April 2024

Social security developments and trends – Europe 2024

By International Social Security Association Europe has historically been home to some of the most advanced social security systems in the world. Many countries in the region provide comprehensive, adequate protection against common life cycle and labour market risks for the vast majority of the population. Widespread protection of individuals over the life course enables social security systems to play a key role in ensuring economic and social stability in the face of large-scale shocks. Despite these broad protections, notable...

Trust & Confidence Index 2023

By Trafalgar House  The Trust & Confidence Index gauges the trust and confidence levels of more than 2,000 individuals annually, serving as a benchmark for the public's perception of the pensions industry. The index assesses the pensions sector against other financial services, identifies factors influencing trust levels, and determines which service areas people consider significant. Additionally, the analysis probes individuals' attitudes toward their retirement decisions and plans. Get the report here

2024 Corporate Pension Funding Study

By Zorast Wadia & Alan Perry The 2024 edition of the Milliman Corporate Pension Funding Study (PFS) is our 24th annual analysis of the financial disclosures of the 100 U.S. public companies sponsoring the largest defined benefit (DB) pension plans. These 100 companies are ranked highest to lowest by the value of their pension assets as of the end of fiscal year (FY) 2023. These values have been reported to the public, to shareholders, and to the U.S. federal agencies...

Pension Fund Trustees and Fiduciary Duties: Decision-making in the context of Sustainability and the subject of Climate Change

By Financial Markets Law Committee For pension funds, setting investment strategy, principles and policies and making investment decisions have all become more challenging in the context of sustainability and the subject of climate change.  This has given rise to renewed uncertainty over what the “fiduciary duties” or trust duties owed by trustees of pension funds require in this context. Since the pensions sector is a major allocator of capital, legal uncertainties affecting pension fund trustees have the potential to adversely affect...

Progress and priorities: reviewing sustainability in key pension systems

Pension funds are long-term investors and their ability to generate long-term returns relies on the performance of the markets and economies in which they invest. Because sustainability factors such as climate change and biodiversity loss threaten the performance of the markets and economies on which they rely for financial returns, pension funds have a responsibility to consider whether sustainability-related risks will inhibit their ability to protect long-term value and provide an adequate pension to their members or beneficiaries. Accordingly,...

Retirement insecurity 2024 americans’ views of retirement

By Dan Doonan & Kelly Kenneally T he ground is shifting when it comes to retirement. Most Americans are experiencing increased financial pressures "I am scared to be broke." Dream. Eighty-three percent of Americans say that all workers should have a pension so they can be and low levels of retirement savings. Amid growing concerns about Americans’ retirement readiness, policymakers recently enacted measures to help address the grave savings shortfall. On the federal level, Congress passed important retirement legislation in...

The future of life expectancy

By Prachi Patkee & Adam Strange Human longevity is one of the great success stories of the past century, and there is broad consensus that there are further gains to come. Mortality improvement forecasts underpin the insurance industry's long-term mortality and longevity lines of business. To generate long term forecasts, defined as beyond 20 years, a holistic view of the factors that influence mortality, which combine analyses of historic trends with a forward-looking view of medical advances, societal changes and...

2023 Corporate Pension Funding Study

By Zorast Wadia, Alan H. Perry & Richard J. Botelli Jr The 2023 edition of the Milliman Corporate Pension Funding Study (PFS) is our 23rd annual analysis of the financial disclosures of the 100 U.S. public companies sponsoring the largest defined benefit (DB) pension plans. These 100 companies are ranked highest to lowest by the value of their pension assets as of the end of fiscal year (FY) 2022. These values have been reported to the public, to shareholders, and to...

March 2024

Global top 300 pension funds

By Thinking Ahead Institute The global top 300 pension funds is an annual study conducted by the Thinking Ahead Institute, in conjunction with Pensions and Investments. The research highlights high-level trends in the pension fund industry and provides information on how the characteristics of these top funds have changed. Get the report here