January 2022

UK. MP seeks to extend auto-enrolment to 18-year-olds

Proposals that would see working 18-year-olds and low earners automatically save into a pension are being put before parliament this week. Read also UK. Expanding auto-enrolment could cost employers more, experts warn Conservative MP Richard Holden tabled a motion in the House of Commons on Wednesday to extend auto-enrolment in this way. Read also UK. FTSE 350 DB pension deficit falls by £28bn; ‘looming risks’ ahead The proposal looks to boost the pension pots of 18 to 22-year-olds and those who either work...

December 2021

UK. WPC launches inquiry into saving for later life

The Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) has launched the third and final part of its inquiry into the impact of the pension freedoms and protection of savers, focusing on what needs to be done to help people plan and save for retirement. The inquiry, which will be hearing evidence until 2 February 2022, will consider whether households have adequate pension savings and how the government can improve member outcomes. In particular, it will consider issues around auto-enrolment, retirement income targets and...

November 2021

Retirement Confidence Survey

By Employee Benefit Research Institute & Greenwald Research   The RCS is the longest-running survey of its kind, measuring worker and retiree confidence about retirement, and is conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research. The 2021 survey of 3,017 Americans was conducted online January 5 through January 25, 2021. All respondents were ages 25 or older. The survey included 1,507 workers and 1,510 retirees — which includes an oversample of roughly 500 completed surveys among Black Americans (252 workers and 253 retirees) and roughly...

US. How The Pandemic Has Impacted Retirement Confidence

In the 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research, 50% of workers and 72% of retirees say the COVID-19 pandemic has not changed their confidence in achieving a secure retirement. Still, 33% of workers and 25% of retirees say it’s made them somewhat or significantly less confident they will have enough to live comfortably throughout retirement. Among workers who feel less confident, 3 in 10 say the pandemic has negatively impacted...

US Department of Labor recovered more than $2.4B to employee benefit plans, participants, beneficiaries in fiscal year 2021

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has recovered more than $2.4 billion in direct payments to plans, participants and beneficiaries in fiscal year 2021. In FY 2021, EBSA closed 1,072 civil investigations with 741 of those investigations resulting in monetary results for plans or other corrective actions. The investigations led to 16,024 terminated vested participants in defined benefit plans collecting benefits of $1.548 billion owed to them. Terminated vested results represent a combination of the present values...

No pension. No savings. No future. No wonder we’re betting the house on crypto

By Rohit Thawani I must begin this article by stating that the information I’m providing is not financial advice. I think I legally have to say that because I heard it on a podcast or whatever, I really don’t know. But, if you’re taking crypto advice from me, that might be your first problem. It all started with a missed shot. Let’s go back to 2004, when I invested my $5,000 life savings into Apple, a company I truly believed in. It...

Pension funds can steer next level growth and development in Nigeria

In retrospect, it is widely attested that an active pension ecosystem effectively congregating players – a regulator, administrators, custodians, public and private sector employers and working-class persons across several age groups – is well established in Nigeria. The maturity of this industry relative to more advanced economies of the world like the US or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nonetheless, the pension industry globally has displayed great resilience, navigating the turbulence and whirlwinds: macroeconomic shocks, economic downturns,...

Nigeria. Pension schemes subscribers increased by 3.6% year-on-year in 2020 – PenCom

The National Pension Commission, PenCom, has disclosed that the total membership of the pension Schemes increased by 3.6% from 8.95 million from December 2019 to 9.3 million in December 2020. This is according to the Commission’s recently released 2020 Annual Report. Growth in the industry is said to have been triggered by factors such as increase in the level of compliance by the public and private sectors owing to steps taken by the commission to improve compliance and coverage, as well...

The State of Retirement Income: Safe Withdrawal Rates 

What’s a safe withdrawal rate for retirees? We estimate 3.3%. However, there are various factors that could affect this percentage, resulting in the retiree withdrawing a significantly higher amount. This report explores ways that retirees can make their savings last longer without compromising their standard of living. Source @Morningstar

UK. Huge increase in pension schemes with over £1bn

There has been a 90% increase in the number of UK pension schemes with over £1bn in assets since 2013, research by Barnett Waddingham has uncovered. In a report published today, the researchers also reveal how 55% of pensions schemes studied were closed to accrual this year, up from just 15% eight years ago. Expansion of pension scheme assets has meant more significant challenges for trustees and employers at a time when there’s about to be a step change in regulatory...