September 2019

09Sep

UK. Are we away with the fairies on our pension expectations?

WOULD you like a job that pays £1.3 million a year? That is just the average expected salary among children aged eight to 15, when they get their first job, according to a new survey by Halifax. It's equal to nearly 38 times the average wage in the UK this year, proving that, unfortunately, our children are away with the fairies. They also believe that schoolteachers, firefighters and postmen are earning well over £100,000 a year. Wouldn't we all...

September 9, 2019
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06Sep

The Social Protection Indicator for Asia: Assessing Progress

By Asian Development Bank This publication provides updates on Social Protection Indicators of 24 countries in Asia, with an analysis of 2015 data on social protection programs. It shows progress in expenditure, primarily driven by social insurance and coverage between 2009 and 2015. Spending on women has improved in several countries, yet others continued to favor the nonpoor over the poor, and men over women. The Social Protection Index---now the Social Protection Indicator---was developed by the Asian Development Bank...

September 6, 2019
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06Sep

Young People in the Labour Market: Past, Present, Future

By Professor Andy Furlong, Dr John Goodwin, Henrietta O'Connor, Sarah Hadfield, Stuart Hall, Kevin Lowden, Reka Plugor Levels of suffering among Levels of suffering among young people have always been much higher than governments suggest. Indeed, policies aimed at young workers have often been framed in ways that help secure conformity to a new employment landscape in which traditional securities have been progressively removed. Increasingly punitive welfare regimes have resulted in new hardships, especially among young women and...

September 6, 2019
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06Sep

Institutional Responses to Aging Populations and Economic Growth: A Panel Data Approach

By Patrick M. Emerson, Shawn D. Knabb, Anca-Ioana Sirbu Will an aging population lower economic growth? Economists are generally concerned that the increase in life expectancy could lower economic growth, however, theory does not make a prediction. As life expectancy increases, so should household savings, which results in more physical capital per worker. This will stimulate economic growth. However, as the retired population share increases, this may reduce spending on children as more resources are transferred to the elderly....

September 6, 2019
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06Sep

Price Statistics Compilation in 196 Economies: The Relevance for Policy Analysis

By Francien Berry, Brian Graf, Michael Stanger, Mari Ylä-Jarkko The consumer price index (CPI) is a key economic indicator used to gauge inflation, adjust wages, pensions, and social benefits. The producer prices index (PPI) is used for forecasting and deflating GDP estimates. Both indexes are used by the Fund, policymakers, and researchers for global, regional, and domestic surveillance. In this context, the paper evaluates the soundness of the indexes by assessing four major criteria: frequency of updating the weights,...

September 6, 2019
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06Sep

Twenty Years of Wage Inequality in Latin America

By Julián Messina, Joana Silva This paper documents an inverse U-shape in the evolution of wage inequality in Latin America since 1995, with a sharp reduction starting in 2002. The Gini coefficient of wages increased from 42 to 44 between 1995 and 2002 and declined to 39 by 2015. Between 2002 and 2015, the 90/10 log hourly earnings ratio decreased by 26 percent. The decline since 2002 was characterized by rising wages across the board, but especially among those...

September 6, 2019
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06Sep

It’s Going to Get Harder for Australian Pension Funds to Make Money

Australia’s pension funds will be forced to push more money into less traditional assets -- such as apartment developments and even direct lending to companies -- after the strong recent performance of equities and fixed-income left valuations lofty in public markets. That’s the assessment of investors managing money directly for, or on behalf of, the country’s A$2.9 trillion ($2 trillion) pension pool, who gathered in Hobart this week. With four out of five retirement savers in funds that have a...

September 6, 2019
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06Sep

Rage Against Retirement

I am going to encourage you to rage against retirement. But let me be clear. I am not suggesting that you shouldn’t retire or that I have some deep-seated dislike for retirement. On the contrary. I think retirement can be a wonderful experience if done correctly (and something much less enjoyable if not done correctly). Over the past 22 years I’ve helped clients financially plan for retirement and I’ve seen what works well. The lesson I have learned is...

September 6, 2019
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06Sep

Individuals shouldn’t have to bear burden of a secure retirement

The near-retirees interviewed in Robert Weisman’s “With market swings, no rest for retirees” (Page A1, Sept. 4) are understandably nervous about their financial future. If the market wobbles, their retirement could rapidly become much less comfortable than they hope. The article didn’t mention that the insecurity these relatively comfortable retirees are facing is part of a longer and larger story of growing financial instability and insecurity for families in the United States. During the past 40 years, the risks...

September 6, 2019
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05Sep

Hong Kong. Legacy Trust have launched a crypto pension plan

The Hong Kong based company Legacy Trust has opened a pension plan based on digital assets. In what could be a world first the company have started a voluntary pension plan open to employers and the self-employed for which contributions and the underlying portfolio can include digital assets. Vincent Chok, CEO of Legacy Trust said: "Investors are moving beyond speculation — they want to use digital assets and bring them into a diversified portfolio," he then added "We...

September 5, 2019
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