December 2023

The Shift that Redefined Retirement Security

By Shashwat Vidhu Sher Retirement plans have been a standard feature of public and private sector employers in the United States since the early 1900s. Although Defined Benefit plans were the mainstay of most pensions plans for much of the twentieth century, there was a massive shift in the 1980s, mainly in the private sector, towards Defined Contribution plans like 401(k). The paper argues that government policies for the private sector, new employer-employee relationship, job-switching, and familiarity with the financial...

November 2023

UK. Stop funding fossil fuels, ‘The Crown’ star urges pensions in ad

It's a curious combination: celebrities and pension funds. Rarely do the two mix, but when they do, they often make the news. A new advert, launched earlier this week, featuring Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman, called on UK pension members to lobby their funds to cut fossil fuels investments. “The cash from your pensions has helped us dig, drill and destroy more of the planet than ever before,” she says in the advert. Posted on YouTube and the group’s website, among other platforms,...

US. IRS announces retirement plan contribution limits for 2024

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the dollar limitations for retirement plans for the 2024 tax year. The 403(b) & 457(b) contribution limits have increased from $22,500 to $23,000 with an age 50 catch-up contribution of $7,500, which remains unchanged. Employees wanting to enroll into a Supplemental Retirement Account or make changes to an existing account should complete the electronic Salary Reduction Agreement. The deadline to submit SRA changes or new account enrollments to begin on the first pay in 2024 (Jan. 12) is 5 p.m....

60% in the UK is risk of lower living standard in retirement due to low contributions

Research from Gresham House, the specialist sustainable investment manager, has revealed that 60 per cent of people in the UK are at risk of having a sub-standard of living in retirement due to low pension contributions. To ensure more people put aside money for retirement, the government and pension providers must highlight the benefits that contributing can have. According to Gresham House, 69 per cent of 16- to 35-year-olds said they would support their pension fund adopting a place-based impact investing approach....

Technology Modernization Fund announces targeted investment to support America’s workers

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced a new investment today at the Department of Labor aimed at improving the ability of America’s workers to find lost retirement savings and benefits. “One of the best parts of my job is to leverage the power of technology to make  government interactions better for the American people–​​especially those most in need,” said Clare Martorana, Federal CIO and TMF Board Chair. “Our TMF investment in DOL will change the lives of people searching for unclaimed...

Average U.S. 401(k) balance down slightly in Q3 2023, up over long term: report

The average U.S. 401(k) balance decreased to $107,700 in the third quarter of 2023, down four per cent from Q2, but up by 11 per cent from a year ago, according to a new report by Fidelity Investments. Reflecting a combination of employee and employer 401(k) contributions, the total savings rate for the third quarter was 13.9 per cent, up slightly from a year ago. The average 403(b) account balance decreased to $97,200, down five per cent from last quarter,...

US. Low earners need more retirement income

Social Security alone is simply not enough, new Vanguard study confirms People often assume that the retirement needs of low-wage workers are covered by Social Security's progressive benefit formula. That assessment has never been correct. Social Security was never intended to be the sole source of income for any group of retirees. Social Security replacement rates -- benefits as a percentage of preretirement earnings -- fall far below the generally accepted benchmarks. Low earners are more likely to claim early, which results...

Alberta pension plan: Analysis of costs, benefits, risks and considerations

By LifeWorks Alberta Treasury Board and Finance (ATBF) has engaged LifeWorks to prepare a detailed analysis of the costs, benefits and structure of a potential Alberta Pension Plan (APP). This analysis includes actuarial, economic, legal, and technical information regarding the establishment and ongoing operation of an APP. This analysis will give ATBF a clearer picture on what a future provincial pension plan may look like and help answer key questions that Albertans are asking about the costs and benefits of such a move. This report does...

October 2023

US department of labor announces proposed rule to protect retirement savers’ interests by updating definition of investment advice fiduciary

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Employee Benefits Security Administration has proposed a retirement security rule updating the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Aligned with the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to protect retirement investors, the proposal would require trusted investment advisers to adhere to high standards of care and loyalty when they make investment recommendations and avoid recommendations that favor their financial and other interests at the expense of retirement savers. The updated...

How Nigeria’s Contributory Pension Scheme Grew 52% in Three Years

The Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, has said pension assets under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) surged by N5.94 trillion or 52.3 per cent over the last three years from N11.35 trillion in August 2020 to N17.29 trillion in August 2023. The CPS is an arrangement where both the employer and the employee contribute a portion of an employee’s monthly emoluments towards the payment of the latter’s pension at retirement. Speaking recently on the development...