All Second pillar articles
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News
German government drafts law to reform second pillar pension system
The 24-point draft law deals with the difficult topic of opening up the social partner model to third parties not bound by collective bargaining agreements
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Opinion Pieces
Will social partners carve a new role for themselves in pensions?
Social partnership can mean different things in many countries, or very little at all in others. The concept resonates most in continental Europe, where a tripartite framework of social-market capitalism has taken root since the second world war, in which corporatist decision-making involving government, labour and employer voices is entrenched.
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Analysis
Germany battles to keep pension reforms on course
New law to replace 2018’s pension reform legislation amid disagreements over reform plans for all three pillars of the pension system
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News
Italian pension funds see number of members increase in Q3
Industry-wide pension funds added 188,000 members so far this year, compared with the end of 2022, a 4.9% increase, for a total of almost 4 million members
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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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Opinion Pieces
Ireland – future pensions tiger
Ireland stands a few policy steps away from the creation of a serious first and second-pillar pensions architecture that will improve the country’s international standing in terms of retirement provision.
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Country Report
Asset allocation for Swiss pension funds: end to the drift away from bonds?
Markets and a growing familiarity with alternative assets have seen portfolio structures move slightly last year but despite the rise in interest no sudden movements are expected
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News
Italian government faces backlash on targeted pension changes
The government has this week introduced the budget law to the Senate to start the approval process
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News
Stakeholders propose flexible funding rules for German Pensionskassen
Proposal foresees temporary underfunding through so-called ‘standby agreement’ between the Pensionskasse and sponsoring companies
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News
Italian trade unions push government to bolster second pillar system
CGIL, UIL, and CISL believe it is unacceptable to finance a private association to promote supplementary pensions
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News
Swiss Employers’ Association backs second pillar pension reform
The reform would make an important contribution to support the three-pillar pension system model, the association says
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Opinion Pieces
Viewpoint: Macron’s reform paves way for development of French second- and third-pillar pension
The rationale of the reform is simple: the rising life expectancies combined with decreasing birth-rate have accelerated the aging of the French population
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News
Swiss cabinet favours political intervention linking retirement age to life expectancy
Government report rejects automatic mechanisms, prepares ground for further reform
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Country Report
New pension rules set to transform France
After much opposition, profound changes to the retirement system take effect this month
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Special Report
Germany: Fighting for innovation
The three-party coalition faces important decisions in coming months to reconcile differences over its planned reforms to all three pillars of the pension system
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Special Report
Italy: Government eyes pension reform despite lack of resources
Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government wants to lower retirement age and secure retirement income for young workers, but it faces an uphill battle against inflation
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Country Report
Pensions in France - IPE Country Report
Fierce opposition from trade unions and a large part of the political spectrum did not manage to stop Emmanuel Macron’s plan to reform the French pension system. The new framework kicks in this month, and the long-term sustainability of public pensions is secure. However, French workers will have to work longer into their lives, and their standard of living will decline.
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Special Report
Switzerland: Heated debate ahead of second-pillar referendum
The workplace pension system reform must clear the final hurdle of a national referendum and Pensionskassen will have to start to follow new guidelines on ESG
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Features
Austria’s politicians are too timid to make decisions, says VBV’s Schiendl
Austrian institutional investors believe that both national and European Union politics are impeding the evolution of the occupational pensions market.
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Country Report
Country report – Pensions in Italy (July/August 2023)
Italian second-pillar occupational pension funds continue on their path to diversification. Owing to the higher yields on offer in traditional fixed income markets, allocations to private markets may slow down temporarily, but funds have made long-term strategic commitments. A variety of industry initiatives is facilitating investment in private equity, private debt and infrastructure. Meanwhile, some pension funds are consolidating their private markets portfolios.