Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

July 2024

Global Pension Assets Study. 2024

By Thinking Ahead Institute The study covers 22 pension markets in the world (P22). They have pension assets of USD 55,688 bn. The P22 markets are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, US. 91% of P22 assets are in the seven P7 largest markets. A deeper analysis is performed for the P7, with assets of USD 50,842 bn. P7 markets are: Australia, Canada, Japan,...

Sustainable Investing in Pensions: Top Tips for Sponsors of Pension Schemes

 By Accounting for Sustainability This top tips guidance is written for organizations that sponsor a pension scheme on the why and how to engage with your pension trustees on sustainable investing. Just as more and more companies are embedding social and environmental risk and opportunity into strategy and decision making, it is vital that their pension schemes follow suit. The impact that climate change and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks can have on value and returns is driving changes across...

Unfunded U.S. public pension liabilities fall for fourth year in a row — Moody’s

Unfunded liabilities for U.S. state and local pension plans fell for a fourth year in a row to around $2.5 trillion as of June 30, a plunge of almost 60% from a historic high of $6 trillion in 2020, according to a July 9 report from Moody’s Ratings. Strong market returns for the latest year contributed to that progress, with investment gains of almost 11% topping public fund target returns of between 6.75% and 7.25%. But higher interest rates did the...

Pensions and their role on the threat of climate change

Climate change is an enormous challenge and threat globally. Large investors, such as pension schemes, can have a significant influence in addressing this challenge. NetZeroWeekTM provides a reminder of the risks we face and actions that can be taken. In this article, we aim to answer two important questions: • Do pension schemes have a duty to address the threat of climate change; and • What role can pension schemes play in addressing the challenges faced? As long-term investors, trustees of pension schemes...

US Remains Biggest Force in Pension Realm, per Study

The U.S. continues to dominate the world’s pension system, according to a study by the Thinking Ahead Institute, a research organization sponsored by financial services giant WTW. As of year-end 2023, U.S. pension assets (both defined benefit and defined contribution) made up 63.9% of the globe’s 22 highest-value pension-providing nations, up from 56.5% 10 years before, the study indicated. That may have something to do with the large amount U.S. pension providers allocate to equities—42%—over a span when stocks did well. Among the...

Nigeria. Pension fund assets increased to N20.22trn in May 2024, says PenCom

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) says total pension fund assets increased to N20.22 trillion in May 2024. This is an increase of 2.23 percent compared to the N19.78 trillion recorded in April 2024, according to PenCom’s data on the pension funds industry portfolio for the period ended May 31. The commission’s data showed that 63.22 percent or N12.78 trillion of the total funds were invested in federal government securities, comprising bonds and treasury bills. PenCom said about 10.83 percent of the funds were invested in...

Hong Kong. HSBC fined $3 mln over incentives given to unauthorised agents for MPF scheme

HSBC has been fined HK$24 million ($3.07 million) for offering incentives to "unregistered intermediaries" to get clients to join its Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme in 2020 and 2021, Hong Kong's pension regulator said. The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) also said that it disqualified Yip Sze Ki, former head of pensions at HSBC, from taking up senior executive positions at any MPF operator for the next 18 months, according to a statement on Friday. "The MPFA concluded that HSBC...

Global Public Pensions 2023

By OMFIF  The Global Public Pensions 2023 report explores how public pension and sovereign funds are building optimal investment strategies to address the uncertain economic environment and factor sustainability into their portfolios. The report draws on surveys, discussions, and written contributions from 22 global public funds across the world with combined assets under management of $4.3tn. These include the likes of Singapore’s GIC, Canada’s CDPQ, Australia’s Future Fund and India’s National Infrastructure Investment Fund. It also analyses the annual reports...

Japan’s GPIF Loses Status as World’s Biggest Pension Fund

Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund was dethroned as the world’s biggest pool of retirement savings as a depreciating yen eroded the value of its assets in dollar terms. The fund posted a record gain for the three months through March, generating a 9.5% return, but the yen’s slump to a 38-year low against the greenback was deep enough to put the value of its assets below that of Norway’s wealth fund in dollar terms.     Government Pension Investment Fund, Tokyo, posted a...

Judge throws out anti-ESG lawsuit against New York City pension funds

A New York state judge has thrown out a lawsuit against three of the five pensions funds in the $264.3 billion NYC Retirement System, saying New York State Supreme Court Judge Andrea Masley ruled July 2 that she dismissed the complaint because “plaintiffs here have not, and will not, suffer any monetary losses based upon defendants’ investment decisions.” Plaintiffs contended the pension funds' investment decisions would impair their ability to provide long-term benefits for retirees, an allegation Masley wrote was “speculative.” The judge supported...