical. When the sun sets, workers depend on this hard-earned money to get by. A few years ago, the African National Congress came under fire for failing to make contributions to workers' pension funds. The sheer scale of this problem is deeply troubling. As of March 31, 2025, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority...

US. The Realistic Minimum Retirement Savings Needed, According to Experts

You may have heard you need at least $1 million in the bank to retire. The truth is, a comfortable retirement will look different for everyone. Some people might need much more than that, and some might only need $700,000 to retire comfortably. So what’s a more realistic minimum number you should aim for? Why the $1 Million Rule Doesn’t Work for Everyone Retirement costs can look very different depending on where you live, how healthy you are, whether you have a...

Unlocking pension funds for critical infrastructure development in Ghana

Ghana's Infrastructure Crisis and Economic Imperative Ghana's economic trajectory is promising, with steady growth averaging over 5% annually in recent years, driven by sectors like agriculture, services, and mining. Yet, this progress is hampered by a chronic infrastructure deficit that undermines productivity, stifles job creation, and perpetuates inequality. Pothole-filled roads delay goods transport, erratic power supplies disrupt manufacturing, and inadequate water systems expose millions to health risks. According to estimates by the Africa Development Bank, Ghana requires at least $37...

Solving for retirement: All paths lead to more private savings

The biggest challenge and opportunity for superannuation, pension and sovereign wealth funds is the climbing support ratio, particularly in developed economies, according to Michael Davis, head of global retirement strategy at T. Rowe Price. The support ratio, sometimes referred to in less flattering terms as the old-age dependency ratio, has been in rising across every major global economy. For example, in Japan, the support ratio is 51, meaning 100 working adults support 51 retirees. In the 1950s, the ratio was...