March 2017

03Mar

World’s Biggest Pension Fund Posts Record $92 Billion Gain

The world’s biggest pension fund posted the biggest quarterly gain in its history as Japanese stocks surged and a plunge in the yen boosted overseas investments after Donald Trump’s election victory. The Government Pension Investment Fund returned 8 percent, or 10.5 trillion yen ($92 billion), in the three months ended Dec. 31, increasing assets to 144.8 trillion yen, it said in Tokyo on Friday. Domestic equities added 4.6 trillion yen after the benchmark Topix index recorded its best quarterly performance...

March 3, 2017
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03Mar

Macron takes aim at pension reform, lawmakers, in campaign manifesto

Presidential challenger Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said he would root out inequalities in France's pension system, sell government stakes in major firms and downsize parliament as he sought to silence critics who say his bid is thin on substance. Macron, a former investment banker running as an independent centrist, is favorite to win the unpredictable race in a May runoff against far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Macron owes some of his status as frontrunner to a financial scandal plaguing his other...

March 3, 2017
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02Mar

Hundreds of thousands drift towards costly pensions tax trap

Almost a year after the reduction of the pension lifetime allowance to £1m, growing numbers of workers risk tax shocks because they are unknowingly on course to exceed this limit. Workers in their 40s and 50s with previous final salary type pension benefits are most at risk. Rising stock markets and baffling rules make it hard for people to appreciate the danger. Despite calls to scrap the lifetime allowance, which has been called a tax on good investment performance, the Government...

March 2, 2017
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02Mar

Top 4 retirement saving ideas

It's America Saves Week, an annual reminder for us all to put good savings habits into practice. Wondering where to start? We asked over 1,000 401(k) investors in our latest DC Pulse Survey . Here are their top retirement saving tips-and advice on how to make them your own. 1. Don't wait until it's raining to fix the roof. Confidence in retirement savings is up 64% compared to last year's survey , in part, because recent investment performance has been relatively...

March 2, 2017
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02Mar

PENCOM applauds Kaduna State on successful implementation of Pension Scheme

The Director General (DG), National Pension Commission; Chinelo Anohu-Amazu has commended the Kaduna State Government on the commencement of payment of retirement benefit under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in Kaduna State. According to a statement, the state Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai was also praised for not only sustaining the policy of previous administrations in the State on pension administration, but injecting a new lease of life into it and ensuring that the change process is accentuated and consummated. The...

March 2, 2017
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02Mar

Dominic Chappell to fight legal action forcing him to pay BHS pensions

Dominic Chappell, the last owner of BHS, has pledged to fight legal action by the Pensions Regulator designed to force him to pay millions of pounds into the failed retailer’s pension scheme, saying the black hole in the scheme was not his fault. The regulator has agreed a £363m cash settlement with Sir Philip Green to rescue the BHS pension scheme and halted legal proceedings against the billionaire. However, it is continuing with legal action against Chappell and his company...

March 2, 2017
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02Mar

Public remains divided over role of government in financial regulation

As Donald Trump and congressional Republicans take steps to roll back Obama-era financial regulations, the public remains divided over whether regulations of financial institutions have gone too far or not gone far enough. Overall, about half of Americans (49%) say “the government has not gone far enough in regulating financial institutions and markets, leaving the country at risk of another financial crisis,” while 42% say the government has gone too far, “making it harder for the economy to grow.” These...

March 2, 2017
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02Mar

Retirement savings: Rule is delayed that would force advisors to do the best thing for their clients

The Labor Department is formally proposing to delay the implementation of the so-called fiduciary rule, a key consumer protection championed by President Barack Obama and others. The rule requires retirement advisors to put their clients' best interest first, but industry groups don't like the regulation and argue that it limits consumers' investment choices. It is supposed to take effect April 10, but the new proposed start date will be June 9. There is a 15-day comment window on the delay. President...

March 2, 2017
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01Mar

About one million American workers have pension plans on verge of insolvency

Nearly one million working and retired Americans are currently covered by pension plans that are in imminent danger of insolvency, according to an organization trying to help people keep their retirement earnings. The union pension funds have been designated as being in “critical and declining status” — which means trustees are eligible to apply for cuts on their payouts. Reducing the payout load lengthens the life expectancy of the stressed fund — but does little to alleviate the suffering of seniors...

March 1, 2017
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01Mar

S.Korea’s giant pension fund plans pay boost to staunch talent loss

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), the world's third-largest pension fund, said on Tuesday it plans to boost the pay of its fund managers through an extra 4.3 billion won ($3.8 million) budget as it fights to staunch a wave of resignations. The NPS said in a statement that it plans to increase the fund managers' pay to the upper quartile range of the private sector, after its move to a remote city caused a spike in staff resignations. Previously, NPS...

March 1, 2017
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