October 2022

Pension funds in sub-Saharan Africa

By Owen Nyang`oro & Githinji Njenga The population structure the world over is going through a demographic shift, and the elderly proportion is projected to increase with population growth. This change is a matter of concern for sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, where the majority of the people are young and the rates of both population growth and unemployment are high. A good pension system provides elderly assistance and is a source of savings for long-term investment. The pension systems in...

US. Rehiring Retirees And The Impact To Retirement Plans

The IRS had previously issued FAQs to explain the retirement plan rules of the CARES Act. The original guidance answered questions about expanded distribution options and favorable tax treatment for retirement distributions needed because of the impact of coronavirus. In October, the IRS expanded the FAQs to include guidance on retiree benefits. While these new answers by the IRS relate directly to pension plans, they might be useful in administering a 401(k) plan, too. An employer has a choice when...

September 2022

US. Why Small Businesses Are Upping Their Retirement Plan Offerings

Last year was a fantastic for small business growth, and in its 2021 New Business Insights, Intuit QuickBooks predicted as many as 17 million new small businesses would form in 2022. It marks an increment of 2.5% from the previous year and grows to 9.8% in four years, from 2017 to 2021. While it was a great year for starting businesses, it was a not-so-great year for staffing them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021, more than...

Ghana. Public Services Pensioners Association inaugurated

The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), Tuesday inaugurated the Public Services Pensioners Association (PSPA) to support staff on retirement within the Public Services Organisations. The Association would also unite all retirees of CLOGSAG, seek the welfare of members, provide solidarity, promote togetherness, identify problems retirees go through, advocate for the rights of members and lobby the Government to improve the pension system in the country. Mr Bright Wireko Brobbey, a Deputy Minister, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR),...

Here’s what an aging workforce means for employers in the U.S.

Covid-19 hit our world like a wrecking ball in 2020. Almost overnight, our businesses and schools closed, our communities went into lockdown, and our economies stalled. But even as we grapple with the fallout of the pandemic, new threats are looming, many of them global in scope. The World Bank warns that stagflation will see growth slump from almost 6% to just 2.9% this year. The war between Russia and Ukraine is undermining the delivery of grain, prompting fears of...

Three Ways to Fix Latin America’s Public Finances

A former finance minister of Paraguay argues that feasible reforms can yield important results. Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean are facing a perfect storm of economic and social conditions as they seek to accelerate their post-pandemic recovery. Vulnerable communities need more help in the face of rising inequality and poverty. Health, education and other services need more resources. Governments must find a way to grow equitably and sustainably amid rising inflation, weaker world demand and high debt levels. The...

Hispanic Americans deserve retirement security

By Maria French Originating in 1968 and enacted into law in 1988, National Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate Hispanic Americans’ history and contributions and the influence they have had on American culture and society and to consider the future of the Latino community. Throughout modern history, Hispanic labor leaders like Cesar Chavez and Santiago Iglesias Pantin have contributed vastly to the labor movement by organizing workers and advocating for better pay and working conditions. Today, Americans with ancestry...

Australia. Pensioners re-entering workforce would make a ‘tangible difference’

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has discussed various solutions to Australia’s labour shortage as the Jobs and Skills summit kicks off in Canberra today. “We put a very practical suggestion, a tangible outcome that we get pensioners and veterans – give them an incentive to do more work without losing their pensions,” Mr Taylor told Sky News Australia. “There is enough pensioners and veterans out there who want to do extra work that it would make a tangible difference. “We have heard crickets...

August 2022

​PFA rapped by Danish FSA over alternatives risks

Denmark’s largest commercial pension provider, PFA, has been reprimanded by the country’s Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) for failings in the way it manages its alternative investments, such as private equity, credit and infrastructure. PFA, which manages some DKK725bn (€97.5bn) of assets, said the Danish FSA had carried out an operational inspection of its alternative investments from 16 to 25 March 2021, and based on that, the firm had received five official orders to correct procedures. The five areas concerned were PFA’s...

Elon Musk thinks the population will collapse. Demographers say it’s not happening

Billionaire Elon Musk tweeted, not for the first time, that "population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming." Climate change is a serious problem facing the planet and experts say it's difficult to compare problems. What is clear, demographers say, is that the global population is growing, despite declines in some parts of the world, and it shouldn't be collapsing any time soon -- even with birth rates at lower levels...