August 2025
28Aug

Financial regret at older ages and longevity awareness

By Abigail Hurwitz & Olivia S. Mitchell To investigate financial regret among older Americans, we conduct a controlled experiment in the Health and Retirement Study. We document that many older people regret not having bought longevity protection or long-term care insurance, as well as having retired and claimed social security benefits too early. This is especially true for women, Black, and less wealthy older individuals. Additionally, we find that informing participants about objective survival probabilities boosts regret by 43% regarding not...

August 28, 2025
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28Aug

US. BlackRock decries ‘politicizing’ pension fund management

Top asset manager BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab on Wednesday pushed back against pressure from U.S. Republican and Democratic officials, saying both sides have injected politics into the running of retirement assets and it only seeks to fulfill its fiduciary duties to clients. The message isn't new but it came in an unusual memo the company sent to 43 state treasurers, auditors and other officials of both major political parties, seen by Reuters. In late July, 26 Republicans signed on to a letter, opens...

August 28, 2025
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25Aug

US. Bitcoin 401(k)s thrill crypto investors but carry serious risks

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 7, allowing crypto in 401(k) retirement plans. The crypto industry has called the move a win for adoption, but investment professionals warn it comes with significant risk. The order “Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors” directed US financial regulators to expand access to crypto and private companies in 401(k) plans. The 401(k) employee-sponsored investment scheme is one of the most popular retirement plans in the US. As of 2024,...

August 25, 2025
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22Aug

US. Texas state pension funds face benchmark dilemma over banned investments

The Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS) is set to switch to a custom benchmark from Bloomberg allowing it to exclude the long list of companies it is banned from investing in from performance comparisons. Texan statewide pension funds are currently prohibited from investing in companies allegedly boycotting fossil fuel or Israeli investments, or that allegedly have operations in Iran. Lists of such firms are determined by the state’s comptroller. The comptroller also directed funds to divest from China late last year. Separate...

August 22, 2025
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21Aug

US. How 401(K)s Can Perpetuate Wealth Inequality

The 401(k) plan was never meant to become the backbone of U.S. retirement security. When it emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was pitched as a tax-deferred perk for executives and other white-collar workers.1 But four decades on, 401(k)s dominate private-sector retirement savings offerings, covering two-thirds of workers with access to a plan and holding $9 trillion in assets. Yet their benefits still tilt upward: Higher-income employees, who naturally rely less on their complete paycheck to get...

August 21, 2025
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20Aug

US. Adiós a la jubilación a los 67 años: la nueva edad para recibir pagos y pensiones

La posibilidad de que la jubilación a los 67 años se convierta en un recuerdo del pasado está tomando fuerza. Con el cambio en la demografía, el aumento en la esperanza de vida y la presión creciente sobre las finanzas de la Seguridad Social, Estados Unidos se encuentra en la antesala de un cambio de política que podría elevar la edad de jubilación plena (FRA) para acceder a los beneficios de este sistema. En la actualidad, la FRA varía entre 66 y 67 años, dependiendo del año en que una persona nació. Sin embargo, legisladores y...

August 20, 2025
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20Aug

US Pensions Will Ride Stock Rally to Reach 12% Gains, S&P Says

US public retirement funds will outperform typical investment expectations as they profit from strong stock returns, S&P Global Ratings said in a recent report. Analysts expect pensions to generate returns of 11% to 12% for the fiscal year that ended in June, driven by steep jumps in stock prices. These gains would be in spite of a dip that occurred in April, when the S&P 500 shed more than $5.4 trillion in two trading sessions after investors reacted to President...

August 20, 2025
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20Aug

US. Multiemployer Pensions Reach Historic Full Funding Status

U.S. defined benefit multiemployer pensions have been fully funded for the first time in the history of Millman’s Multiemployer Pension Funding Study, the firm reported today. The funding level improved by three percentage points, up from 97% as of December 31, 2024, to 100% as of June 30, an all-time high since the inception of the study in 2007. Milliman’s data are based on standard actuarial assumptions and data in the latest Form 5500 filings from all U.S. multiemployer plans. The funding shortfall...

August 20, 2025
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19Aug

US. New Portable Benefits Bill Aims To Help Gig Workers, But Worker Classification Still Matters

Senator Bill Cassidy (R- IL) uncovered the Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act to prevent gig worker misclassification. Under this legislation, companies will be able to voluntarily offer portable benefits without employing gig workers and having to pay for unemployment insurance, overtime pay, and workers' compensation. For some time, there has been a disagreement between labor advocates and large companies like Uber or Lyft over portable benefits. Gig workers have been advocating for worker protections, while larger companies have fought back, deeming them...

August 19, 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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