January 2023

U.S. funds turn to fixed income for relief

Pension plan execs looking forward to better environment U.S. pension fund executives expect to navigate a recession by the end of 2023, but while the market return environment is set to remain challenging, they see opportunities re-emerging in fixed income. While they are unsure of just how challenging, they are convinced of one thing: a recession almost certainly looms in the coming year. "My crystal ball is a bit cloudy," said Christopher J. Ailman, chief investment officer at the $307.2 billion California...

UK Actuary Responds to Work and Pensions Committee Over LDI Issues

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has assisted the Work and Pensions Select Committee with its inquiry into defined benefit pensions with Liability Driven Investments (LDI). The Government Actuary, Martin Clarke, was pleased to share his perspectives on the LDI issue in response to the Committee’s questions. Pensions and investment GAD’s knowledge and involvement with LDI is unique as we work with schemes that use leveraged LDI. We also work with government departments that support the pensions and investment industry. Discussions on the LDI...

Ghana says debt exchange talks with local pension funds continuing

Ghana's finance ministry on Wednesday said negotiations on the terms of a domestic debt exchange agreement with local pension funds were continuing and that they would be made public once an agreement on the details is reached. Ghana's government, in a bid to mitigate an ongoing economic crisis, has negotiated a staff-level agreement for a $3 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The deal will only be approved by the IMF board if Ghana undergoes comprehensive debt restructuring,...

How world’s biggest funds are preparing for a cash crunch

In a year of disease, war and inflation, one event struck fear into the heads of Australia’s super funds more than any other. That was October’s UK pension crisis which, had it not been for the intervention of the Bank of England, would have rendered many pension funds insolvent. While most Australian super funds would say they think deeply about ensuring they are never caught without enough emergency cash, that episode brought home just how quickly a liquidity crisis can evolve. The...

Pension Fund Statistics – Q3 2022

By Central Bank of Ireland Total assets of the Irish pension fund sector fell by 2.5 per cent (€3 billion) over Q3 2022 to stand at €117 billion. This continues a trend across the year to date with assets down 14.9 percent on the series high of €137 billion at end-2021. Technical reserves relating to pension entitlements of Irish pension funds decreased in Q3 2022. 1 Defined contribution (DC) technical reserves fell as a result of falls in corresponding asset values. Defined benefit...

Occupational pensions statistics

By European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority EIOPA provides statistical data on how institutions for occupational retirement provision in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) perform. The statistics contain aggregated country level information about the basic information, balance sheet, asset exposures, expenses, member data, contributions, benefits, and transfers. Data refers to the latest information available for each reference date. Our statistics are based on quantitative pensions data reports. Occupational pension institutions in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA)...

US. Financial Planning for Retirement: It’s More Accessible, but Be Careful

I’ve been writing and researching articles on finance and money for most of my career, and covering retirement for the past 15 years. But my wife and I haven’t picked a stock or mutual fund for our own retirement accounts since the late 1990s, or written our own retirement plan. For that, we rely on a financial planner. Hiring a planner is one of the smartest financial moves we have made. This type of advice was once a subset of...

Principal announces pension joint venture in China

Principal Financial Group ®, a leading global financial services provider, today announced an exciting new chapter in their ongoing expansion of their global pension footprint as Principal® acquires a minority ownership stake (17.647%) in China Construction Bank (CCB) Pension Management Co., Ltd. (CCBP), CCB’s pension business with the Social Security Fund of China (SSF). CCB will remain as the majority shareholder of CCBP with a 70% interest and an additional minority stake (12.353%) held by the SSF. Principal is the...

UK. A surge in pension risk settlement predicted in 2023

Aon is predicting a surge in UK pension risk settlement in 2023, as the events of 2022 continue to feed through to the market. Martin Bird, senior partner and head of UK Risk Settlement at Aon, said: “While 2022 was one of the busiest years we have seen in the risk settlement market, we have every expectation that 2023 will see it accelerate. We think there will be a focus on full scheme transactions driving significant volumes across the entire...

UK. Solving the Liquidity Factor for Alternative Investments in DC Plans

One of the main reasons that plan sponsors have been hesitant to bring alternative assets into defined contribution plans is concerns about the liquidity of such assets. Private real estate, for example, which has become the most common alternative investment within defined contribution plans, is at its core an illiquid asset. Part of the reason that it’s a less volatile investment than traditional securities is that it’s typically only valued once per quarter, making it even harder for asset managers...