Should ESG criteria drive pension investments? Researchers explore past, present, & future impacts of ESG investing on pensions in the Wharton Pension Research Council’s new volume, “Pension Funds and Sustainable Investment: Challenges and Opportunities,” available from Oxford University Press. Via Plansponsor.…Read More
Defined benefit pensions often paid lifetime income streams, but many workers were not included; some companies also underfunded the plans. Defined contribution plans plus Social Security offer more Americans retirement security, explains Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell, via PlanAdvisor. …Read More
Is ESG investing in violation of or consistent with fiduciary duties? State-imposed political demands prove problematic for pension plan fiduciaries explains Professor Olivia S. Mitchell of the Wharton School via Pandionline.com (Registration required)…Read More
Taxing 401(k) contributions versus payouts will alter saving, investment, consumption, & Social Security claiming. But there’s little rationale for policymakers to favor taxing pension contributions versus pension payouts, on egalitarian or revenue-enhancing grounds. Research by Vanya Horneff and Raimond Maurer of Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, and Olivia S. Mitchell of The Wharton School via Journal of Pension Economics & Finance.…Read More
Retirement plan type, income level, and age all impact pension withdrawal choices for participants who terminate employment with company pensions, explain Profs. Olivia S. Mitchell of The Wharton School and Robert L. Clark of NC State Poole College of Management via ThinkAdvisor. Also participants with higher Financial Literacy levels are more likely to choose annuitized benefits. Download @PensionResearch working paper here.…Read More
How many American workers lack access to a workplace retirement savings plan or pension? John Sabelhaus of the Brookings Institute and University of Michigan Survey Research Center uses new data to address this question via a discussion of his new PRC Working Paper, “The Current State of U.S. Workplace Retirement Plan Coverage.”…Read More
Wharton Professor Olivia S. Mitchell dubious that pension funds should move massively into private equity investments, via Chief Investment Officer. [Registration required]…Read More
Though ESG considerations in pension fund investment practices vary, more transparency & better information will drive future investment choices & help investors engage more, advise Stéphanie Lachance of Fiera Comox in Canada & Judith Stroehle of Oxford’s Saïd Business School via RetireSecure Blog. …Read More
Should pensions invest in ESG? Without tools to clearly identify “politically motivated” investments, many struggle to find balance between social responsibility and fiduciary duty, notes Wharton’s Olivia S. Mitchell via Fundfire. …Read More
Micropensions could help informal sector workers in developing countries as willingness to contribute is high and access is valued, report Profs. Olivia S. Mitchell of The Wharton School and Anita Mukherjee of the University of Wisconsin-Madison via Innovations for Poverty Action.…Read More
