scholarly journals The impact of alternative assets on the performance of Brazilian private pension funds

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (86) ◽  
pp. 314-330
Author(s):  
Francis Amim Flores ◽  
Carlos Heitor Campani ◽  
Raphael Moses Roquete
Keyword(s):  
Pension System ◽  
Hedge Fund ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Public Utilities ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Investment Funds ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This article assesses the impact of alternative assets on the performance of Brazilian private pension funds. Few studies touch on this topic in Brazil and most only investigate the addition of alternative assets and their impact on the performance. The market of open private pension funds in Brazil has been growing rapidly in recent years and gaining much relevance, especially after the announcement of the reformulation of the Brazilian pension system. In 2018, the Free Benefit Generating Plan (PGBL) and the Free Benefit Generating Life (VGBL) represented more than 94% of total assets in their sector. The Brazilian specially constituted investment funds (FIEs) of PGBL and VGBL private pension plans are characterized by their dependence on fixed income assets. Brazil currently faces an unprecedent low interest rate scenario - which, following a worldwide panorama, seems to be set for a long time - and pension fund managers must search for alternative investments that aggregate both risk premia and diversification. The results of this study may support managers in this little-discussed matter. We compare the performance of FIEs without additional alternative assets versus the portfolio with alternative assets, adding a hedge fund index, an equity mutual funds index, a commodity index, an electric power index, a public utilities index, a gold index, and a real estate index. Several performance measures were used, considering Brazilian regulations and a rebalancing strategy. Our results showed that almost all alternative assets used in this study improved the performance of the Brazilian FIEs of PGBL and VGBL private pension plans, especially the public utilities index and the hedge fund index. Some even improved the portfolio tail risk.

scholarly journals Pension Fund Management, Investment Performance, and Herding in the Context of Regulatory Changes: New Evidence from the Polish Pension System

Risks ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Łukasz Dopierała ◽  
Magdalena Mosionek-Schweda
Keyword(s):  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Market Model ◽  
Herd Behavior ◽  
Investment Performance ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
Regulatory Changes ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of reforms introduced in the operation of Polish open pension funds on management style, risk exposure and related investment performance. The article analyzes the impact of the reformed regulations on the herd behavior of fund managers. In particular, we examined whether the elimination of the internal benchmark for fund evaluation impacts the elimination or reduction of herd behavior. We proposed a multi-factor market model to evaluate the performance of funds investing in various types of instruments. Moreover, we used panel estimation to directly take into account the impact of the internal benchmark on herd behavior. Our results indicate that highly regulated funds may slightly outperform passive benchmarks and their unregulated competitors. In the case of Polish open pension funds, limiting investments in Treasury debt instruments clearly resulted in increased risk and volatility of returns. However, it also raised competition between funds and decreased the herd behavior. Additionally, the withdrawal of the mechanism evaluating funds based on the internal benchmark was also important in reducing herd behavior.

scholarly journals Impact Of Retirement Benefit Act (RBA) On Investment Returns To Pension Funds In Kenya

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Jepchoge Rono ◽  
Julius Kibet Bitok ◽  
Gordon N Asamoah
Keyword(s):  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Insurance Fund ◽  
Retirement Benefits ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Investment Returns ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
The Impact

This study focused on the analysis of the impact of RBA guidelines on the return on investments of both pension funds under management and those for pension schemes. A random sample of 175 fund trustees and a census of 13 fund managers from registered fund management companies participated in the survey. The questionnaire was administered through the drop-and-pick method. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and summarized in descriptive statistics, such as mean, standard deviation, frequencies, percentages, and t-tests for mean differences were used. The study determined that annual investment return for retirement benefits schemes in the past three years ranged between 10 and 27.52%, sometimes falling below the annual inflation.  The Kenya pension funds are in compliance with the prescribed broad guidelines with regard to maximum percentages of total asset value of fund by the RBA Act. They are, however, moderately in compliance with the regulations requiring that that they maintain an actuarial solvency of 80% and above. The overall weighted returns before the implementation of RBA Guidelines was low (average scale of 1.9) while the weighted returns after the implementation of RBA Guidelines was high, at an average scale of 3.7. An analysis of the trend, however, showed that long-run performance has slowed down. The highest growth was realized for mortgage and cash returns as opposed to rights issues and bonus shares. There is need to fashion out the appropriate mix of reforms suitable for Kenya that will ensure the long-run sustainability of its pension systems. The challenge is for the country to adopt a unified, harmonized, and transparent regulatory framework that will integrate the pension system in order to ensure sustainability in its financing and mobilizing of adequate funds to cater for the ever-increasing population of beneficiaries in this regard, comprehensive pension reform policy with wider target radar and one that will consolidate and harmonize the various legislations touching on retirement benefits industry in line with Retirement Benefits Act. The Regulator needs to implement measures to ensure pension funds are insulated from inflationary and other risks.  An effective way is to institute a pension risk insurance fund that will underwrite and compensate such losses as will be prescribed. Further, there is need for a systematic indexation of benefits to inflation. RBA should strengthen its compliance and enforcement function in order to ensure that it appropriately deals with emerging present and future regulatory challenges.

scholarly journals Private pension funds: pragmatics and problems of activity in Ukraine

2021 ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Zoriana Matsuk
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Pension System ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Investment Horizon ◽  
Investment Funds ◽  
Bank Deposits ◽  
State Pension

Introduction. Nowadays, the pension system in Ukraine is being transformed, which necessitates analytical research on the activities of private pension funds, namely, open-ended, identifying problems of their activities and finding ways for further effective development.Methods. In the article author uses methods of analysis and synthesis, graphic research methods, economic and statistical methods for information collection and processing, in particular, sample surveys, groupings, statistical comparisons, trend analysis - in the process of evaluating the activities of private pension funds in Ukraine, and the method of logical generalization in formulating conclusions.Results. Author did an analytical assessment of indicators that characterize both the quantitative side of the activities of private pension funds in Ukraine and the qualitative side of their effectiveness in the domestic financial market. Attention is focused on the peculiarities of the structure of the portfolio of open non-state pension funds and it is concluded that the biggest quote (about 95%) in it belongs to cash on bank deposits and government securities. Author analyzed the indicators of profitability of the five most profitable open pension funds of Ukraine (according to the results of 2020) and their comparative characteristics, both in terms of the level of profitability and with the inflation rate. The tendency to decrease the profitability of investment portfolios during the analyzed period is noted. It was found that the structure of the portfolio of the most profitable open private pension funds is practically the same as the general structure of all pension funds of Ukraine. Discussion. Author proposed to form the portfolio structure of a private pension fund based on the characteristics of its depositors, and for the part of the portfolio with the largest investment horizon include risky instruments: direct investment funds, venture funds and real estate funds. This will allow using part of the pension savings as a long-term investment resource for the modernization of the domestic economy.Prospects for further research necessitate consideration of the main methods used in the process of selecting an asset management company, the administrator of a private pension fund, and assess the effectiveness of its asset management of private pension funds.

scholarly journals Individual Pension Funds and Capital Market Development in Turkey

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yilmaz Bayar
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Public Pension ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Securities Market ◽  
Causality Test ◽  
Pension Systems ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBeginning with the 1980s, when the sustainability of the public pension systems became endangedered, many countries have developed their individual pension plans and/or occupational pension plans in order to supersede or support their public pension systems,. This study examines the impact of individual pension funds on the development of both debt securities market and stock market in Turkey during the period October 2006-May 2015, using Hatemi (2008) cointegration test and Toda and Yamamoto (1995) causality test with monthly data. We found that, in the long run, the private pension funds had positive impact on both development of debt securities market and stock market. Furthermore, causality appears to exist between the market for private pension funds, the debt securities market and the stock market.

scholarly journals The Spanish public pension system as opposed to the alternative of private pension plans

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
M. Cubas Pardo
Keyword(s):  
Pension System ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Pension Plans ◽  
Public Pension ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Private Pensions ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public Pension System ◽  
Average Worker ◽  
The Impact

Many countries are currently facing the problem of sustainability of public pension systems due to demographic developments and changes in the labor market. In this context, private pension plans are often presented as an alternative. This paper aims to describe the functioning of the current public pension system in Spain and the impact that abandoning the current public system and adopting a pension system based on private contributions would have on workers and pensioners. To this end, a hypothetical case study is presented, for an average worker, comparing the contributions made in each of the systems (public and private) as well as the benefits received after retirement. The results show the different nature of public pensions, which act as an insurance and have a strong redistributive component, as opposed to private pensions, which have an investment nature. For the average worker, the adoption of a private system would entail losses in the purchasing power during his working life and a very substantial reduction in the amounts received during retirement, along with greater economic instability.

scholarly journals Financial Literacy Self-Evaluation of Young People in Latvia

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (15) ◽  
pp. 160-169
Author(s):  
Evija Dundure ◽  
Biruta Sloka
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Regular and proportionate voluntary savings in private pension funds can become an important part of oldage pensions. However, this can happen if the savings are made for a long period of time. This justifies the target group of the 3rd pension level, which are young people who have started to receive a regular income from their professional activity. One of the most discussed issues in promoting voluntary pension savings is the level of financial literacy. In addition to other motivating factors, such as financial incentives, the level of knowledge of the population about the opportunities to participate in the third pillar of pensions makes them want to build up voluntary savings. Effective communication of information to a precise target audience is one of the main tasks of government agencies in formulating pension policy. In order to assess the impact of various socio-economic factors on young people's knowledge of savings for pension formation, a survey of Latvian youth was conducted in February-March 2021, addressing youth organizations and universities. The survey is designed using closed and semi-closed questions, in several questions respondents were asked to provide ratings using the Likert scale. The survey provides answers to the question about the level of knowledge of Latvian youth about the current pension system, emphasizing the investor's right to handle investments in private pension funds, as well as the basic conditions for creating savings at the 2nd and 3rd pension levels. The task of the study was to analyze the respondents' financial literacy self-evaluation answers based on the main socio-economic factors - gender, age and income. The results of the study confirm that the level of financial literacy of young people differs according to age, gender and income level.

Are hedge fund returns affected by media coverage of macroeconomic news?

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-439
Author(s):  
Sandip Dutta ◽  
James Thorson
Keyword(s):  
Hedge Funds ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Hedge Fund ◽  
Real Sector ◽  
Macroeconomic News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
News Announcements ◽  
Hedge Fund Returns ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Extant literature suggests that the difficulty associated with the interpretation of macroeconomic news announcements by the market in general in different economic environments, might be the reason why most studies do not find any significant relationship between real-sector macroeconomic variables and financial asset returns. This paper aims to use a different approach to measure macroeconomic news. The objective is to examine if a different measure of a macroeconomic news variable, constructed from media coverage of the same, significantly affects hedge fund returns. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a news index for unemployment, which is a real-sector variable, constructed from newspaper coverage of unemployment announcements and examine its impact on hedge fund returns. Findings Contrary to the other studies that examine the impact of macroeconomic news on hedge fund returns, the authors find that media coverage of unemployment news announcements significantly affects hedge fund returns. Practical implications Overall, this paper demonstrates that the manner in which the market interprets macroeconomic news announcements in different economic environments is probably a more relevant factor for hedge funds and is more likely to impact hedge fund returns. In conjunction with variables – constructed from media coverage of unemployment news announcements – that factor in the manner of interpretation, it is found that surprises also matter for hedge fund returns. This is an important consideration for hedge fund managers as well. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the impact of media coverage of macroeconomic news announcements on hedge fund returns and finds significantly different results with real-sector macro variables.

Private Pension Funds in Hungary

2005 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ichiro Iwasaki ◽  
Kazuko Sato
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
Pension Scheme ◽  
Special Interest Groups ◽  
Governance Reform

The new pension system launched in Hungary in 1998 is epoch-making for having introduced a mandatory private pension scheme (MPPS). However, the political decision-making on pension reform and the scheme operations have been greatly influenced by conflicts of interests among ministries, political conflicts between parties, and the presence of special interest groups, including trade unions and financial institutions. This situation may have had a certain negative influence on the legal framework of the MPPS and on the management performance of private pension funds. In order for the MPPS to be sustainable in the future and to make insurance beneficiary profits a top priority, the corporate governance reform of pension funds and reinforcement of the monitoring system over them, and political neutralisation of the public pension system are necessary.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENT OF NON-STATE PENSION FUNDS OF UKRAINE: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalya Tataryn ◽  
Kateryna Zakorko ◽  
Sofia Kozar
Keyword(s):  
Pension Fund ◽  
Pension System ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
The State ◽  
Private Pension ◽  
State Pension ◽  
Private Pension System ◽  
State Pension Funds ◽  
Legal Entities

The article considers topical issues of determining the current state of development of the private pension system in Ukraine, and defines the concept of "private pension fund". In economic essence, the system of non-state pension fund is defined as an integral part of the system of accumulative pension provision, based on voluntary participation of individuals and legal entities in the formation of pension savings in order to receive additional pension contributions. Problems that hinder the development of private pension funds, namely the shadowing of wages and labor relations, lack of public awareness, lack of legislation are identified. The functioning of private pension funds in the country depends not only on reforming the existing pension system, but also on the growth of incomes, their de-shadowing and development of the financial market in general. The current pension system is not able to provide the population with the necessary pension assets. This problem can be solved by intensifying the activities of private pension funds. Emphasis is placed on the need and importance of a voluntary private pension system and its role in ensuring the development of the state economy. As world experience shows, in a market economy, the development of private pension funds is one of the important components to ensure effective functioning of the state. Private pension funds are powerful investment investors because they can mobilize additional investment resources. The main purpose of investing pension assets is to preserve the savings of the population. The main indicators of activity of non-state pension funds are analyzed, namely: pension contributions, pension payments, the number of concluded pension contracts, the amount of investment income, etc. Further trends in the development of private pension provision in Ukraine are noted, substantiated the necessary measures to intensify activities in modern economic conditions, proposed recommendations for solving existing problems of institutions. However, in implementing the proposed measures should be remembered participation of both individuals and legal entities.

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