Comment
IPE’s columnists and guest writers dig into the hot topics for the pensions and investment industries with thoughtful commentary and reaction from around the world
Viewpoint: How a DB ‘surplus code’ could support economic growth
David Wrigley, partner at LCP, says supporting the appropriate release of surpluses could provide a shot in the arm to the UK economy
From the editor
Preparedness: a new asset class?
Wars are famously costly. Most people would agree that preventing them is infinitely preferable to paying for them.
Viewpoint
The private credit market needs careful monitoring
European institutional investors seem to be in a bind. Equities performed well this year, but market concentration remains at record levels and many investors expect a correction. Returns from bonds have been mostly positive, but that could change if inflation flares up again. The real estate market may be starting to recover, but it is early days, and the recovery may not be linear.
Big Swedish providers raise pension switch worries
Pension transfers are big business in Sweden, and the market could be described as booming right now.
The new face of Australia’s corporate super funds
Australia has seen the number of corporate pension funds shrink significantly over the years, but recent mergers with industry funds are giving new life to the sector
Could DB pension plans make a comeback in the US?
This year will see developments in the US DC market, but the renaissance of DB plans is set to continue
The importance of board decisions in an uncertain world
In the foreword to this new book, the CIO of CERN Pension Fund, Dr Elena Manola-Bonthond, says that, in her experience, investment alpha is scarce and very often difficult to access. It can be costly and its persistence is sometimes questionable. But there are other types of alpha that are more accessible and governance alpha is definitely one of them.
Book review: The Financial Markets of Ancient Egypt – Risk and Return
“If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us. But passion and party blind our eyes.”
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The private credit market needs careful monitoring
European institutional investors seem to be in a bind. Equities performed well this year, but market concentration remains at record levels and many investors expect a correction. Returns from bonds have been mostly positive, but that could change if inflation flares up again. The real estate market may be starting to recover, but it is early days, and the recovery may not be linear.
Preparedness: a new asset class?
Wars are famously costly. Most people would agree that preventing them is infinitely preferable to paying for them.
Will pensions save the savings and investments union?
One only needs to glance over the first page of the recent Draghi report on European competitiveness to find that the European economy is in crisis.
The size of Australia’s super funds could threaten the financial system
Australia’s central bank has warned that rapid growth of the nation’s superannuation system could “amplify” shocks to the country’s financial stability.
Endowment funds stick with alternatives despite headwinds
Disappointing returns in the last fiscal year may force US university endowments to rethink their investment strategies, but could this include moving away from the so-called Yale model that focuses on alternative investments?
Swiss pension funds reform second-pillar pensions from the bottom up
September’s referendum on the reform of second-pillar pensions demonstrates that comprehensive proposals engineered from the top down don’t always bring the expected results. The latest proposal was roundly defeated by two thirds of the electorate.
Europe’s right wing can break pensions
Now that they hold power in several European countries, radical right-wing parties can make or break Europe’s pension systems.
Focus falls on finance for real-economy decarbonisation
This month’s COP29 climate summit will focus on finance
Is it time to add a new layer to strategic asset allocation?
For years, strategic asset allocation (SAA) has been a cornerstone of investment for pension funds and other institutional investors. Is sustainability a missing ingredient?
Disagreements over pension reform persist in the Netherlands
When King Willem-Alexander read out his speech at the opening of the Dutch parliament, the topic of pensions was missing.
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