A main preoccupation of successive governments has been tweaks to the state pension age in particular the retirement age: political aspirations from both left and rights continually hit the buffers of fiscal reality. The current early retirement system will be phased out by the current government, unless it finds a way to replace it. Italy’s workplace occupational pension system in fact works quite well, with a moderate amount of pension assets relative to the size of the country’s economy, but including an established auto-enrolment component that has been attracting the attention of EU policymakers of late.
While maintaining a domestic bias, Italian institutions are venturing into new asset classes to further diversify their portfolios
Pension fund/entity | Assets (€’000)
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Italian Casse rethink allocations, expand private markets and deepen domestic exposure despite mounting macro risks and constraints
Italy’s largest doctors’ pension fund explores increasing holdings in private equity and alternative managers
Several Italian pension schemes are expanding allocations to private markets to boost diversification and returns
Lifting the legal threshold that limits Italian pension funds’ allocations to private markets to 20% of AUM helps funds avoid pressure to liquidate private assets at a discount
The €15bn Italian pension fund for employees in the metal industry is tendering a €900m in active bonds and €300m in active equity for its ‘Reddito’ sub-fund
Company | Assets (€m)
As at 31.3.25, *31.12.24
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Giorgia Meloni’s government has failed to revitalise the Italian second-pillar pension system. But credit to the pragmatic right-winger who in 2022 became Italy’s first female head of government – at least she tried.
Italian Casse rethink allocations, expand private markets and deepen domestic exposure despite mounting macro risks and constraints
Italy’s largest doctors’ pension fund explores increasing holdings in private equity and alternative managers
Several Italian pension schemes are expanding allocations to private markets to boost diversification and returns
Lifting the legal threshold that limits Italian pension funds’ allocations to private markets to 20% of AUM helps funds avoid pressure to liquidate private assets at a discount
The €15bn Italian pension fund for employees in the metal industry is tendering a €900m in active bonds and €300m in active equity for its ‘Reddito’ sub-fund
The pension fund for employees of Italy’s food industry will see its strategic target for alternatives increase to 10% of total assets, up from 8%
Amundi, one of the pension fund’s fixed income asset managers, will overweight US Treasuries and UK Gilts
Synergies from the merger with Fondo Pensione Cariplo are expected to reduce costs indirectly charged to members
Investments in private equity, private debt and infrastructure now account for close to 15% of the €19.5bn fund’s total assets
Fondo Gomma Plastica, Foncer, Pegaso and Previmoda have appointed Anima to manage a €82m mandate

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