Pensions Archives - Retirement Income Journal

Retirement Income News

By Editorial Staff Wed, Jul 1, 2026

Empower to buy Milliman's retirement businesses; Ford offers Hueler’s Income Solutions platform as 401(k) distribution option; U.S. Treasury selects two BlackRock funds for Trump Accounts; Security Benefit launches short-surrender...

Published July 2026

Lessons from Britain’s national ‘NEST’ egg program

By Kerry Pechter Sun, Sep 29, 2024

NEST is the U.K.'s experiment with a government-sponsored, portable defined contribution plan for low- and middle-income workers at small companies. Most NEST participants are still far from retirement, but...

Published October 2024

British regulators scrutinize ‘FundedRe’ in pension deals

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Aug 1, 2024

The Prudential Regulatory Authority, the Bank of England's financial regulatory arm, told UK life insurers in late July that it has concerns about the use of 'funded reinsurance' (FundedRe)...

Published August 2024

Athene’s group annuities not the ‘safest available,’ lawsuit charges

By Editorial Staff Sun, Jun 2, 2024

The suit against Athene may be a test case for the legitimacy of Bermuda Triangle strategy. In other news from the Bermuda Triangle: Annuity sales boom attracts private equity-backed...

Published June 2024

Here Come the Suits

By Kerry Pechter Tue, Apr 2, 2024

Close observers of the 'Bermuda Triangle' strategy weren't surprised when class action lawsuits were filed against AT&T, State Street Global Advisors and Lockheed Market for their choice of Athene...

Published April 2024

Of Athene, Pension Risk Transfers, and Fiduciaries

By Kerry Pechter Fri, Jul 28, 2023

The ERISA Advisory Council recently heard comments on changing the criteria that fiduciaries use when vetting annuity providers in pension risk transfer deals. Athene's vice chairman defended his company's...

Published July 2023

A ‘Cashback’ Pension-Building Card, from Germany

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Apr 14, 2022

'The Vantikcard uses the 1% cashback as a kickstart into retirement savings and for customers to then save on top of the cashback,' a Vantik veteran said. Right: Vantik...

Published April 14, 2022

Denmark’s ‘Arnes’ can apply for early pensions

By Editorial Staff Thu, Dec 2, 2021

A new program, which acknowledges the physical toll of blue collar work, allows people to claim their state pensions up to three years earlier than the standard national pension...

Published December 2, 2021

Athene Takes Another Bite at Pensions Apple

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Aug 5, 2021

In a pension risk transfer deal, Athene Holding will acquire about $4.9 bn in pension assets and liabilities from Lockheed Martin. But when do these deals become too much...

Published August 5, 2021

A close look at ‘collective defined contribution’ plans

By Editorial Staff Thu, May 27, 2021

A timely new white paper from the Center for Retirement Initiatives at Georgetown University makes a case for these retirement plans, which try to blend elements of defined benefit...

Published May 27, 2021

Prudential closes $8.4 billion pension reinsurance deal

By Editorial Staff Thu, Apr 29, 2021

'We see the use of a third-party onshore UK-regulated insurer as limited recourse intermediary as the logical next step in de-risking solutions,' Prudential's Rohit Mathur said.

Published April 29, 2021

Falling discount rates hurt DB pensions at insurers: AM Best

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Apr 8, 2021

Only 184 insurance companies rated by AM Best had defined benefit plans at year-end 2019, compared with 257 in 2016, according to a new report. Aggregated insurance company unfunded...

Published April 8, 2021

Big 4Q rally for US pension risk transfer deals: LIMRA SRI

By Editorial Staff Tue, Mar 2, 2021

'Fourth quarter 2020 buy-out sales continue this trend and represented the highest quarterly sales total recorded since fourth quarter 2012,' said Mark Paracer of SRI.

Published March 4, 2021

How to Solve the World’s Retirement Crisis

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Jan 28, 2021

Retrofitting 401(k) plans with lifetime income options is one of the thorniest challenges of our time. We describe three possible solutions to that puzzle, from Nobelist Robert Merton and...

Published January 28, 2021

Honorable Mention

By Editorial Staff

Sammons Financial buys $3 billion Ohio-based RIA/TAMP; MetLife unit completes pension risk transfer deal with Weyerhaeuser; Equitable publishes study on educators' retirement savings rates; National Guardian Life buys Everplans;...

Published January 28, 2021

The future of longevity risk transfer deals

By John Kiff Thu, Oct 22, 2020

A Senior Financial Sector Expert at the International Monetary Fund asks why longevity risk swaps aren't as popular as longevity risk buy-outs (or buy-ins) with institutional investors. This post...

Published October 22, 2020

Public pensions are not a drag: Study

By Editorial Staff Thu, May 7, 2020

Economic growth attributable to public pensions generated approximately $341.4 billion in state and local revenues. Adjusting this figure for taxpayer contribution $162 billion yields pensions’ net positive impact of...

Published May 7, 2020

House MEP bill could fuel pension risk transfer deals

By Editorial Staff Thu, Jul 25, 2019

According to a CBO estimate, HR397 calls for loans and grants to insolvent or troubled multiemployer pensions totaling almost $49 billion between 2019 and 2024 and almost $68 billion...

Published July 25, 2019

Shekel by Shekel: How Israelis Save

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Feb 14, 2019

For the last decade, Israeli workers have contributed to mandatory defined contribution savings plans at work and must convert at least part of their savings to a lifetime income...

Published February 14, 2019

In Austria, earlier retirement was associated with earlier death

By Editorial Staff Thu, Jan 3, 2019

An additional year in early retirement increased a man’s probability of death before age 73 by 1.85 percentage points and reduced the age at death by an average of...

Published January 3, 2019

Pensions