All interest rates articles
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Opinion Pieces
A new era for pension fund liquidity management
With inflation past its peak and central banks signalling monetary easing, investors can look forward to a prolonged period when interest rates will be at normal levels – barring any surprise decline in economic growth or other kinds of shocks.
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Features
Reluctance to drop interest rates disappoints the markets
US rates markets entered the year enthusiastically pricing in over 160 basis points of cuts through 2024, and have since had to push back hard on both the timing and magnitude of interest rate cuts now expected by year-end.
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News
PensionDanmark reins in equities exposure despite positive scenario
Danish labour-market pension fund blames 2023 underperformance on higher weighting of non-cyclical stocks
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News
Viewpoint: A challenging period for emerging market debt or a golden opportunity?
Despite the challenges posed by rising interest rates and the steep rise of the US dollar, none of the bigger emerging markets seem to be in debt distress
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News
Lower rates overshadow further €500m transfer to Siemens Pensionsfonds
Liabilities increase to €1.5bn despite good returns due to lower rates
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News
Dutch pension funds well prepared for liquidity crunch, say regulators
The switch to obligatory central clearing will increase liquidity needs while the transition to DC will likely have the reverse effect, according to regulators DNB and AFM
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News
Swiss schemes face higher national debt in medium to longer term, says Complementa
Plus: Pensionskasssen Monitor published by Swisscanto saw funding ratios of private pension funds increase from 110.1% in 2022 to 114.9% in 2023
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News
German corporate pension funds see increased liabilities
Corporate pension obligations have already increased by around 17% at the end of 2023 compared with the previous year
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News
Aegon compensates customers for inappropriate interest rate hedge hike
The insurer had increased the interest rate hedge of a pension product with an offensive risk profile from 45% to 85% in the summer of 2021
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News
Swiss APK applies minimum interest rate on members’ pension savings
The scheme expects its funding ratio to hit 100% after a ‘very volatile’ year
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News
Swiss pension funds increase interest rates on pension savings
The pension fund for the city of Zurich, Migros Pensionskasse, PK SBB and Publica, among others, have made changes to their interst rates on pensions
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News
German actuaries propose maximum interest rate increase on pension products
The increase, of 1% from 2025 from 0.25% currently, is the fist increase in three decades
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Interviews
Pension funds ride out the macro uncertainty
European institutions reflect on their priorities for 2024, as the fundamental questions about inflation and the impact of higher interest rates remain unanswered
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Opinion Pieces
Investors should focus on debt sustainability
The good news for institutional investors as 2024 approaches is that central banks seem to have accomplished something remarkable. Inflation is falling in the US and Europe after rising to levels not seen for decades, thanks to what have been among the fastest and sharpest rate hikes. Economic growth has held up, at least in the US. Many economists expect a soft landing there, and a mild recession in Europe.
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News
Swiss groups slam government’s decision to increase minimum interest rate
The Swiss Employers’ Association considers the increase unjustified and says minimum interest rate should have been well below the limit of 1%
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Features
Fixed income, rates & currency: interest rates the big question
In August, when Fitch Ratings downgraded US debt from AAA to AA+, it cited an “erosion of governance” as one of the key reasons for its decision. September’s US government shutdown chaos will probably not have improved perceptions of US lawmakers’ proficiency to govern.
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News
Sampension sticks to cautious equity tactics, with central banks in a bind
Danish labour-market pensions firm regrets early roll-back of equities exposure
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News
Austrian VBV increases fixed income exposure
The group’s Pensionskasse and Vorsorgekasse will also expand private markets investments
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News
WTW expects Swiss corporate pension funds to lift technical interest rates
Discount rates increased during the third quarter of this year, pushing down liabilities by 0.5%, according to the consultancy
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News
Swiss pension fund industry slams regulator’s new definition of improved benefits
The Swiss Chamber of Pension Fund Experts (SKPE) has firmly rejected the proposed change because it is ‘too restrictive’