Latest analysis – Page 20
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Opinion PiecesUS: A cautious approach on private assets in DC plans
Will 2022 be the year when private equity is finally incorporated in US defined contribution (DC) plan line-ups? Possibly, following the Department of Labor’s (DoL’s) clarification of its position in a letter last December. But it will be a very slow process, according to industry experts.
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AnalysisAnalysis: Stuart Kirk and the ‘fault line in the ESG debate’
Asset managers need to recognise that ESG investing goes beyond financial impact, says independent adviser
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Opinion PiecesAustralia: Political risk on the agenda for super funds
Australia’s cash-rich super funds allocate more to international equities than to their domestic counterparts. International equities are the largest single allocation.
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Opinion PiecesUS: Fidelity’s retirement account crypto move raises concerns
Even six months ago it looked like crypto investing was not going to become mainstream any time soon in 401(k) plans – and since then Bitcoin has halved in value. But the market’s sentiment and trend are changing very quickly. So much so that Fidelity Investments has now become the first major retirement-plan provider to allow investors to add a Bitcoin account to their 401(k). The move was announced in late April.
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FeaturesUK DB schemes in a risk transfer sweet spot
Pension funds are in a good position for buyouts, but is there enough capacity in the market and will DB superfunds provide a genuine alternative?
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AnalysisPortfolio analysis: to net or not to net?
Portfolio alignment tools can help build a clearer picture of overall portfolio impact but accounting for negative externalities is problematic
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Opinion PiecesNotes from the Nordics: Finland on the frontier
Fear and uncertainty are rattling markets, but financial concerns are dwarfed by the human suffering caused by the war in Ukraine. In Finland, people have particular reason to worry due to the country’s long land border with Russia.
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Opinion PiecesAustralia: A new sense of unity over superannuation funds
Australia’s leading political parties appear to have called a truce over often-politicised issues in the superannuation sector in the lead-up to this May’s Federal election.
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Opinion PiecesUS: The SEC’s new climate disclosure rule is a watershed
Most investors, asset managers and consultants look like they are in favour.
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AnalysisAnalysis: German schemes' investment path to renewables
The German government has proposed that by 2030 at least 80% of the gross domestic electricity consumption should come from renewable sources
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Opinion PiecesLetter from Australia: Trustee accountability in focus
Despite having billions of assets under management, Australia’s superannuation funds have share capital ranging from as little as A$12 (€7.9) to A$100 (€66.2).
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Opinion PiecesLetter from US: US pension funds decide on Russian holdings
“We support efforts at all levels of government and across the public and private sectors, which include cross-functional and multi-agency partnerships, to divest State Treasury and pension funds from investments in Russian-domiciled companies. We are committed to taking steps that include divesting as soon as possible to have the quickest and most meaningful impact on this tragic situation.”
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AnalysisAnalysis: UK Solvency II reforms and the pensions buyout market
Reform of the insurance industry’s solvency regulations matters to pensions funds because it has implications for the bulk annuity market
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Opinion PiecesNews Notes: Private investing ‘levels up’ playing field
The UK’s recent government white paper – ‘Levelling up the United Kingdom’ – forcefully pushes for private investing. In it, Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims he is determined to “break that link between geography and destiny, so that it makes good business sense for the private sector to invest in areas that have for too long felt left behind”.
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Opinion PiecesNotes from the Netherlands: Inflation could bolster pension reforms
The Dutch pension agreement, paving the way for a change from a defined benefit to defined contribution-type system, was concluded in the pre-COVID summer of 2019. But it is still waiting to be implemented, with the delay blamed on the protracted negotiations following Dutch parliamentary elections in March 2021.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from Australia: Global firms circle last bank-owned super fund
Several global firms, including private equity giant KKR and asset manager Vanguard, have thrown their hat in the ring to buy one of the last Australian bank-owned superannuation businesses.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from US: ESG faces backlash in some US states over fossil fuels
Is there a backlash against the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing movement?
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FeaturesPerspective – Liability-driven investing: DIY LDI
A multi-decade trend of falling interest rates, the increased complexity of financial markets and the growing burden of regulation have conspired to turn pension provision into an extremely sophisticated activity. This is especially true for defined benefit pension funds, which may be facing a gradual decline in number, but remain a key source of retirement income.
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AnalysisAnalysis: German institutional investors still hesitant to invest in Asian equities
German institutional investors allocate around €624bn to equities, of which only €24bn (4%) to Japan, €4.9bn to China (0.77%) and €4.5bn to India (0.70%)
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Opinion PiecesNews Notes: Worth de-risking it all
Several advisers in the UK are predicting 2022 will be the biggest pension scheme de-risking year yet.
