July 2024

U.S. states are ordering their pension funds to sell their China investments

As state treasurer, Vivek Malek pushed Missouri’s main retirement system to pull its investments from Chinese companies, making Missouri among the first nationally to do so. Now Malek is touting the Chinese divestment as he seeks reelection in an Aug. 6 Republican primary against challengers who also are denouncing financial connections to China. The Missouri treasurer’s race highlights a new facet of opposition to China, which has been cast as a top threat to the U.S. by many candidates seeking...

US. AARP reveals proposals for national plan on aging

AARP, the interest group advocating for the wellbeing of older Americans, revealed in a policy paper this month its priorities for a national plan on aging that sufficiently recognizes the changing demographics of the U.S. population, and the trend that will see 20% of all Americans become at least the age of 65 by 2030. “While other countries are responding to these changes by developing and implementing national strategic plans to help them meet the challenges and maximize opportunities to increase...

US. NJ lanza programa de ahorro para la jubilación para trabajadores sin acceso a un plan de retiro

Estas son buenas noticias para los trabajadores del Estado Jardín que buscan lograr ahorrar dinero para cuando llegue el momento de su retiro. Esto debido a que millones de empleados en Nueva Jersey ahora podrán ahorrar para una jubilación gracias al lanzamiento del programa de ahorro para la jubilación RetireReady NJ que es administrada por Vestwell, una plataforma líder de ahorro individual y para empleadores. Este recurso es administrado por el estado y busca ayudar a los trabajadores que no...

U.S. public pension funds earn 10-year median return of 15.2% from private equity

Private equity produced a median annualized return of 15.2% over 10 years for U.S. public pension funds, according to a report by the American Investment Council, a private equity manager trade group. The AIC report examines the private equity investments of 200 U.S. public pension funds for the years December 2021 to December 2023, with most dates as of June 30, 2023. The U.S. public pension fund earning the highest private equity return was the $6.4 billion Vermont State Retirement Systems, with...

How Gen X Can Catch Up on Retirement Savings

Generation X—the cohort of people born between 1965 and 1980—is now squarely in middle age. This phase often brings worries about aging, mortality, and a general decline in overall life satisfaction. Retirement preparedness is another major worry. Based on BlackRock’s 2024 Read on Retirement report, only 60% of survey respondents in this generation believe they’re on track to retire with the lifestyle they want, compared with 77% for Generation Z, 72% for millennials, and 68% for baby boomers. Another survey from Transamerica puts some additional context...

How U.S. pension funds help Putin’s gas gambit

Russia needs to ramp up liquefied natural gas exports to replenish Kremlin coffers and fund its war in Ukraine. Western pension funds may inadvertently be lending a hand. Data compiled by investigative consultancy Data Desk and the Anti-Corruption Data Collective show that public retirement funds, including those managed by the states of Washington, New York and California, have indirectly invested in the specialized ice-class carriers serving Russia’s Yamal LNG — the country’s largest active gas export terminal and a vital...

Most US adults worry about future of Medicare, Social Security, Gallup poll finds: ‘Magnitude of concern’

Adults in the U.S. are more worried than ever about whether Medicare and Social Security benefits will be available when they need them. In response to a Gallup poll released in June, 75% of adults age 65 and younger said they are “worried” or “extremely worried” about lack of Medicare availability, according to a press release. When it comes to Social Security benefits, 80% of survey respondents said the same. HEALTH CARE IS ‘OVERWHELMINGLY COMPLEX’ FOR OLDER ADULTS, EXPERTS SAY: ‘EVER-INCREASING HURDLE’ Both of those percentages...

What The U.S.’s Largest Pension Fund Can Teach About Investing Right Now

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. CalPERS, the California Public Employees' Retirement System, is the nation’s largest pension fund and one of the largest private equity investors in the world. With over two million members relying on its every move, the organization takes its investing very seriously. Its most recent report gives us a window on what is and isn’t paying off for it right now and what investors...

US. Rallying Stock Market May Help Public Pensions Reduce Shortfall This Year, Study Finds

KEY TAKEAWAYS State and local government-sponsored employer pension funds are projected to earn a 7.4% market return this year. However, these pension funds still face a long-run funding shortfall of more than $1 trillion, according to a new study by a nonprofit think tank working with the public retirement system. Public pension funds have increased their investments in hedge funds, private capital, and real estate to boost returns. It’s been a good year for pension funds. While public pension funds...

US. The $25 Trillion System of Retirement Savings Needs Fixing

Few Americans today know much about Studebaker or Packard automobiles. Classic car aficionados recall their sleek, innovative designs, but the brands are also a reminder of another bygone era: the traditional defined benefit pension. Studebaker and Packard merged in 1954 and later went out of business. Their pension plans were terminated, leaving thousands of workers without their expected benefits. That, along with other pension plan failures, prompted efforts to make retirement savings safer, culminating in federal legislation that has shaped much...