Asian Pension Funds - Articles & White Papers

The global top 300 pension funds is an annual study conducted by the Thinking Ahead Institute. AUM of the top 300 pension funds total US$20.6 trillion, having reduced by 12.9% in 2022, down from 8.9% growth the previous year. High inflation and higher interest rates disrupted equity and bond markets worldwide piling the…

The Asset Owner 100 is a Thinking Ahead Institute study which gathers data on the total assets of the top 100 asset owners around the world. Though not included in the ranking, the study also presents the total assets for the top 10 insurers and the top 10 foundations and endowments.

Global Pension Finance Watch, published quarterly, reviews how capital market performance affects defined benefit pension plan financing in major retirement markets worldwide, with a focus on linked asset/liability results. We cover defined benefit pension plans in Brazil, Canada, the Eurozone, Japan, Switzerland, the U.K.…

Pension assets industry in China could grow to an estimated total of RMB 22-28 trillion by 2030, creating new opportunities for all participants, including global asset managers. China Pensions Reforms: Winning strategies for global asset managers amid evolution in retirement market is a report that explains the…

China's pension system is facing funding challenges as a result of changing demographics. The first pillar, which relies on contributions from current workers, is particularly vulnerable to an aging population. While the second pillar has shown some growth, its limited coverage cannot fully bridge the funding gap of the…

The value of assets earmarked for retirement declined in most OECD countries in 2022 driven by negative nominal investment rates of return. Fixed income instruments, the largest asset class for pension providers, have seen large drops in valuations across the globe driven by high inflation and interest rates. Widespread…

The Responsible Investment Super Study series is the most comprehensive research conducted on the responsible investment and ESG practices of Australia’s superannuation sector. It is published every two years.

I investigate the role of pension funds on stock market liquidity, using panel data for seventeen EM countries during 2006-2019. In particular, I focus on whether pension funds' liquidity provision is time-varying and is more or less pronounced during crisis times.

Fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) were first introduced in the 1990s in the United States to offer policyholders exposure to upside participation in equities along with downside protection. Since then, they have grown to be one of the most important annuity products in the U.S., netting an industry total sales of close to USD $…

Longevity risk and related capital market solutions have grown increasingly important in recent years, both in academic research and in the markets we refer to as the Life Market, i.e., the capital market that trades longevity-linked assets and liabilities. Mortality improvements around the world are putting more and more…

This study investigates the impact of a new social pension program in the People’s Republic of China on the health expenditures of rural elderly people.

The 2023 Global Survey of Accounting Assumptions for Defined Benefit Plans is the 34th annual WTW survey of assumptions selected by major corporations for their defined benefit (DB) plans around the world. This is an executive summary.

Insights for SOA candidates and newcomers to the actuarial profession.

Major reforms to the Chinese Mainland’s pensions system are creating new opportunities for asset managers. This report, jointly authored by KPMG China and ASIFMA, explores the background to China’s evolving three-pillar pensions system and the demographic factors that necessitated the current reforms, and shares insights…