September 2020

The Battle for Social Investment

By Emilio Basavilbaso Today we find different visions regarding investments in Social Welfare Policy. So far we are fine, the problem begins when we cannot listen to those who think differently. Some phenomena that are occurring in the world make this more and more complicated. We tend to associate with people who think like us and agreeing is increasingly difficult. A ¨crack¨ opens between one another, which is increasingly difficult to close. And by not knowing, we tend to...

How to Improve Mobile Money Service Usage and Adoption by Nigerians in the Era of COVID-19

By Joseph E Tonuchi The paper aims to investigate how to improve mobile money service adoption and usage by Nigerians during the era of COVID-19 by examining the challenges faced by mobile money users in Nigeria. The study used a mixed method to sample 300 targeted informal sector operators offline using questionnaires and 200 respondents online (ardent digital products users) using Google form. In reaching the targeted online sample, the study distributed the google form through social media while...

August 2020

Financial services technology 2020 and beyond: Embracing disruption

By Julien Courbe, John Garvey, Marcus Von Engel, John Lyons Our global report Financial services technology 2020 and beyond: Embracing disruption examines the forces that are disrupting the role, structure, and competitive environment for financial institutions and the markets and societies in which they operate. The post-crisis regulatory frameworks have been gradually settling into place, and financial institutions have been adjusting their business models accordingly. It is now becoming obvious that the accelerating pace of technological change is the...

Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains

By World Bank Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production...

Pension tech for dummies

By Carlo Svaluto Moreolo When it comes to technological innovation in pensions the two buzzwords are blockchain and artificial intelligence. Blockchain is potentially a revolutionary technology that could significantly reduce the costs associated with pension administration and custody. Artificial intelligence – or more specifically machine learning tools – also promises to optimise many areas of the industry. They could be used to improve communications with pension fund members or to deliver better investment returns. Considerable investment is required to develop...

G7 Pensions: ESG, SDGs, Green Growth and the Road to Camp David

By M. Nicolas J. Firzli The ‘COVID Crisis’ has accelerated the mainstreaming of SDG-driven investment, with pension board members (trustees) playing an increasingly active role across all asset classes, from Sacramento to Sydney: governments (debt) and CEOs (equity) are having to commit more seriously to pressing environmental, social and societal matters, or face the risk of abrupt divestment (Brazil, Facebook etc.). Beyond financial economics and investment policy, the advent of fiduciary capitalism will have a profound impact on the...

Defined Benefit Pension Schemes in the UK: Asset and Liability Management

By Philippe-N. Marcaillou The goal of Asset-Liability Management (ALM) of a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DB) is to properly manage the risks related to variation in its building blocks on both sides of the balance sheet whilst maintaining the same expected return. This book provides a step-by-step methodology to maximize the complete restructuring and monitoring of the ALM of DB schemes. It is a product of the author's 25 years of experience and technical knowledge in ALM of...

A New World Post COVID-19: Lessons for Business, the Finance Industry and Policy Makers

By Monica Billio, Simone Varotto Pandemics are disruptive events that have profound consequences for society and the economy. This volume aims to present an analysis of the economic impact of COVID-19 and its likely consequences for our future. This is achieved by drawing from the expertise of authors who specialize in a wide range of fields including fiscal and monetary policy, banking, financial markets, pensions and insurance, artificial intelligence and big data, climate change, labor market, travel, tourism and...

Ranked: The Best and Worst Pension Plans, by Country

The global population is aging—by 2050, one in six people will be over the age of 65. As our aging population nears retirement and gets closer to cashing in their pensions, countries need to ensure their pension systems can withstand the extra strain. This graphic uses data from the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index (MMGPI) to showcase which countries are best equipped to support their older citizens, and which ones aren’t. The Breakdown Each country’s pension system has been shaped...

July 2020

Ticking Time Bomb: The Hidden Pension Deficit’ – Critical Study of Post Crisis Reforms and Financial Viability of Current Pension System

By Bhanu Laur Management of pension schemes has always been a difficult task for governments and the challenges that governments are facing today are growing faster than many countries anticipated. Pension plans have evolved overtime as public and private sector schemes slowly switching to PAYG system of funding and the uncertainty over current contributors’ future is growing. However, the recent financial crisis turned attention towards this hidden deficit of the countries where pension funds around the world lost significant...