A pension fund, also known as a superannuation fund in some countries, is any program, fund, or scheme which provides retirement income.
Pension funds typically have large amounts of money to invest and are the major investors in listed and private companies. They are especially important to the stock market where large institutional investors dominate. The largest 300 pension funds collectively hold about USD$6 trillion in assets.[1] In 2012, PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that pension funds worldwide hold over $33.9 trillion in assets (and were expected to grow to more than $56 trillion by 2020), the largest for any category of institutional investor ahead of mutual funds, insurance companies, currency reserves, sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, or private equity.[2]
The U.S. Government's Social Security Trust Fund, which oversees $2.57 trillion in assets, is the world's largest public pension fund.
Open pension funds support at least one pension plan with no restriction on membership while closed pension funds support only pension plans that are limited to certain employees.[3]
Closed pension funds are further subclassified into:
A public pension fund is one that is regulated under public sector law while a private pension fund is regulated under private sector law.
In certain countries, the distinction between public or government pension funds and private pension funds may be difficult to assess. In others, the distinction is made sharply in law, with very specific requirements for administration and investment. For example, local governmental bodies in the United States are subject to laws passed by the states in which those localities exist, and these laws include provisions such as defining classes of permitted investments and a minimum municipal obligation.[4][5]
It is important to distinguish between pension plan, funds and firm. A pension plan is a benefits program set up and sustained by an employer or an employee group. They are managed by state or private firms as well as pension funds.[6] Pension funds are financial mechanisms that provide retirement income for employees after their working life. They work by accumulating contributions from employers, and sometimes employees, which are then invested to grow over time. Upon retirement, employees receive benefits, typically calculated as a percentage of their average salary during their working years. For instance, consider a scenario where a pension scheme offers a payment equivalent to 1% of an individual's average salary over the last five years of their employment for each year they served with the employer. Thus, if an employee worked for 35 years at the company and had an average final salary of $60,000, they would be entitled to an annual pension of $21,000. It is important to point out that one cannot usually take early withdraws or loan from pension. Public sector pensions, like the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), often include cost-of-living escalator and can be more generous than private sector pensions. Private pension plans are regulated by federal laws such as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and are insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which guarantees benefits if a pension plan fails.[7]
Pension funds can make investments into stocks, bond, real estate, and other assets. However, they have to be prudently managed compared to other types of funds due to their lower risk tolerance. For many years, they mainly invest into stable stocks and bond.[8] In order to keep a high returns, with changing market conditions, they started to invest into other assets.[9] Currently, many pension funds are moving away from managing active stock portfolios towards passive investment methods, focusing on index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that replicate market indices. Additionally, there's an increasing trend to diversify into alternative assets like commodities, high-yield bonds, hedge funds, and real estate.
Newer investment tools for pension funds include asset-backed securities, such as those tied to student loans or credit card debt, which are used to boost returns. Investing to Private equity is also rising in popularity; these are long-term investments in non-public companies, aimed at achieving substantial profits through eventual sales when these companies reach maturity.
Furthermore, real estate investment trusts (REITs) are becoming a frequent choice for pension funds due to their passive investment approach in the real estate sector. Direct investments in commercial properties like office buildings, warehouses, and industrial parks are also prevalent.[10]
Many governments around the world have established public pension systems that are partially or fully funded by investments rather than relying solely on payroll taxes. This approach helps ensure the long-term solvency of these pension programs. Some examples of governments that use pension fund investments are:
These are just a few examples of governments that have adopted an investment-based approach to managing their public pension systems. By diversifying and growing their pension fund assets, these countries aim to mitigate the risks of running out of money in the future as their populations age.
Pension funds are important financial institutions which are managing the retirement savings of millions. Effective governance in these entities is crucial not only to safeguard these funds but also to ensure they meet their future obligations to pensioners. The governance structures, strategies, and practices of pension funds significantly influence their stability, performance, and the trust of their stakeholders. Proper governance ensures that decisions are made transparently and that fund managers are accountable to stakeholders, including employees, retirees, and employers.[11]
According to the OECD Guidelines for Pension Fund Governance,[12] the governance structure should clearly identify and separate operational and oversight responsibilities. Every pension fund should have a governing body, accountable to the pension plan members and beneficiaries. This body is ultimately responsible for ensuring adherence to the terms of the arrangement and the protection of the best interest of plan members and beneficiaries. The governing body should also meet minimum suitability standards to ensure a high level of integrity, competence, experience, and professionalism. Additionally, there should be adequate internal controls in place to ensure compliance with the law.
Many pension funds have problem with governance. In Hungary, where pension funds are established as not-for-profit institutions, there is evidence that the governing body is generally ineffective in looking after the best interest of members. Most funds are established by financial institutions that find it easy to promote their candidates to the fund's supervisory board. Some pension funds in the United States have also been the subject of governance problems too, as well as in other countries.[13]
The first concepts of providing retirement benefits have roots in ancient civilizations such as Rome and Greece. The pension system as we know it originated in the 19th century. In 1889, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck started an early modern pension scheme. His goal was to help older German´s citizens. However, this idea came from the United States of America. In 1875 American Express Company introduced its own pension plan.
During the early 20th century pension plans for public employees were growing, which resulted in creating a U.S. federal retirement plan, known as Social Security, in 1935. After World War II, pension funds became the primary tool for providing retirement benefits, which was supported by the growth of labour unions. By the 1970s, they held large amounts of financial assets and had evolved to be significant participants in financial markets. But in the 1980s and 1990s pension funds faced significant challenges. The stock market crash in 1987 and the recession in the early 1990s had a negative impact on pension funds. Furthermore, demographic shifts and rising life expectancies placed pressure on these funds to sustain retirement benefits over extended durations.[14]
In the United States pension plans are regulated mainly by The Employee Retirement Income Security Act 1974(ERISA). It provides framework for the regulation of employee pension and plans which are private pension funds offering.
In 2006 was introduced The Pension Protection Act (PPA). This act come with new funding requirements for defined pension plans. As well as with new rules for calculating plan assets and liabilities.[8]
Pension funds in EU are regulated by Directive 2003/41/EC , also known as the IORP directive. This directive was recast and adopted in December 2016. It should promote long-term investment via occupational pension funds. Additionally, beneficiaries and members should now be better informed about their entitlements, address challenges faced by occupational pension funds operating across borders, and foster long-term investments in economic activities that boost growth, enhance the environment, and increase employment opportunities.[15]
The following table lists largest pension funds by total assets by the SWF Institute.[16]
Country | Fund | Assets (billion US$) |
Reporting period |
Inception | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | Federal Old-age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund (Social Security) | $2557[17] | 2023 | 1935 | Taxation |
Japan | Government Pension Investment Fund | $1790[18] | 2020 | 2006 | Non-commodity |
Norway | Government Pension Fund of Norway | $1356[19] | 2021 | 1990 | Oil |
United States | Military Retirement Fund | $1321[20] | 2023 | 1984 | Employer Contribution |
United States | Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund | $1028[21] | 2023 | 1920 | Employer & Employee Contribution |
United States | Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) | $737[22] | 2022 | 1986 | Employer & Employee Contribution |
Canada | Canada Pension Plan and CPP Investment Board (CPPIB) | $570[23] | 2022 | 1965 | Non-commodity |
Netherlands | Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP (ABP) | $498[24] (€460) | 2022 | 1922 | Non-commodity |
South Korea | National Pension Service (NPS) | $462[25] | 2017 | 1988 | Non-commodity |
Canada (Quebec) | Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (The Caisse, or CDPQ) | $402[26] | 2022 | 1965 | Non-commodity |
United States (California) | California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) | $389[27] | 2020 | 1932 | Non-commodity |
China | National Social Security Fund | $251[25] | 2015 | 2000 | Non-commodity |
Singapore | Central Provident Fund | $348[28] | 2019 | 1955 | Non-commodity |
Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) | $247[29] | 2022 | 1989 | Non-commodity |
United States (California) | California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) | $282[30] | 2021 | 1913 | Non-commodity |
Malaysia | Employees Provident Fund | $240[31] | 2023 | 1951 | Non-commodity |
Netherlands | Stichting Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW, formerly PGGM) | $183[32] (€162) | 2022 | 1969 | Non-commodity |
Sweden | AP-funds | $182[33] | 2023 | 1960 | Taxation |
Chile | AFP | $160[34] | 2014 | 1980 | Non-commodity |
India | Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) | $228[35] | 2019 | 1952 | Employer & Employee Contribution |
Russia | Russian National Wealth Fund | $125 [38] | 2020 | 2008 | Oil |
Denmark | Arbejdsmarkedets Tillægspension (ATP) | $106[36] | 2023 | 1964 | Employee Contribution |
Canada | OMERS (Ontario) | $124[37] | 2022 | 1962 | Non-commodity |
South Africa | Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) | $112 (ZAR1426b) | 1996 | Non-commodity | |
Brazil | Caixa de Previdencia dos Funcionários do Banco do Brasil (PREVI) | $80[38] | 1904 | Finance | |
United States (Ohio) | State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS Ohio) | $79.8[39] | 2017 | 1919 | Defined Benefit Pension |
France | AGIRC – ARRCO | $70[25] | 2015 | 2001 | Non-commodity |
India | National Pension System (NPS) | $85[40] | 2021 | 2004 | Non-commodity |
France | Pensions Reserve Fund (France) (NPRF) | $56[41] | 2001 | Non-commodity | |
Ireland | National Pension Reserve Fund (NPRF) | $30[42] | 2001 | Non-commodity |
The contributions are invested by the EPF in various sectors, such as equities, bonds, and property, to generate returns. Members can withdraw their savings under specific conditions, such as retirement at the age of 55, for healthcare, housing, or education. The EPF also allows partial withdrawals before retirement for certain approved purposes. It has total of around 265 billion USD of asset under management as of end 2023.)[54]
The pension system in Romania is made of three pillars. One is the state pension (Pillar I – Mandatory), the second is a private mandatory pension where the state transfers a percentage of the contribution it collects for the public pension, and the third is an optional private pension (Pillar III – Voluntary).
The Financial Supervisory Authority – Private Pension is responsible for the supervision and regulation of the private pension system.[56]
Social Security Institution was established by the Social Security Institution Law No:5502 which was published in the Official Gazette No: 26173 dated 20.06.2006 and brings the Social Insurance Institution, General Directorate of Bağ-kur and General Directorate of Emekli Sandığı whose historical development are summarized above under a single roof in order to transfer five different retirement regimes which are civil servants, contractual paid workers, agricultural paid workers, self-employers and agricultural self-employers into a single retirement regime that will offer equal actuarial rights and obligations.
OYAK (Ordu Yardımlaşma Kurumu/Armed Forces Pension Fund) provides its members with "supplementary retirement benefits" apart from the official retirement fund, T.C.Emekli Sandığı/SSK, to which they are primarily affiliated.
In addition to the retirement benefit, OYAK pays "disability benefits" to the members on duty when they become partially or fully disabled as well as "death benefits" to the heirs of the deceased member if the death occurs during the member's subscription to the foundation.
OYAK is incorporated as a private entity under its own law subject to Turkish civic and commercial codes. OYAK, while fulfilling its legal duties, as set in the law, also provides its members with social services such as loans, home loans and retirement income systems.
The initial source of OYAK's funds is a compulsory 10 percent levy on the base salary of Turkey's 200,000 serving officers who, together with 25,000 current pensioners, make up OYAK's members.
Some other Turkish private pension funds:
In the United States, pension funds include schemes which result in a deferral of income by employees, even if retirement income provision is not the intent.[59] The United States has $19.1 trillion in retirement and pension assets ($9.1 trillion in private funds, $10 trillion in public funds) as of 31 December 2016.[60] The largest 200 pension funds accounted for $4.540 trillion as of 30 September 2009.[61]