25 November 2009 - Business Day - by Sure Kamhunga

Invest pension surpluses in job creation projects - Metropolitan
Featuring: Erich Kröhnert

A RETIREMENT fund yesterday suggested legislation was needed to compel pension funds to invest unclaimed pension fund surpluses in job-creating projects and help the government deal with SA's worsening unemployment crisis.

Metropolitan Life said figures released by the Financial Services Board three years ago showed local pension funds had about R35bn in distributable surpluses.
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23 February 2009

Statistics have shown that half of the 15 year olds of today will not reach retirement age.
by Kenny Meiring

This will have a huge implication on Retirement Reform as funds will probably not be enough, and there will be much more death benefits
that have to be paid out. What are the implications? And how this can be addressed?

20 February 2009

The retirement fund industry can address issues to improve the industry today, while Government debates policy around the future of retirement provision
by Kenny Meiring

With some 80% of South Africa’s 13 000 pension funds having less than 100 members it’s no surprise that Government’s pension reform initiatives place strong emphasis on governance, which we’ve seen through numerous amendments to legislation and rules governing the pension fund industry. And while Government announced its plans two years ago to broaden the retirement funding net through a national scheme, the retirement fund industry has some way to play a meaningful role in addressing the issues like high administration costs and lack of transparency that have plagued the industry for so long.

28 January 2009

Metropolitan Employee Benefits targets smaller funds, with the promise of reducing costs
by Wehann Smith

Metropolitan Employee Benefits (MetEB) has thrown the gauntlet at competitors after announcing its new administration platform for the retirement fund industry called Neon. Neon sets new industry standards in reporting standards, fee transparency, while at the same time, reducing yield reduction to members.