June 2023

EIOPA says national supervisors need more data on liquidity risks

Pension funds and insurers in Europe are holding up well in spite of higher financial stability risks, according to a new report from the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) – but the body also said national supervisors need more data on liquidity and other risks to make sure buffer requirements are adequate. Publishing its June 2023 Financial Stability Report today, Frankfurt-based EIOPA said the European economy was currently experiencing a new period of high uncertainty and elevated financial...

Ghana’s pensions authority seeks support from development partners — As SECO project comes to an end

The National Pensions and Regulatory Authority (NPRA) is asking for support from the World Bank and other development partners for continuous technical training for the effective operationalisation of its Risk Based Supervision (RBS) System. The RBS systems which was developed in 2019 through the help of the Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) is aimed at streamlining the supervisory and regulatory mandate of the authority. It was also designed to help the authority to stay abreast with the emerging pensions...

May 2023

UK. Pensions industry set for ‘fraud crisis’

Greater accessibility to retirement savings could leave Brits ‘highly vulnerable to a wide-scale wave of scams’ The pensions sector is facing a looming fraud crisis that could see millions of pensioners scammed out of their life savings, according to a report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions The Digital Pension Fraud: a looming crisis awaits report found that industry experts fear greater accessibility to draw down cash from retirement savings as digital pension services come online will leave pension holders highly vulnerable to...

UK. Capita: Watchdog warns pension funds over data after hack

Hundreds of pension funds have been asked to check whether data was stolen by cybercriminals during a major hack of the UK's largest outsourcer. The Pensions Regulator has asked trustees responsible for funds that use Capita as an administrator to assess whether clients' data is at risk. After the hack in March, information apparently containing Capita data began to circulate on the dark web. The pensions watchdog said on Sunday that it had written to the hundreds of pension funds that employ...

April 2023

Paraguay. Banco Central trabaja en proyecto para crear la superintendencia de pensiones

El Banco Central del Paraguay (BCP), en conjunto con el Ministerio de Hacienda, se encuentra trabajando en el proyecto de ley a través del cual se busca crear la superintendencia de pensiones en nuestro país, propuesta que se quiere poner a consideración del Congreso Nacional a más tardar a finales de este año, según lo que informó Carmen Marín, miembro del Directorio del ente financiero matriz. Cabe recordar que el tema causó controversia años atrás y que en su momento...

March 2023

U.S. General Accountability Office probing collapse of St. Clare’s pension fund

The U.S. Government Accountability Office, an investigative arm of Congress, is probing the alleged mismanagement of a depleted pension fund that wiped out retirement plans for more than 1,100 former employees of the now-closed St. Clare's Hospital in Schenectady. State Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara disclosed the federal investigation on Wednesday and said he learned of it this week during a meeting with staff members with the House Committee on Education and Workforce. They had met "to discuss potential federal solutions regarding...

February 2023

Switzerland. Phone scammers targeting pensioners in Zurich stole 6,7 million francs in 2022

Phone scammers targeting residents of Zurich succeeded in stealing 6,7 million Swiss francs in 2022, SRF has reported. The trick involves the scammers posing as police officers and calling victims to ask them to pay “bail” in order to release a relative from jail. Many of the victims were retired. Phone scammers try to trick hundreds each day in Zurich According to Swiss broadcaster SRF, phone scammers try to swindle the residents of Zurich out of their hard-earned money hundreds of...

January 2023

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...

Perú. Empresas que adeudan aportes de AFP a sus trabajadores tendrán plazo para reprogramar sus pagos

El Pleno del Congreso aprobó por mayoría la creación de régimen de reprogramación de pago de aportes previsionales al Fondo de Pensiones del Sistema Privado de Pensiones devengados hasta el 31 de diciembre del 2021, los cuales no fueron pagados de manera oportuna por los empleadores (empresas). Con 86 votos a favor, 14 en contra y 8 abstenciones, la autógrafa de ley tuvo luz verde y ahora será enviada al Poder Ejecutivo para su eventual promulgación. Por su lado, la presidenta...

December 2022

Chile. Reforma de pensiones: CONAR acoge a trámite denuncia por publicidad engañosa de AFPs

El Consejo de la Autorregulación y Ética Publicitaria (CONAR) informó que acogió a trámite la denuncia, presentada por el diputado Luis Cuello junto a otros diputados a comienzos de diciembre, sobre publicidad engañosa en la campaña “Yo quiero Elegir” de la Asociación de AFPs que hace referencia a la reforma previsional del Gobierno. En relación a la respuesta de CONAR, el diputado Luis Cuello (PC), señaló: “Esta resolución demuestra que las AFPs recurren al engaño para atacar una reforma que...