May 2023

Kenya. ICEA Life Assurance gets regulatory approval to manage NSSF pensions

ICEA Lion Life Assurance has become the latest private pension provider to obtain the approval of the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) to manage NSSF contributions by employees earning more than Sh18,000, also known as Tier II contributions. The underwriter who is part of the ICEA Lion Group has made the disclosure as it lures employers who opt out of the NSSF as a custodian of the higher-tier pension contributions. “Our team is dedicated to assisting employers with the opt-out procedure. With...

Switzerland. Funds from the second pillar – the pension funds are struggling with low returns

Turbulence in the economy and on the financial markets – the pension institutes are also feeling the effects. Last year was not a good one for pension funds. This is shown in the annual report of the Supervisory Commission on occupational pensions. In particular, the fall in share prices has meant that many pension funds have made losses. The majority of these losses could be absorbed thanks to their reserves, but by no means all, as Vera Kupper sums up. 1.1 trillion...

México. Julio César Cervantes, nuevo presidente de la Consar

El secretario de Hacienda, Rogelio Ramírez de la O, nombró a Julio César Cervantes Parra como nuevo presidente de la Comisión Nacional del Sistema de Ahorro para el Retiro (Consar). Actuario por la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y maestro en Economía por el Colegio de México, cuenta con Masters en Seguridad Social Europea por la Universidad Católica de Lovaina en Bélgica, y en Dirección y Gestión de Planes y Fondos de Pensiones por la Organización Iberoamericana de la Seguridad...

Colombia. Regresó el apetito de los fondos de pensiones y cesantías a la Bolsa de Valores local

Los fondos de pensiones y cesantías fueron los mayores compradores en la Bolsa de Valores de Colombia por primera vez en ocho meses, con un monto neto de compra de $108.144 millones. Este monto, según las estimaciones de Investigaciones Bancolombia, representó 13% del total de los flujos del mes. Esto es explicado por los expertos porque “la corrección en las tasas de interés por el exceso de liquidez de las entidades financieras, la baja popularidad de las reformas y el...

Chile. Acciones de las AFP encabezan las ganancias en la Bolsa de Santiago

Las acciones de las AFP encabezan las ganancias de este lunes en la Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago, luego de los resultados de la jornada de ayer. El IPSA -principal indicador de la plaza local- avanza un robusto 2,61% hasta los 5.623,69 puntos, lo que se suma una inflación que en abril retornó a un dígito después de 13 meses. En un ambiente en donde prácticamente todos los papeles de la bolsa se negocian al alza, los de las AFP son...

Perú. Gobierno establecerá una pensión mínima en el régimen pesquero

En abril, el Gobierno aprobó establecer un monto mínimo de las prestaciones previsionales en el Régimen Especial de Pensiones para los Trabajadores Pesqueros (REP) y de la Transferencia Directa al Expescador (TDEP) a través de la ley del crédito suplementario. A la fecha está pendiente que el Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas (MEF) emita el decreto supremo que defina cuál será el monto de la pensión mínima, de dónde provendrá su financiamiento, entre otros detalles. "En la última ley que...

US. Corporate contributions could be a thing of the past

U.S. corporations are continuing to lower their expected contributions to their pension plans in 2023 as more and more plans reach full funded status. The companies behind the 100 largest corporate pension funds plan to contribute a total of up to $12.5 billion in 2023, according to Pensions & Investments' analysis, compared to $16.2 billion contributed in 2022. The data reflect the companies' expected contributions disclosed in their 10-K filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For S&P 500 companies overall, 28...

India’s pension scheme returns ‘exceedingly good’ versus benchmarks – regulator

India's national pension scheme offers "exceedingly good" returns of 9-12%, compared to most benchmarks, a top official at the pension fund regulator said on Tuesday. The National Pension Scheme, adopted in 2004, has recently come under criticism for inadequate returns, leading to a few state governments reverting to an earlier pension plan considered fiscally unviable. Following this, the federal government set up a committee to review the country's pension system. "The equity scheme, since inception, has given an annual return of close...

Impact of Spain’s Aging Population: Demographic Shift’s Effect on Major Sectors

Spain is a beautiful country known for its vibrant culture, stunning landscapes, and delicious cuisine. However, behind this facade lies a looming issue that threatens to shake the very foundation of Spanish society: an aging population. This demographic shift is having a profound impact on the country’s economy, social services, and overall way of life. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, with the proportion of seniors projected to rise to 25% by 2050. As per the...

Belgium’s recovery plan blocked by pension reform stalemate

Belgium still has not made progress on the thorny pension reform issue even though it would unlock much-needed EU funds under the country’s recovery plan. On Monday, the government decided to increase its borrowing by €408 million to implement the Federal pillar of the recovery plan, Belgian news media La Libre reported. However, while the European Union paid Belgium €770 million of the €850 million of the first tranche in advance, the country was forced to postpone its first formal payment...