White papers and reports broadly related to the topic of pension funds in Asia, with a particular focus on Japan, China and Hong Kong. The most read white papers on Asian pension funds analyse the Chinese pensions system, the Japanese pensions systems and pensions systems in East and South East Asia. In particular, a number of articles consider Japan's GPIF... (Government Pension Investment Fund) and its management of assets. Further research and surveys consider other aspects of Asian pension schemes; the trends in Asian pension asset allocation, the effectiveness of pension fund governance, pension reform in China and elsewhere, and the trend towards longer-term investing. To search for keywords within the Asian Pension Funds category, use the search bar to the right of this text.
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…
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…
One of the most critical tasks for the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) is the proper selection and monitoring of fund managers. The asset owner's current approach, which depends on the track records and qualitative explanation of candidates and commissioned fund managers, can be significantly improved with the use…
Ageing populations continue to pose a challenge to governments worldwide, with policymakers struggling to balance the twin goals of delivering financial security for their retirees that is both adequate for the individual and sustainable for the economy. Now in its tenth year, the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index…
While it’s easy to say that we will get less money in retirement than we had expected, it’s quite another thing to confront the harsh reality. Few people realise that this will come to a head when new pensioners are no longer mostly on defined benefits, but on defined contributions schemes. And this shift is imminent. It…
In GPIF, about 20% of all assets are actively managed by the asset managers, but only a small number of funds achieve the target excess return rate during the three years from FY2014 to 2016. In addition to the problem of the selection ability of the GPIF, there is a possibility that the target excess return rate may not be…
While China’s ageing population is scrambling to save enough for retirement, many Chinese millennials believe they will enjoy a carefree one without the need to invest their savings. Here’s a day in the life of three people in Shanghai and a deep dive into how they’re saving for their future.
Population aging used to be a demographic phenomenon exclusive to advanced economies. It followed a well-accepted pattern. Protracted periods of economic growth allowed advanced, but aging societies to accumulate national wealth and personal savings simultaneously. Public programs were established to provide an ecosystem of…
The purpose of this report is to document the assumptions used and results under HKAS 19 reporting for 118 defined benefit schemes in Hong Kong with financial years ended between 30 June 2017 and 29 June 2018. This report should not be used or relied upon for the purposes of determining assumptions to be adopted for HKAS 19…
Climate change is creating risks in the real world, as well as potentially unpriced risk in financial markets, creating a need for new tools to monitor and manage the evolving risk landscape. The S&P Carbon Efficient Indices are being used by institutional investors, including the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF…
Younger people in Japan with no memories of the country's "lost decade" of deflation are reporting more positive attitudes toward investing and are doing more of it, according to Fidelity’s latest annual survey of Japanese workers. For asset managers, the implications of this shift could be significant.
Investment behaviour in historically conservative Japan is changing, with investors looking for new products, giving rise to opportunities for global asset managers. But how can asset managers capitalize on this situation?
Japan's iDeCo (individual defined contribution) plan enrollment is growing rapidly in the wake of a January 2017 expansion of iDeCo eligibility. iDeCo plans differ from corporate defined contribution plans in several respects, the biggest of which is that most iDeCo participants do not open iDeCo accounts until they are…
The Government announced in the recent 2018/2019 Budget that it will encourage higher levels of retirement savings by providing tax concessions for deferred annuity products. In this issue, we share our insights on how this will impact retirement protection in Hong Kong.
Infrastructure investment in Asia faces a massive financing gap, both in “hard” and “soft” infrastructure, despite the region’s high savings. Underlying this gap is a capital flow paradox in which Asia’s outflow of portfolio funds far exceeds the inflow. To change this, solutions in at least three areas are necessary:…
