The book offers new ways to think about retirement security in a volatile financial environment. Myriad retirement risks confront employees, retirees, employers, and governments. This book illustrates how stakeholders can reinvent pensions that perform well in a competitive global setting.

Few events have posed as many challenges for retirement and retirement policy as the crisis of the late 2000s. At the end of the last decade, the United States experienced the Great Recession-a combination of unprecedented wealth losses and historically high unemployment increases that marked the longest economic recession since the Great Depression. These adverse economic shocks coincided with the burgeoning entry into retirement by the baby boomer generation, those born in the United States between 1946 and 1964. The confluence of these trends meant that retirees may have faced greater economic insecurity than at any point since World War II. This book brings together a number of influential researchers whose work is focused on economic policies and their impacts on retirement income security. They come from both academic and policy backgrounds. Specifically, half of the eight contributors are academics, while the other four come from think tanks in Washington, DC. This book is thus intended to combine research and policy. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Aging and Social Policy.

An updated edition of award-winning financial planner Jason Butler's effective guide to helping your wealth survive and thrive so that you achieve financial security and stability.

This book weaves together current understanding around financial literacy and ageing, arguing for the relevance of financial literacy for old age security. Building upon on the experiences of ten developing Asian economies with a focus on India, the book enters new territory by developing frameworks that identify predictors of financial literacy and a mechanism for its internalization, as well as recognising the need for specialized training programs for the older population in order to establish a link between financial literacy and old age security. It thus makes a case about the centrality of financial literacy in creating an environment conducive to a dignified ageing experience in this world of shouldering one's own responsibility. Going forward, the book comprehends financial literacy for India as a skill which enables an individual to decide the suitable avenues to invest savings, utilize monetary resources and shape financial decisions aligned with their financial goals, in accordance with the dynamic financial & economic environment. This original volume is a first-time attempt to provide an in-depth account of financial literacy and its association with savings behavior, old age planning, wealth accumulation, healthcare and wellbeing in older age. It also provides a detailed account of various measurement tools used and policy initiatives undertaken across the globe for financial literacy. It is an indispensable reference guide for scholars and researchers, cutting across multiple disciplines particularly financial and development economics, gerontology, demography, social work, psychology and public policy.

• This textbook presents an excellent overview of responsible investing and an abundance of cases and historical development of responsible investing, which is an increasingly important area in asset management • New chapter on “Regulation, Reporting, and Taxonomy in ESG Investing� • Reorganised material on KPIs and risk modelling methods in ESG investing, to improve flow for readers • Large collection of updated/new case studies, along with interactive sections designed to get students actively engaged • A more comprehensive test bank and rubric for assessment for use by instructors at the end of every chapter • PowerPoint slides for instructors

By comparing Germany, France, the UK and the USA this study explores how governments have tackled the increased pressure of financing state pensions. Specifically, it looks at the approach of each of these countries to raising the age of entitlement in order to understand the ways in which this policy was introduced in different countries.

Since Autumn 2012 and under strict regulatory obligations, the biggest corporations in the UK have been offering a pension to any employee who earns more than GBP10,000. Now the challenge falls on smaller employers. This compulsory measure has far-reaching consequences for all players: not only have many new pension customers been brought into the market, but companies face strict deadlines and major fines if they do not comply. The Handbook of Work-based Pension Schemes takes a practical approach to the many issues and crucial decisions facing employers. Choose the right course of action and pensions can become a powerful element within a competitive package of benefits for attracting and keeping the right people, as well as opening up the potential for freeing up capital to invest back into the business. However make a mistake and the consequences can be far-reaching and expensive. Published in association with the Institute of Directors, this book will bring readers up to speed with how pensions are changing, then focus on the ways they will be able to design and manage better schemes at lower costs and at lower risk.

From the discovery of fire to that of the atom, the development of human societies has largely been based on the conquest of energy. In all countries, energy has gradually become one of the key factors of social and economic development, as well as capital, labor and natural resources, and now no one can do without it. After decades of cheap energy flowing without any problem, over the last forty years crises have become the rule. This disruption of the energy landscape is of particular concern as the impact of energy crises on human societies became considerable. This book seeks to provide a basis for reflection on all global energy problems, offering an analysis of the main aspects to consider: energy supply, resource-dependent industries and technology available, macroeconomic implications of energy demand, geopolitical issues, and specifics of the situation in developing countries. It does not thoroughly address environmental issues, which would require further study beyond the limits we set. This book is the second edition of a book published in 1992, at a time when obtaining energy and economic data was much more difficult than today, when many databases are freely accessible on the Internet. In this new context, we hope it will assist the reader in finding his/her way in the considerable amount of information available. Energy is a vast field that can be approached from multiple angles. The approach proposed here is to start by providing the reader with technical bases on energy, and thus energy supply, before considering the demand, that is to say, the socio- and macro-economic dimensions, then addressing global issues relating to energy, and finally complete the study of the main issues that arise in this area today. This book summarizes the main issues related to energy and requires no special knowledge beforehand, whether in economics, engineering or international relations. It consists of nine chapters, the first being the introduction. Chapter 2 introduces the main energy sectors (oil, natural gas, coal, synthetic hydrocarbons, nuclear power, renewable energy, thermal or pneumatic storage), i.e. how the main sources of energy can be exploited. Chapter 3 presents the main macroeconomic and energy indicators that are commonly used to assess the energy situation in a country. Concepts that are introduced being then used consistently in other chapters, it is essential to understand well their definitions and limitations. The fourth chapter analyzes the impacts of energy at the macro level, including the links between economic activity and energy consumption. The fifth chapter introduces the main principles generally accepted in the development of energy policy and planning, and then discusses the institutional aspects. The sixth chapter is devoted to geopolitics: current consumption of energy, energy reserves and resources worldwide, international energy trade, and specific problems faced by developing countries. The seventh chapter is devoted to the study of the energy situation in eleven different countries, showing the contrast between them, depending on their level of economic development, demography, natural resource endowments, etc. The list of countries includes high-income developed countries (France, United States, United Kingdom), the emerging group called the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), a North African oil exporting country (Algeria), a west African country (Cote d'Ivoire), and an Asian exporter of coal and natural gas (Indonesia). The eighth chapter discusses emerging issues related to energy, in particular its relationship to the environment and the success of policies aiming at controlling demand. The ninth and final chapter begins with a prospective study of various scenarios for the medium and long term. The analyses presented in the book are then summarized by outlining the main pending issues. The book includes 22 tables, 150 figures and 3 mind maps, as well as links to databases available online (World Bank, United Nations, BP). Also available: an online course covering the main topics dealt with in this book. Please visit: http://www.thermoptim.org/sections/enseignement/cours-en-ligne/modules-d-auto-formation/energy-issues-course

Over the past decade, socially responsible investment (SRI) has changed from being a niche market to become a core consideration for mainstream investors. As such, pension fund advisers, trustees of charitable foundations and other investment professionals want to understand this new phenomenon. Up to now they have lacked any reference book to teach them what they need to know about SRI. This gap is now filled by the publication of Socially Responsible Investment: A Global Revolution, the first book on SRI specifically written for investment professionals and their clients. The book will also help business executives and business schools looking at better corporate governance and business ethics.

Socially Responsible Investment describes how SRI has moved from fringe to mainstream on both sides of the Atlantic, and its current explosive growth rate in Asia and Europe. The book consists of three parts:

• Part One traces the historical development of the subject and analyses the different types of activity that comprise it. It also provides detailed analysis of the typical investor in SRI funds.
• Part Two describes the emerging consensus that SRI for institutional investors concentrates on four main issues: the environment, human rights, corporate governance, and financial return. Each of these subjects is covered in depth.
• Part Three concentrates on the rapid growth of socially responsible investment around the world, as it truly becomes a global revolution.

"To newcomers and veterans of the SRI movement, Russell Sparkes’ "Socially Responsible Investment, a Global Revolution" is a "must read". You will come away with a fresh appreciation of the history, evolution, and potential of socially responsible investing. The book is well researched. To Russell Sparkes--thank you!" Patricia Wolf, RSM, Executive Director, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

"The next few years will be crucial for the long term future of Socially Responsible Investment. Russell Sparkes’ timely book sets the scene very clearly for those who are shaping the agenda, but it will also be of value to people who are responding to the challenge of investing responsibly"  Helen Wildsmith, Executive Director, UK Social Investment Forum

"The Ethical Investor (1995) changed my views on what could done to harness investment to social responsibility in the UK context. This book now moves the agenda to the world stage and is essential reading for all those who can see the need to harness capitalism to SRI objectives in the post Sept. 11th world, and that after the Enron and Worldcom scandals, SRI can deliver the better world we need" Tony Colman MP, House of Commons International Development Select Committee

"The growth of SRI has been one of the most important - but often misunderstood - investment trends of the past decade. Russell Sparkes provides an invaluable analysis of the main SRI developments and issues for both professional and private investor alike, writing with true authority and insight" Stuart Bell, Research Director, PIRC Ltd

"At just the moment when the relationship between corporations and society is coming dominate political agendas, Russell Sparkes has produced an invaluable sequel to The Ethical Investor. Global in scope, Socially Responsible Investment is a practical, authoritative, readable guide that will well-serve both institutional and individual investors. Sparkes’ twenty plus years in the field and his understanding of cross-cultural issues give his work a unique depth and application wherever investors want to effect positive social change" Peter D. Kinder, Chief Executive Officer of KLD Research & Analytics, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts

"Russell Sparks has filled a huge need. In this magisterial volume, he has brought together the history, language and lore of shareholder activism and responsibility into coherence. For everyone searching for ways for owners to make corporations part of the solution for global problems, this book is a must read" Robert A.G. Monks, Chairman, Lens Investment Management and Publisher of www.ragm.com concerned with corporate governance and shareholder responsibility

"…a useful tool for investors and managers. Not the untested ideals of someone wishing to jump on the ethical band wagon but the considered and tested observations of a successful institutional investor of conviction"

"…having compared Socially Responsible Investment to an iceberg, Russell Sparkes explains many of those aspects of the subject not obvious on the surface." J E Rogers, Chief Executive, UKSIP The Society of Investment Professionals

Demographic trends put a burden on EU pension provision. As the sustainability of pension systems is addressed by current pension reforms, lower benefit levels are projected. In this scenario, households may want to consider supplementing their public pension income. As their own residence is on average their most valuable asset, its transformation to income can be one form of alleviating financial distress in old age. Thomas Muller presents research findings on the interdependency of housing and pension wealth as well as on whether and to what extent housing wealth is decumulated after retirement. The author emphasizes the consideration of housing wealth in pension policies to enable European households to employ its housing asset as an income source in old age.About the Author Thomas Muller wrote his dissertation at the Real Estate Management Institute (REMI) at the EBS Business School. His research was motivated by the effects of demographic changes on pension provision in the EU. He focused especially on the allocation and liquidation of private housing wealth as a public pension supplement.

* Provides an easy-to-access guide to what sustainable investing is and how it can influence investment decisions. * Written by experienced investment professionals, the book covers the full scale of Responsible Investment approaches and asset classes. * The book is based on global best practice and definitions as set by the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which is today the leading institution for responsible investors.

* Provides an easy-to-access guide to what sustainable investing is and how it can influence investment decisions. * Written by experienced investment professionals, the book covers the full scale of Responsible Investment approaches and asset classes. * The book is based on global best practice and definitions as set by the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which is today the leading institution for responsible investors.

Why do governments backtrack on major policy reforms? Reversals of pension privatization provide insight into why governments abandon potentially path-departing policy changes. Academics and policymakers will find this work relevant in understanding market-oriented reform, authoritarian and post-communist politics, and the politics of aging populations. The clear presentation and multi-method approach make the findings broadly accessible in understanding social security reform, an issue of increasing importance around the world. Survival analysis using global data is complemented by detailed case studies of reversal in Russia, Hungary, and Poland including original survey data. The findings support an innovative argument countering the conventional wisdom that more extensive reforms are more likely to survive. Indeed, governments pursuing moderate reform - neither the least nor most extensive reformers - were the most likely to retract. This lends insight into the stickiness of many social and economic reforms, calling for more attention to which reforms are reversible and which, as a result, may ultimately be detrimental.

This book deals with the pension of uncovered people in India, the informal or unorganized sector workers who contribute more than fifty percent of India's total output. Until recently, these workers don't get any old age security when they retire unlike those from the organized sector workers such as govt. employees or corporates. This book offers insights on the pension system of the informal sector in India. The book is the outcome of field research of two years and the field research was conducted on MSME sector (a sub sector of unorganised sector) which provides the knowledge about the present state of the unorganised sector workers in MSMEs, their financial condition and stress, their work participation, their awareness level of old age financial security or pension and their financial behaviour regarding pension savings in India. This book empirically demonstrates a relationship between financial literacy and willingness to save for retirement benefits among the informal sector workers in India. Access to banking also improves the probability of retirement savings along with the gender and education. By reading this book, readers can understand the demographic change India is going to witness within the next thirty years and its challenges to meet the longevity risk of these workers.

This book examines the origins and consequences of so-called pension fund capitalism, which has spread around the world since 1981, when the pension system was completely privatized in Chile. The author highlights the driving forces behind the privatization of pensions, its forms and tools used in practice, and the risks and costs related to private pensions. The reader can also learn about the experiences of various developed countries (including the USA, Canada, Australia, and Germany), as well as Latin American (including Chile) and Eastern European countries, related to the privatization of pensions. Particular attention is paid to Poland as an example of a country where such privatization failed completely. This book provides a source of serious reflection on what this privatization has led to, what its real economic and social consequences are and what the likelihood is of reversing it and strengthening the public pension system. Academic researchers and students of economics and finance, as well as social and political sciences, will find the book invaluable in understanding the problems arising from the privatization of pensions. It will also be of interest to professionals: institutions that shape or influence economic and social policy, including political parties, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, the media, and institutions operating on the financial market.

In the US, retirement savings are low while risk exposure is high, thus dooming many retirees to a low standard of living. This book offers straightforward solutions to build real retirement security for American families.

This important study examines the evolution of the most important aspect of the founding of the British welfare state: the debate on retirement and state pensions between 1878 and 1948. The author uses much original research to describe the evolution of a social policy, and challenging new insights are offered into many areas of social history and social policy, notably the role of social reformers, the Charity Organisation Society, the friendly societies, the main political parties and the trade unions. The book concludes with a radical reinterpretation of the 1942 Beveridge Report.

Pension Sustainability in China: Fragmented Administration and Population Aging aims to investigate the impact of fragmentation and population ageing on pension sustainability in China. The book demonstrates how pension sustainability is compromised by various adverse effects produced by fragmentation, such as the moral hazard caused by the disarticulated intergovernmental fiscal responsibility. An overlapping generations (OLG) model is updated with the latest demographic data and is used to assess the impact of population ageing on pension sustainability. The book considers whether adjustment in retirement age can ensure long-term financial sustainability. It explores how, compared to the population ageing, the issues stemming from the fragmentation pose a more insidious threat to pension sustainability in China.

An accessible and practical guide to personal finance that busts myths, clarifies jargons and clarifies the best options for building your wealth More and more people are reassessing their lives as a result of the pandemic. Many have left their jobs or reduced their hours. Others have resolved to work only as long as they must, retiring early to focus on families and friends, hobbies or travel. Meanwhile, employers all over the world are experimenting with a four-day week. Making the most of these choices requires having and growing enough money to enjoy your future life, without needing to worry about it running out. But when it comes to investing in a pension, there is a dizzying number of complex options available. This book is designed to provide clear, objective guidance that cuts through the jargon, giving you control over your financial future. The authors strip away the marketing-speak, and through simple graphs, charts and diagrams, provide an evidence-based money manual that you can use again and again. They also alert you to myths and get-rich-quick schemes everyone should avoid. It's a highly practical and refreshingly honest book, written by two independent experts who have seen how the investment industry works from the inside, and how it profits from complexity, ignorance and fear. They show, in practical language, how UK savers and investors can beat this system and, crucially, make more money for themselves than they do for financial services firms.

This book presents a consistent and complete framework for studying the risk management of a pension fund. It gives the reader the opportunity to understand, replicate and widen the analysis. To this aim, the book provides all the tools for computing the optimal asset allocation in a dynamic framework where the financial horizon is stochastic (longevity risk) and the investor's wealth is not self-financed. This tutorial enables the reader to replicate all the results presented. The R codes are provided alongside the presentation of the theoretical framework. The book explains and discusses the problem of hedging longevity risk even in an incomplete market, though strong theoretical results about an incomplete framework are still lacking and the problem is still being discussed in most recent literature.

Written for first-time buyers who have never owned a property or had a mortgage, rather than buy-to-let investors. Provides a holistic view of the property purchase process, and examines several key aspects: property, mortgages, and legal considerations. Written by academics who have extensive practical experience in property and mortgages.

The Political Economy of Pension Financialisation addresses - for numerous countries - how and why pension reforms have come to rely more on financial markets, how public policy reacted to financial crises, and regulatory variation. The book demonstrates how the process of pension financialisation reveals that pension policy is not only a social policy that affects retirement income, but also a financial policy that impacts savings rates, corporate finance and the economy. The chapters shed light on pre-funded private pensions as one key component of financialisation, as they turn savings into investments via financial services providers. Readers will also see how pension financialisation and the broader financialisation of the economy are here to stay, despite negative developments during and after the financial crisis. A systematic and comparative overwiew of the financialisation of pensions, The Political Economy of Pension Financialisation is ideal for scholars and postgradues working on Political Economy, Public Policy and Finance. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of European Public Policy.

"Fiduciary Management"

"Dr. van Nunen goes much further than to discuss governance. He discusses all aspects of what should be done in making a defined benefit plan successful, and expresses his views forthrightly. And he not only traces the history of pension arrangements, but supplements it with a fascinating chapter comparing arrangements around what I think of as the funded world. His ideas are relevant to fiduciaries around the funded world ... I hope you find his book as interesting, engaging, and useful as I did."
--From the Foreword by Don Ezra, Director of Investment Strategy, Russell Investment Group, and coauthor of Pension Fund Excellence

"Many pension funds are too small to ever become cost-effective pension delivery organizations. This book offers a solution to the serious 'too small' problem."
--Keith Ambachtsheer, Director of the Rotman International Centre for Pension Management, University of Toronto, founder of KPA Advisory Services Ltd., and author of Pension Revolution

"The topic of fiduciary management is now at the leading edge of assets and pensions management, which makes this book extremely timely. It manages to distill a wealth of practice and experience into a short and lucid discussion of the topic. A particular pleasure is that it avoids the trap of pages of obscure and usually irrelevant mathematics. For the many not following into this field, this is a 'must read.'"
--Con Keating, principal of The Finance Development Centre Ltd., London

"As is readily apparent from this book, Dr. van Nunen has thought long and hard about fiduciarymanagement and is one of the world's leading experts. He comprehensively describes how fiduciarymanagement can improve plan governance, particularly as it relates to manager selection and the management of surplus risk. The book does an excellent job explaining how fiduciary management provides a robust framework and clear separation of duties for investment committee members trying to navigate an increasingly complex investment landscape."
--Bob Litterman, Managing Director and Head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management's Quantitative Resources Group, and author of Modern Investment Management: An Equilibrium Approach

"I found the book an interesting, engaging, and stimulating read. Fiduciary management is a very timely topic and is especially relevant for smaller pension plans that may lack in-house expertise. Such plans would benefit from outside help. The book covers a lot of ground. Dr. van Nunen shares with us his valuable insights and experience in his discussion of the pitfalls and complexities of asset management. Anyone who manages a defined benefit pension plan can benefit from reading this book."
--Josef Lakonishok, CEO and CIO of LSV Asset Management

Understanding the ways in which people save for their retirement is an urgent issue. So much has changed in the last 10 to 15 years, especially in the area of the provision of pensions and retirement income. Around the world, greater and greater responsibility is being allocated to individuals while governments discount their contributions to social security and employers retreat from the provision of supplementary retirement income.
This book explores the behavioral revolution and its implications for understanding financial decision-making and saving for the future. Recognizing the profound implications of this research program, it goes beyond issues of risk aversion, framing, and decision-making to consider how social identity and the resources due to people by virtue of their place in society figure in savings behavior. It gives considerable attention to the context of the environment in which people make financial decisions, arguing that this allows a better understanding of the coexistence of sophistication and naivety apparent in patterns of retirement saving.
Utilizing databases from the UK, the book provides an empirical foundation to its theoretical arguments, demonstrating how an integrated approach to individual financial decision-making is necessary if we are to address the apparent shortfall in many people's planning for the future. The book concludes by setting the agenda for the design, governance, and regulation of pension savings schemes consistent with delivering cost-effective solutions to pension adequacy. In these ways, it sets forth a strategy for rethinking individual behavior as well as the design of retirement income systems.

Interest in longevity and longevity risk management is burgeoning, as government and regulatory agencies are increasingly conscious of the potential risks and benefits of longer lifespans. Commercial and industrial organizations, especially within the financial sector, are awakening to the opportunities presented by population aging, along with the new array of financial insurance instruments to manage longevity risk, which more sophisticated markets are making possible. This volume explores three main themes: the need for products to manage longevity risk; the structure and safety of financial products on the market that help manage longevity risk; and the role of policy in stimulating and strengthening longevity insurance products.
This edited volume brings together leading international experts to evaluate the challenge posed by trends in longevity risk and draws out the implications and constraints of this new reality for insurance companies and annuity providers. It discusses both emerging economies (India, Chile) and many of the older nations (Sweden, Canada, the US, Australia, Japan, the UK and Switzerland). It aims to instigate new thinking among retirement planners, plan sponsors, academics, and industry leaders seeking to manage retirement payouts and longevity risk.