April 2022

UK. Benefits and state pension increase outpaced by rising prices
11Apr

UK. Benefits and state pension increase outpaced by rising prices

A 3.1% rise in the state pension and various benefits has now taken effect but charities have warned it fails to tackle cost of living pressures. Official figures show that prices are rising twice as fast, and they are expected accelerate further. Read also UK. Can retirement savers make their pension greener? The government said it recognised people's difficulties and was helping. Late last year, ministers decided to temporarily cut the state pension's link to average earnings, which would have led to an...

April 11, 2022
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08Apr

UK. Penfold: London weighting – how the capital is adopting better saving habits

New research released today from Penfold, the digital pensions platform, reveals Londoners are the least likely group in the UK to spend more than they save each month, despite the higher cost of living in the capital. Half (50%) of those in London say they spend more on non-essentials including eating out and events, the lowest of any region and compared to 64% of people in the East Midlands, 66% in Wales and 62% in the South East (see...

April 8, 2022
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ESG and Private Market Assets: Pension and Insurance Investors Shifting the Trillions (2022 – 2026)
07Apr

ESG and Private Market Assets: Pension and Insurance Investors Shifting the Trillions (2022 – 2026)

By M. Nicolas J. Firzli, Nick Sherry & Guan Seng Khoo The co-authors of the article, are amongst the original coiners of term such as “infrastructure as an asset class” and “pension superpowers.” They also predicted, at the onset of the Covid Crisis, that a “historic realignment on the asset allocation front is happening precisely at the moment when ESG is moving centre stage: even in once staunchly neoliberal jurisdictions like Texas, Alaska or Switzerland, the smart money is betting...

April 7, 2022
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UK. How to think about sustainable investing for the long term
07Apr

UK. How to think about sustainable investing for the long term

Although funds that broadly fit within the environmental, social and governance universe have grown rapidly in recent years – to the point where they now account for around 5 per cent of the total assets of UK retail funds – in a world of exceptional volatility, can an adviser really think long term about sustainable investing? For Kate Elliot, head of ethical, sustainable and impact research at Rathbone Greenbank Investments, the regulatory outlook for providers is unlikely to look radically...

April 7, 2022
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06Apr

UK. Most auto-enrolment pension savers and employers are still anchored to the minimum rate

It’s nearly 10 years since automatic enrolment was launched amid great fanfare; TV adverts featuring famous bosses such as Baroness Brady and Theo Paphitis were part of a huge Government drive which has seen 10.6 million workers enrol in a workplace pension scheme, saving an additional £28.5bn towards their futures. Despite this rip-roaring success, there remains the question of whether the average auto-enrolment member is saving enough for the retirement they want. The Pension Commission, which paved the way for auto-enrolment,...

April 6, 2022
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UK. How to prepare for the Pension Schemes Act
05Apr

UK. How to prepare for the Pension Schemes Act

New pension regulations will come into force this year. What will they mean for trustees, employers and savers? Further provisions of the Pension Schemes Act 2021 are set to come into force in 2022, aimed at protecting the retirement funds of savers in defined benefit (DB) pension schemes. What will this mean for trustees, employers and savers, and how can they prepare? The new notifiable events regime is the most pressing agenda item for scheme trustees and employers in their role...

April 5, 2022
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04Apr

UK. Majority of young savers adverse to risk in their pensions

Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of savers aged 18-30 feel they can afford to take on some risk with their pensions, even though they are many years away from retirement, new analysis from PensionBee has revealed. The survey, which included responses from over 500 British savers, discovered that only 7 per cent of young savers reported that they were currently invested in a high-risk pension scheme, despite having the longest time horizon to recoup any losses. PensionBee also found...

April 4, 2022
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March 2022
31Mar

Class of 2022

By abrdn Our second iteration of the Class of report series paints a picture of what the Class of 2022 have in store for their retirement – from how they plan to spend their time to how prepared they are forwhat is to come. We’ve also spoken to those who retired in 2021 to see how they’ve got on in their first year of retirement and if there’s anything they’d do differently. The Class of series surveys 2,000 UK adults who are...

March 31, 2022
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31Mar

UK. Flexi-retirement increasingly common due to gig economy

Flexi-retirement is becoming increasingly common, as more and more retirees are opting to work part-time in the gig economy. According to a new report from Abrdn, two thirds of people retiring in 2022 do not plan on giving up work completely. This compares to just over half of those who retired in 2021 and a third of 2020 retirees. The report, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults, reveals how the “class of 2022” plan to spend their and money in retirement. A quarter said...

March 31, 2022
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Climate campaigners condemn award to East Sussex Pension Fund
31Mar

Climate campaigners condemn award to East Sussex Pension Fund

Climate campaigners have condemned the decision to give an award for ‘LGPS [Local Government Pension Scheme] Fund of the Year’ to the East Sussex Pension Fund, saying that the Fund has failed one of the most basic litmus tests for such an award: namely, a public commitment to fully divest from the giant fossil fuel (oil, coal and gas) companies that are driving the climate crisis. The award was bestowed at the ‘LAPF [Local Authority Pension Fund] Investments Awards’...

March 31, 2022
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