March 2024

The next stage of ESG evolution in the pension landscape

By Investment Institute A juggernaut that’s losing momentum or just refiring its engine? This question on ESG investing has come to the fore due to a confluence of exceptional events in 2022. After meeting investors’ return expectations since the 2015 Paris Agreement, last year’s savage bear market hit a broad range of investment strategies, no matter their intrinsic merits. ESG was no exception. The episode showed that ESG investments are exposed to periodic setbacks due to a larger dynamic that has little to do with...

OECD/INFE 2023 International Survey of Adult Financial Literacy

By OECD Understanding current levels of financial literacy and needs is key for the effective development of financial literacy strategies and programmes. This report presents the results of an international survey of financial literacy levels among adults. A total of 39 countries and economies, of which 20 are OECD member countries, participated in this third coordinated measurement exercise using the globally recognized OECD/INFE 2022 Toolkit for Measuring Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion to measure financial literacy levels among their adult...

The gender pensions gap report 2024

By Joanne Segars, Lizzy Holliday & Laura Wilkinson The gender pensions gap- the difference in pension savings wealth between men and women at retirement age - is substantial. Allowing for typical working patterns, women's pension wealth is a third (33%) less, relative to men. These figures are the result of a lifetime of reduced earnings potential, increased time out of the workforce and other contributory factors. To bridge this gap themselves, women would need to work an extra 19 years in...

Final report: Engaging with Pensions at timely moments

By Department for Work & Pensions The research achieves this by exploring people’s attitudes and behaviour with regards to pensions, saving, and retirement planning; identifying whether specific life events might be useful prompts to help people engage with their pensions; and looking at how the government and the pensions industry could best support people at these times. Get the report here

Pension Funding Index February 2024

By Zorast Wadia The funded status of the 100 largest U.S. corporate defined benefit pension plans increased by $12 billion during January as measured by the Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index (PFI). The funding surplus improved to $40 billion as a result of liability decreases that outweighed asset losses during the month. Pension liabilities fell due to an increase in the benchmark corporate bond interest rates used to value those liabilities. As of January 31, the plans’ funded ratio climbed...

February 2024

Closing the Gap: The Role of Public Pensions in Reducing Retirement Inequality

By Nari Rhee This study analyzes the impact of defined benefit pensions, especially public pensions, on retirement income security and wealth distribution by race, gender, and educational attainment in the U.S. It serves as a companion report to Closing the Gap fact sheets, which are designed to inform the public about the social equity impact of pensions in each state and the District of Columbia. Get the report here

Aging Europe

By Eurostat In this interactive report, Eurostat presents us with the most relevant statistics on the aging population of the European Union, covering aspects such as working life, living conditions, access to health and income. All these statistics are accessible at the regional level and by country in the European Union. Get the report here

What could effective pensions engagement look like?

By Pensions Policy Institute This report, kindly sponsored by Standard Life, builds on the findings of the Briefing Note 136 - What is the role of engagement in pensions?, sets out the broad range of factors that can impact the level of engagement that can feasibly be achieved, the benefits and risks associated with engagement and the ways in which engagement strategies could be strengthened, including what other support may be needed for those who are less likely to become...

The Role of AI to Enhance Retirement Savings: The Gender Gap Challenge

By Anabel Martínez Colín AI is the biggest disruptor in the financial sector, where there are many AI solutions at work, and the role of AI over it is well documented. However, the deployment of AI in the pension segment is still at an exploratory stage, and its influence on the gender gap in pensions is still unclear. This research explores the relationship between AI readiness and the gender gap in pensions (GGP), which may also be statistically significant. In addition,...

The Purpose of Pensions

By Tom Shields & Jesse Griffiths  The pensions the system needs major reform: it is not delivering decent, secure retirement incomes for all, it excludes far too many, and it is not playing a big enough role in delivering a just, green transition, or supporting an inclusive, sustainable and productive economy. This paper reviews all proposals for change, and recommends five key sets of reforms that could ensure that the pensions system works for people, the economy, and the environment. Get...