Pension Funds - Articles & White Papers

This report by Willis Towers Watson's Thinking Ahead Institute provides detailed analysis of the world's largest pension funds. Funds increased their value by 15.1% in 2017, compared to an increase of 6.1% in 2016. North America remains the largest region in terms of assets under management (AUM), accounting for 42.3% of all…

This paper by PwC examines investment process best practices by global pension funds. It looks at growing asset allocation trends, regulations, governance models, and other drivers of change.

Global investors, and pension funds specifically, must take climate change considerations into account. The Pensions Regulator has already mandated that pension funds integrate ESG issues into their investment strategy. This guide, produced by the PLSA, provides a programme of action for pension funds in order to further…

New bfinance data reveals falling fees in several sectors, especially where providers have been under pressure from cheaper competitors or the investment landscape has evolved. Meanwhile, many asset managers have seized the opportunity to launch fashionable products at a premium to their conventional equivalents, with…

This paper by DCIIA offers plan sponsors a new perspective on enhancing or implementing automatic plan features in a DC plan. It highlights several possible benefits of this to the employer. It also provides a roadmap that plan sponsors might use to implement automatic plan features over several years.

The retirement dream for many is to retire early enough to enjoy the fruits of their labours. The reality however is that for many there isn't enough money in the bank to last the entirety of their retirement. This paper by Citi looks at the scope of the problem both on the private and the public side. The author examines…

Typically, institutional investors around the world pursue one of four investment goals: absolute return, liability-driven investment, total return or principal protection. Generally, they choose from four different investment approaches: static tilts, traditional active management, market-capitalization exposures and…

The authors of this paper propose the "virtual annuity" approach to help determine a retirees' spending rule. They state that every year, a pensioner should only spend the amount a recently purchased annuity would pay out that year - with a buying price that equates to the then-present portfolio value, with a price that…

An excellent and comprehensive study of compensation amongst Canadian CFA Charterholders. Showing salary, bonus and benefit levels for portfolio managers, multi-asset PMs, portfolio analysts, risk analysts, compliance/regulatory professionals, investment marketers, product development professionals, investment advisers and…

This award-winning 60-page report investigates a variety of approaches that may be taken by institutional investors in order to find new long-term investment strategies. Examining the five key action areas (risk appetite statements, investment mandates, benchmarking processes, evaluations and incentives, and investment…

Climate change presents a potential systemic risk to the financial system. This 60-page guide by the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change aims to serve as a ‘how-to guide’ for institutional investors who are beginning to construct and conduct scenario analysis.

This 21-page report by Aon is addressed to parties with an interest in the funding of UK defined benefit (DB) pension schemes – trustees and scheme sponsors in particular. The purpose of this paper is to get back to basics and consider what interested parties are trying to achieve when considering funding and what should be…

bfinance's 2018 Asset Owner Survey is the firm's largest investor research study to date. It provides invaluable insights into some of the key challenges faced by asset owners around the world. Key themes examined include: entering new asset classes; improving diversification; active, passive and smart beta; ESG in practice…

SSGA identifies and discusses 10 best practices for global defined contribution pension plans, including - articulating objectives of total rewards globally, establishing a clear and flexible governance framework, deciding on a global investment philosophy, promoting higher savings rates, and seeking other efficiencies.

Increasing life expectancy is one of the most profound success stories of the post-war era. The pace and scale of this human success story has been remarkable, but it is creating its own challenges for corporates.

Most investment trustees have had successful careers—but not necessarily in the investment field. In their capacities as trustees, they are not responsible for the day-to-day decision making of the funds they serve, but they do bear responsibility for setting investment and governance policy, understanding the fund’s mission…

In this edition of our quarterly letter Ian Lance looks at one of today's largest and yet least discussed issues: the extent to which different types of pensions across the globe are underfunded. After identifying the factors that led to this situation, he examines the potential implications of trying to deal with the shortfall…

This study was commissioned by Future Fund, the Australian SWF. It aims compare best practices across leading asset owner funds with reference to benchmarks. The authors aim to reveal opportunities for idea sharing, development, and challenge between these funds. Eight specific focus areas emerge from the study: Culture,…

The Australian superannuation industry is now one of the largest retirement savings pools in the world with assets of around $2.2 trillion. This 42-page paper gives a helpful historical overview of the industry. It covers different areas: the history of superannuation, the current industry structure, market concentration and…

This 14-page paper examines the trustees of UK defined benefit pension schemes, specifically the extent to which they understand costs and fees in fund management.