More comment – Page 27
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Opinion Pieces‘Close contact’ needed amid pandemic
Multiple lockdown restrictions have brought about a simpler way of working for some – remotely from home for most – but for institutional investors it also meant coming up with strategic models that could maintain the quality of asset managers’ due diligence – existing or potential.
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Opinion PiecesThe pandemic end-game
Overcoming COVID-19 and ensuring no recurrence is proving to be a formidable challenge for the global economy. The worst may still lie ahead. Even health systems in developed markets are creaking at the seams with the second and third waves of the pandemic. More transmissible mutations of the virus are making the task even harder.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from Australia: Early access genie escapes the bottle
In March 2020, as the Australian economy went into COVID-19 lockdown the government unlocked the national superannuation pool, seeking to ease the financial stress on individuals.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from US: HSAs set to build on popularity
The Health Savings Account (HSA) is becoming increasingly popular as a retirement savings vehicle in the US. The new Biden presidency and the now Democrat controlled Congress are likely to accentuate this trend in 2021 and beyond.
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Opinion PiecesGuest viewpoint: David Neal, IFM Investors
While COVID-19 continues to hit the global economy, governments are looking to infrastructure as a way to create future employment and sustain the eventual economic recovery
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Opinion PiecesViewpoint: Making the case for SDG-aligned investing
Mirtha Kastrapeli, founder and CEO of Beyond Alpha, makes a case for shifting to SDG-based systems investing
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Opinion PiecesViewpoint: Long-term lenders ideally placed to drive ESG conversations
With the world facing considerable and pressing environmental and social problems, the investment world has a critical role to play in addressing issues such as climate change, inequality and discrimination
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Opinion PiecesViewpoint: Blended finance and impact
Delivering the 2030 Agenda in the COVID-19 era and beyond
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Opinion PiecesSocial purpose: the new dimension
Investors’ attention turned to human capital issues in 2020 as COVID-19 took hold – including the treatment of staff and other stakeholders, as well as dividend policy and executive pay in cases where companies have received taxpayer support.upport.
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Opinion PiecesJapan is not that different
One of the abiding myths about Japan is that it is different from everywhere else. Not just distinctive in the sense that all countries have peculiarities but uniquely different.
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Opinion PiecesThe real meaning of engagement
Empirical evidence suggests that individuals are unengaged with DC pensions. This is demonstrated by the vast majority of DC members remaining in default funds and reluctant to increase contributions.
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Opinion PiecesUncertain conditions call for a steady course
The impact of COVID-19 has made long-term strategies that embrace resilience a high priority for pension funds to ensure there is a smoother ride during turbulent times.
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Opinion PiecesGuest viewpoint: Jesper Kirstein
In recent months, the asset management industry has been dominated by adjustments inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article will try to look beyond this and address the question of where the asset management industry is moving in the medium to long term.
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Opinion PiecesBiodiversity can be measured
Last year was clearly the year of the pandemic. Perhaps the connection between zoonotic disease and biodiversity loss may explain why it has also been the year that biodiversity has become a theme of great interest for investors. Yet current environmental, social and governance (ESG) data and metrics do not cover biodiversity adequately.
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Opinion PiecesLetter from US: Don’t anticipate radical reform
The new Joe Biden administration is unlikely to revolutionise US pension plans, but it could broaden the base of workers able to join defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s. It may also cancel recent rules and return to the previous regulations set under Barack Obama.
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Opinion PiecesViewpoint: How trustees can create practical carbon journey plans
Dealing with climate change is a responsibility we all share – but trustees may be wondering how they get from their starting point to the required end-goal. This ‘carbon journey’ needs a plan.
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Opinion PiecesViewpoint: The Norwegian Government Pension Fund is plain wrong!
The UN PRI is right to get real and dismiss those who sign up under false pretences – good riddance to hypocrisy
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Opinion PiecesResilience: how investors can secure it
Back in March 2020 as the extent of the coronavirus in western Europe was becoming clear, Risto Murto, president and CEO of the €49bn Finnish pension insurer Varma, called for the creation of “healthcare buffers” to mitigate the effects of future pandemics.
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Opinion PiecesJobs crisis threatens pension provision
Hopefully one of the few benefits of the COVID-19 crisis will be to show that the impact of an ageing population is exaggerated. There are other key elements informing the ability of a society to provide decent pensions by whatever means.
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Opinion PiecesDeleveraging is no free lunch
After temporarily shutting down the global economy, governments are pursuing a massive fiscal expansion in order to support struggling businesses and consumers.
