May 2020
26May

The Arrival Of The ‘Unavoidable Pension Crisis’

By Lance Roberts I wrote an article in 2017 discussing the “Unavoidable Pension Crisis.” At that time, most did not understand the risk. Since then, the situation has continued to worsen. COVID-19 pandemic has likely triggered a rolling pension collapse over the next couple of years. This idea was discussed in more depth with members of my private investing community,Real Investment Advice PRO. Read also Allianz unveils the first edition of its Global Pension Report In 2017, I wrote an...

May 26, 2020
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26May

US. The No.1 reason people make early withdrawals from retirement funds may surprise you

By John Anderer Retirement is the prize at the end of the work marathon. Any financial advisor or accountant will tell you it’s a good idea to start saving for retirement as early as possible, and the average working adult spends decades adding money, little by little, to his or her retirement fund. When the time comes, that money will be spent on leisure, fun, and everything else we can’t do while working full time. Now, you’re not supposed to touch...

May 26, 2020
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25May

South Africa. Eskom must tackle the cost of its coal contracts

By Vuslat Bayoglu The lockdown is imposing additional financial strain on Eskom and necessitates urgent solutions to get the company on a sustainable path beyond Covid-19. It is estimated Eskom will lose between R2.5 billion and R3 billion in revenue per month due to the low electricity demand triggered by the national lockdown. This will compound existing problems: R450 billion debt, maintenance arrears, costly Medupi and Kusile faults, and money lost during state capture. The other perennial problem, perhaps...

May 25, 2020
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25May

How will the current financial climate affect UK pensioners?

By Rebekah Evans Pension saving often involves a lot of forward planning, with key decisions having to be made at particular times within a person’s life. However, due to the economic and financial disruption brought about by coronavirus, many savers have expressed uncertainty in the current pension market. Read also Transaction costs make up 37% of UK pension investment costs: CACEIS It is feared pension savings could potentially be at risk, and a significant number of savers are looking for ways...

May 25, 2020
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06May

What are the implications for pension funds coming out of coronavirus crisis?

By Janet Rabovsky Last August, I wrote about whether central banks were creating a financial bubble with their coordinated easing programs intended to spur economic growth and/or lift inflation. In January 2020, I wrote about the end of the economic cycle, the potential for a recession and what that might mean for positioning an investment portfolio. Little did I know, when I wrote these articles, that we would be experiencing further central bank action as a result of COVID-19,...

May 6, 2020
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06May

What are the implications for pension funds coming out of coronavirus crisis?

By Janet Rabovsky Last August, I wrote about whether central banks were creating a financial bubble with their coordinated easing programs intended to spur economic growth and/or lift inflation. In January 2020, I wrote about the end of the economic cycle, the potential for a recession and what that might mean for positioning an investment portfolio. Little did I know, when I wrote these articles, that we would be experiencing further central bank action as a result of COVID-19,...

May 6, 2020
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04May

Trouble with pensions is a lack of innovation

By Steve Watson Recent research found that two thirds of employers think that pensions are far too complicated and providers are not innovating enough to offer new and progressive products. The research, which looked at the challenges employees face when it comes to pensions, found that almost 45% of employers felt that ensuring all employees have adequate funds when they retire was a huge challenge. While auto enrolment has made a huge difference to the numbers of employees saving into...

May 4, 2020
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04May

Trouble with pensions is a lack of innovation

By Steve Watson Recent research found that two thirds of employers think that pensions are far too complicated and providers are not innovating enough to offer new and progressive products. The research, which looked at the challenges employees face when it comes to pensions, found that almost 45% of employers felt that ensuring all employees have adequate funds when they retire was a huge challenge. While auto enrolment has made a huge difference to the numbers of employees saving into...

May 4, 2020
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April 2020
29Apr

What the Economic Downturn Could Mean for Pension Plans

By Mark Miller Investing guru Bill Bernstein has compared investors in defined-contribution plans to airline passengers sent to the cockpit to fly the plane. Bernstein would much prefer a retirement system that relies on defined-benefit pensions, with their professional management and automatic participation. The unfolding coronavirus crisis underscores the value of professional pension pilots--and the structure of defined-benefit plans, which don't rely on short-term market performance to meet near-term obligations. The same claim cannot be made for the 401(k) or IRA...

April 29, 2020
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28Apr

UK. Regulation in this new normal

By David Fairs The Pensions Regulator is anxious to meet the industry’s expectations, but this latest challenge does not come with a manual. Hope William-Smith speaks to David Fairs. It's nearly two years since David Fairs stepped away from more than two decades with KPMG to take the helm at The Pensions Regulator (TPR) as executive director for regulatory policy, analysis and advice.... How bad is the crisis for defined benefit (DB) schemes? Do all trustees need take up the easements we...

April 28, 2020
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