November 2024
21Nov

UK. Industry calls for more flexibility around CDC regulation

There has been strong support for government proposals to introduce multi-employer CDCs, as the consultation on Occupational Pension Scheme regulations for these new arrangements comes to a close. However in their responses a number of consultancy firms said they want more information on how such schemes might work in practice.  Hymans Robertson partner Kathryn Fleming says: “This consultation is a welcome stepping stone towards CDC that offers great value for money.  We are hugely supportive of CDC at scale to deliver...

November 21, 2024
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21Nov

US. CalPERS affirms commitment to ESG amid changes coming to Washington

CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost affirmed the $522.4 billion pension fund’s commitment to environmental, social and governance investing in the face of expected federal policy changes stemming from the recent election. Election results make clear that change is coming, Frost told the board of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, Sacramento, at its Nov. 20 meeting. “We expect the year ahead will include new voices and viewpoints on several issues, including climate- focused investing, corporate governance and healthcare policy,” Frost said. “We welcome those...

November 21, 2024
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19Nov

Ghana blocks pension funds from offshore investment on currency concerns, sources say

Ghana is clamping down on private pension fund managers who want to invest in offshore assets on concerns it could worsen pressure on its cedi currency, three industry sources told Reuters. After pension reforms in 2010, workers' retirement contributions in the world's number two cocoa producer enjoyed strong growth, buoyed by a tiered scheme that allow private firms to manage some contributions. Assets under management by the pension fund industry were 78.2 billion Ghanaian cedis ($4.93 billion) in June, of which...

November 19, 2024
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14Nov

UK. Reeves in radical pension shake-up to boost growth

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is planning what she calls the "biggest pension reform in decades" in an attempt to boost economic growth. The government wants to merge the UK's 86 council pension schemes into a handful of "pension megafunds". It is hoped the changes will lead to billions of pounds being invested in the UK in areas such as energy infrastructure, tech start-ups and public services. Reeves told the BBC that UK public sector pension funds in their current form were not big...

November 14, 2024
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13Nov

UK. Pensions to be key focus of Chancellor’s first Mansion House speech

Pensions are expected to be a key focus of Rachel Reeves’s first Mansion House Speech, due to be delivered this Thursday. Many in the industry are expecting the new Chancellor to set out bold pension reforms, setting out how DC and DB funds will be used to boost investment into UK infrastructure and private business over the next five years. This Mansion House speech is a key economic speech given by the Chancellor to senior City and banking representatives, outlining broad policy...

November 13, 2024
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08Nov

UK. Govt to present regs on CDC to parliament ‘as soon as able to’

Pensions Minister, Emma Reynolds, has said the government intends to present regulations to extend collective defined contribution (CDC) provision beyond single or connected schemes to parliament “as soon as [they] are able to”. Earlier this month, a consultation was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions on legislation to broaden CDC’s scope, which currently limits these schemes to individual employers or groups with existing connections. The extension seeks to allow unrelated employers to join CDC schemes, potentially opening up this pension...

November 8, 2024
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08Nov

Pension Policy Preferences: Beliefs about Others

By Carmen Sainz Villalba This paper studies the information provision and belief updating on the preference for regulation on pensions for own respondents and the preference for regulation on pensions for the population as a whole. Following the work of Sainz Villalba and Konrad (2024), we conduct a survey experiment where we provide information on own characteristics and on characteristics about individuals in other income brackets. We find that respondents who overestimate the pension coverage for low income earners are more likely to want less regulation...

November 8, 2024
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06Nov

US. What Changes Might a Trump Presidency Make to Retirement Regulations?

Given the results of the U.S. Presidential Election, certain regulatory items at the Department of Labor will likely be modified or abandoned altogether. These include DOL initiatives on environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, investment advice fiduciary standards, qualified professional asset manager (QPAM) eligibility, and the definition of independent contractor; while others, such as efforts to promote employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) will likely continue. ESG Factors Most industry observers agree that the Biden ESG rule is in trouble, but there is...

November 6, 2024
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05Nov

China. Recommendations made for strict implementation of China’s Social Insurance Law

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, urges more sound and scientific regulations and law on the nation's social insurance operation after it sent an inspection team to review the implementation of the Social Insurance Law in recent months. The inspection team, consisting of 19 members, visited 16 cities and prefectures in six provinces from June to July, including Shanghai, Heilongjiang and Guangdong, to review the implementation of the social insurance law. The team also authorized...

November 5, 2024
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04Nov

US. IRS Announces 2025 Retirement Account Contributions Limits

On November 1, 2024, the Internal Revenue Service released the 2025 retirement plan contribution limits and other key numbers for investment accounts. While contribution limits for employer sponsored plans like the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) are increasing in 2025, IRA contributions will remain the same as 2024. The increasingly popular tax-free Health Savings Account contribution limits are also increasing in 2025. For the first time, TSP participants turning age 60, 61, 62, or 63 in 2025 will be able...

November 4, 2024
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