September 2024

State pension programs feel the strain of aging populations

In a nutshell Aging populations mean more retirees, pressuring state budgets State-funded pensions are likely to expand into basic-income schemes A rise in productivity is the only cure; but it remains elusive Politicians do not pay much attention to demography. Given their electoral horizons, this is hardly surprising. The so-called demographic crisis and its consequences unfold over decades, while in most countries elections of some sort take place at least every two years. Little heed is paid to whether, in...

US. State pension funds significantly beat expected investment returns

The Kentucky Public Pensions Authority (KPPA) announced the average composite return for assets under management was 10.7% for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, while insurance trust assets under management earned 11.4%.  All pension and insurance portfolios returned significantly more than their actuarial assumed rates of return, which are 6.5% for all County Employees Retirement System (CERS) pension and insurance portfolios and the Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) and State Police Retirement System (SPRS) insurance trusts, 6.25% for the KERS Hazardous...

UK. State pension to rise by over £400 next year

The Treasury expects the new full state pension to be boosted above inflation by more than £400 a year in cash terms. The internal working calculations seen by the BBC reflect the near certainty that the state pension will be increased by average earnings figures released next week. This is due to the triple lock, which means the state pension increases every April by whatever number is highest out of inflation, the average UK wage increase, or 2.5%. The news comes as...

August 2024

US. How Are Employees Responding to State-Run Retirement Plans?

Practice Management State-run auto-IRA plans affect private-sector employers but are most of all intended to benefit their employees. How are those employees responding to them? Overall Positive Effects There is research indicating that these plans, in which employers are required register if they do not already offer retirement coverage to their employees, have a variety of positive effects. A number of researchers report that state auto-IRA programs increase coverage by serving as a catalyst to private-sector employers to establish plans of their own. In the...

July 2024

Elderly Germans Face Rising Poverty Threat

Germany is facing a growing concern over the rising number of elderly citizens living in poverty. Recent investigative reports indicate that a staggering 3.2 million pensioners in the country are at risk of economic hardship, a situation worsened by stagnant wages and insufficient pension benefits. As mentioned in reports from the public broadcaster ARD, nearly one in five, or approximately 18.7%, of Germany's pensioners were classified as being at risk of poverty as of 2017. This alarming statistic highlights...

June 2024

Two-thirds of Brits think the state pension won’t exist when they retire

More than 70 per cent of working-age Britons think the state pension will not exist in its current form when they or their children come to retire - but the majority still would not pay into someone else's pension. This is according to research from adviser platform Nucleus, which revealed 71 per cent of people aged 18 and above believe the state pension will not exist or will be less generous when they retire. Carried out among 2,100 UK adults aged...

May 2024

Half of UK adults unaware of state pension age

Nearly half (48 per cent) of UK adults under state pension age do not know when they will receive the state pension. Research by AJ Bell found that 63 per cent of those aged 18-34 did not know when they would receive the state pension, with 54 per cent of 35-49-year-olds also being unaware. Some 28 per cent of those aged 50-64 also admitted not knowing the state pension age. The research also revealed that 72 per cent of UK adults expect their pension...

Are we moving away from paternalism in employee benefits?

Recruitment pressures, shifts in employee expectations and the sheer volume of products available mean benefits strategies are evolving. But, while the old paternalistic approach may be on its way out, employers must still be aware of their responsibilities when providing benefits. Rather than take the one-size-fits-all package, today’s employees want to be able to select benefits that are relevant to them. Carl Chapman, head of marketplace at Ben, says: “Anything other than choice and flexibility is archaic. The workforce is diverse:...

April 2024

UK’s opposition Labour Party commits to triple-lock pension policy

Britain’s opposition Labour Party has committed to keeping for at least five years the so-called triple lock that guarantees rises to state pensions, if it wins the election, underscoring the importance of pensioners to the outcome of the vote. Labour have held an around 20-point lead in opinion polls over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party for the last nine months, but the one area where they tend to struggle is with voters over 65 years old. Labour leader Keir Starmer...

UK. DWP State Pension update for women in their 60s and 70s due around £5,000

The Treasury recently confirmed that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) started writing to older people whose National Insurance (NI) records may be affected by missing periods of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) in September 2023, inviting them to apply to fill potential gaps to ensure they receive the correct amount of State Pension. Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Nigel Huddleston MP also told the Commons that HMRC is working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to find people affected...