May 2021

How Regulators Use Sex-Disaggregated Data and RegTech to Enhance Financial Inclusion

By Toronto Centre Financial inclusion of women brings disproportionate benefits to their families and to economic development, yet in many countries an access-to-finance gender gap remains. Sex-disaggregated data (SDD) is key to monitoring and addressing this problem. This study examines the role that financial services regulators can play in efforts to address financial inclusion of women: how they are using, or could use, SDD to enhance women’s access to and use of financial products and services of the right quality that...

Pension-Fund Investment in Forestry

By Clark S. Binkley, Fiona Stewart and Samantha Power A forestry investment can include land suitable for growing trees, the trees themselves, or both. The trees can be part of a natural forest or one that has been established artificially by seeding or planting. Natural forest management typically has lower operating costs than plantation forests, but also a lower growth rate. Plantation forests are typically, but not always monocultures. Forestry has long provided opportunities for institutional investors – but the scope...

S&P 1500 Pension Funded Status Increased by 1 Percent in April

By Mercer The estimated aggregate funding level of pension plans sponsored by S&P 1500 companies increased by 1 percent in April 2021 to 96 percent as a result of an increase in equity markets, slightly offset by the decrease in discount rates. As of April 30, 2021, the estimated aggregate deficit of $102 billion USD decreased by $16 billion USD as compared to $118 billion USD measured at the end of March according to Mercer,[1] a global consulting leader and...

April 2021

2021 Retirement Confidence Survey

By EBRI Greenwald Research The RCS is the longest-running survey of its kind, measuring worker and retiree confidence about retirement, and is conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research. The 2021 survey of 3,017 Americans was conducted online January 5 through January 25, 2021. All respondents were ages 25 or older. The survey included 1,507 workers and 1,510 retirees — which includes an oversample of roughly 500 completed surveys among Black Americans (252 workers and 253 retirees)...

Defined Contribution trust-based pension schemes research Report of findings on the 2020 survey

By Pensions Regulator, OMB Research   This report summarises results from The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR’s) annualn survey of trust-based occupational defined contribution (DC) pension schemes1, carried out between January and March 2020. The survey was conducted by OMB Research, an independent market research agency, on behalf of TPR.   Get the book here

Preqin Markets in Focus: Latin America’s Growing Appetite for Alternative Assets

Changing demographics, policy shifts, and a growing base of highly sophisticated investors make Latin America an increasingly attractive source for private capital. Likewise, local institutional investors in Latin America are eager to put capital to work with top performing fund managers, both inside and outside the region, with an emphasis on absolute return. Where do GPs believe the best opportunities can be found? Preqin is delighted to bring Latin American alternatives markets into the spotlight with our new report, combining comprehensive...

March 2021

Opportunities for Stronger and Sustainable Postpandemic Growth 2021 Latin American and Caribbean Macroeconomic Report

By Eduardo Cavallo, Andrew Powell The COVID-19 shock was a significant and traumatic crisis for Latin America and the Caribbean. The pandemic dealt the region what I previously described as an unprecedented triple sudden stop, with major simultaneous disruptions in human mobility, trade, and capital flows. This was immensely dangerous. As human mobility was paralyzed by lockdowns and fear of contagion, investments fell, and trade was upended, the triple sudden stop challenged the region like few things in the past....

Towards Improved Retirement Savings Outcomes for Women

By OECD Labour market inequalities are well-known to be the main drivers of the gender pension gap. This publication focuses on helping governments find solutions for retirement savings arrangements that do not further exacerbate these inequalities. This study first analyses why the gender pension gap exists and sheds light on some of the behavioural and cultural factors that contribute to these inequalities. Country case studies assess how demographics, labour markets and other factors may affect gaps in pension coverage, assets...

Delivering prevention in an ageing world: Democratising access to prevention – Consultation paper

By International Longevity Centre UK Following our year-long Prevention in an ageing world programme that sparked conversations from Abu Dhabi to Taipei, Austin, Geneva, Sydney, London all the way to the G20 Health Ministers, the message is clear. It’s never too late to prevent. And the health and economic costs of failing to invest in preventative interventions across the life course are simply too high to ignore. We know that prevention works, but for too long cultural, economic and geographic divides...

Joint Report on Pensions Progress and key challenges in the delivery of adequate and sustainable pensions in Europe

By the Economic Policy Committee (Ageing Working Group), the Social Protection Committee (Indicators Sub-Group) and the Commission services (DG for Economic and Financial Affairs and DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) Ensuring that public policies cater for sustainable, accessible and adequate retirement incomes now and in the future remains a priority for the EU. While Member States share similar fundamental challenges there are considerable differences in the timing of demographic ageing, the design of pension arrangements, the growth potential...