October 2024

China state pension recoups losses, posts positive return in 2023

China’s national pension fund reversed its 2022 losses, achieving a 1% investment return in 2023 despite a domestic market downturn, thanks to a diversified portfolio. Though it ranked as the worst annual performer among state-owned investors globally, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) maintained robust long-term investment performance, with a 10-year average annual return of 6.4%, standing out among Asian peers. In 2023, the national pension fund recorded an investment return of Rmb25 billion ($3.5 billion), or 0.96%, including a realised...

$1.5 Trillion U.K. Pension Fund Eyes Entry into Crypto Tokenization

Legal & General (L&G), a major UK-based pension and investment management firm, is considering entering the blockchain tokenization market. With $1.5 trillion in assets under management, the company is considering how it can package its Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) liquidity funds in a tokenized manner. Tokenization is the process of transforming tangible assets such as property, natural resources such as oil and gas and even paintings into digital tokens. This makes it possible for the average investor to own...

Life expectancy may be reaching upper limits—for now

By William Mair     A paper published in Nature Aging earlier this month concluded that it’s unlikely that we will see significant leaps in human life expectancy this century. William Mair, professor of molecular metabolism at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, shares what researchers know about the biology of aging, the importance of improving health span, and the need to take moonshots. Q: What did the study find and what conclusions can we draw from it? A: The study looks back at advances in...

México. SNTE propone reforma a Ley del ISSSTE

El secretario general del Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE), Alfonso Cepeda Salas, aseguró que mantendrá la lucha para que mejoren las condiciones de todos los trabajadores, así como las pensiones. Dijo que insistirá en la reforma a la Ley del ISSSTE 2007 y el incremento al número de UMA como tope salarial en las jubilaciones. En cuanto al magisterio, indicó que, entre otras acciones, se revisará a fondo la Ley General del Sistema para la Carrera de las...

República Dominicana. Patrimonio de los fondos de pensiones sigue creciendo

El patrimonio total de los fondos de pensiones en el país alcanzó un nuevo récord al cierre de septiembre de este año. Se situó en aproximadamente RD$1.34 billones (exactamente 1 billón 341,442 millones 861,518.89 pesos). Es un reflejo del crecimiento constante desde el inicio del año. A la vez refleja la salud del sistema de pensiones dominicano. Desde enero, mes en que el patrimonio total era de RD$1.23 billones, el crecimiento ha sido sostenido a lo largo de los meses. En...

UK. DWP to give £812 to some benefit claimants

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is providing a new loan scheme that offers people on benefits an additional £812 boost. This measure, launched by the government department, is designed to further support benefit claimants throughout this year. According to the DWP, recipients of the loan are not required to pay back the sum immediately. The Department has stated, "A Budgeting Loan is interest-free so you only pay back what you borrow. The repayments will be taken automatically from...

The problem of aging is intensifying in Korean rural areas. In particular, in the case of rice farme.

71.1% of rice farmers aged 65 or older majority of people in their 70s and older Rice consumption per person has decreased by 14.8 kg over 12 years. The problem of aging is intensifying in Korean rural areas. In particular, in the case of rice farmers, more than 70% of elderly farmers aged 65 or older were found. According to the "Rice Consumption Trend Analysis" published by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation on the 21st, the proportion of farmers aged 65...

Reform for Turkish pension system urged amid inflation, early retirement, population aging

Amidst the high cost of living, a culture of early retirement, and a demographic outlook featuring population aging and a low birth rate, Türkiye's pension system is under great pressure and requires urgent reforms, experts have said. According to the state-managed Social Security Institution (SGK), some 16.4 million people receive retirement and old-age pensions in Türkiye, a country with a population of over 85 million. However, as data from Türkiye's Retirees Association showed, about one-fourth of all those retirees continue to...

Can’t wait to give up work? Why some people are not the retiring type

Ageing populations require a shake up of our pension systems, but fair and effective changes require an understanding of older workers. Across Europe, raising pension ages is a necessary - yet incendiary - conversation. As life expectancies increase, so does the ratio of pensioners to workers, ultimately resulting in mounting pressure on state budgets. In countries where retirement reforms have sparked controversy, one argument continues to resurface. Raising the state pension age, many argue, can't be a 'one-size fits-all' approach. Due to disparities...

In France, senior citizens are (almost) king

It was highly symbolic. In the space of a few days, France went from having the youngest prime minister of the Fifth Republic, 35-year-old Gabriel Attal, to the oldest, Michel Barnier, 73. Beyond the political context, this change carries a particular significance at a time when the country is quietly going through a profound transformation: It is aging – and quickly. To prove the point, centenarians, rare 30 years ago, are now almost commonplace: There are around 30,000 of...