June 2021

Why retirees need to heed the ‘sequence-of-returns risk’ in their portfolios

When world markets took a nosedive in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, many investors worried about the hit they saw on their returns in monthly statements. Those in the early days of retirement were particularly lucky that the pandemic-driven plummet proved to be short-lived. A prolonged downturn of that magnitude at the start of the period when you’re drawing on investments can have disastrous consequences on your long-term portfolio performance, experts say. Still, there are pre-retirement strategies that...

US. 401k Savings, Account Balances Grew During Pandemic

Closed restaurants and movie theaters meant more disposable income for retirement savings during the pandemic. T. Rowe Price is out with its annual Reference Point 401k benchmarking report featuring year-over-year data and analysis on participant behavior and plan design, and the results were positive, all things considered. “While the financial, physical, and emotional strains caused by the pandemic had, and will continue to have, repercussions on plan design and retirement savings outcomes, it was encouraging to see that through it all,...

May 2021

African Demographics Changing Rapidly, Forcing To Re-Think Pensions

Africa has long been known for its youthful population, and while the continent will continue to have the largest youth cohort in the world, they’ll live longer than their forebearers, according to the latest Bright Africa pensions research from RisCura, a global investment firm. Read also Investing in an Ageing Population The research shows that longevity expectations have changed dramatically, thanks to better nutrition, medical advances and overall improvements in the general standard of living. Read also Shock retirement numbers for South...

Shock retirement numbers for South Africa

Representatives of the retirement and savings industry presented their submissions to parliament on Wednesday (19 May) on the Democratic Alliance’s proposed Pensions Funds Amendment Bill. The bill aims to amend the current Pension Funds Act to allow pension fund members to obtain a loan, secured by a guarantee from a registered pension fund, to alleviate financial pressure during an emergency. In this case, the bill makes direct reference to the Covid-19 emergency or any other emergency similar to Covid-19. By enabling a...

UK. Regulators ask industry for help on improving pension saving

The City watchdog and the Pensions Regulator have teamed up to investigate how people make decisions about their pension at key points throughout their working lives, in order to better support savers through future regulation. Read also UK. TPR sets three priorities in its new corporate plan The regulators today (May 18) launched a call for input from the pension industry on what influences consumers when saving into a pension and how they can be better supported to improve their pension...

US. What a Year Without Retirement Savings Can Do to Participant Outcomes

As americans faced financial hits related to the COVID-19 pandemic, their retirement savings might have suffered. Many employees were laid off or furloughed, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act made it possible for retirement plan participants to tap into their savings through increased distribution and loan amounts if they needed the money to make ends meet. Read also Retirement Planning Not A Priority For New Zealanders Fidelity Investments’ Pandemic Impact research, conducted last September, found employees were...

Australia Considers Paying Pensions on Parental Leave Program

Australia could chip into the pension funds of eligible workers who take up its 18 weeks of paid parental leave, just not yet, amid criticism the government isn’t doing enough to ensure women are financially secure in retirement. The policy was changed last year to also pay fathers to take time out of the workforce to help raise kids, however it hasn’t yet had time to “manifest,” Jane Hume, minister for superannuation and newly-installed minister for women’s economic security, told...

April 2021

The Potential Financial Silver Lining of the Pandemic

To say the last year has been unprecedented might be the understatement of the century. It is hard to imagine anyone who has not been impacted in some manner, some far more than others, by the pandemic. Personal finances are no exception as the volatility of the past year remains front and center for many despite recent market recovery. However, something interesting is happening. Many people are doing what their financial professionals have been asking them to do since their...

Engaging young people to tackle the pensions and climate crises

They may well have checked their bank accounts on their phone in the last 24 hours, but I bet they haven’t checked their pension online. Perhaps they can’t do that, even if they wanted to. The fact is that for the majority of people pensions just don’t feature in their everyday thinking and they’re certainly not viewed as an issue to worry about – especially if you’re young. The economy (52%), health (46%) and the environment (40%) are the three...

UK. Pension communications ‘failing to engage’ more women than men

The FCA's Financial Lives research revealed 60% of women are unaware of the charges on their defined contribution (DC) pension compared to 44% of men, while 57% of women have not reviewed how much their pension is worth in the last 12 months compared to 46% of men. Additionally, 14% of women admitted they do not read their annual statement, more than double the 6% of men who do not read it. More than half of women (53%) did not choose...