Managing Pension Funds in Zimbabwe： Ethical Issues and Challenges

This article is motivated by the predicament that hit pensioners in Zimbabwe following the introduction of the multi-currency system. Zimbabwe experienced economic woes which rendered the Zimbabwean dollar worthless and consequently necessitating a switch to stable currencies. The pension assets and liabilities were invested in the local currency before the currency reform, and the result of the multi-currency system was a mismatch of the assets and liabilities of the pension funds financial position which led to paltry pension benefits. The nature of pension funds places a great responsibility on the stakeholders who are involved in running these schemes and therefore ensuring that reasonable expectation by beneficiaries is met. The article focuses on the core aspects surrounding the structure and managing of pension funds in Zimbabwe. The researcher investigated the roles of important stakeholders in the Zimbabwean pension industry, namely, government, trustees, investment managers, and actuaries. The article further delves into the ethical issues and challenges faced by those managing Zimbabwean pension funds. The researcher conducted a total of 30 personal interviews to collect primary data from professionals in the Zimbabwean pension industry which were split as follows： 10 trustees, 10 investment managers, and 10 actuarial consultants. Secondary data were also used in this study and it comprised of journals, newspaper articles, investment reports, and textbooks. The researcher recommends that pension funds develop sound corporate governance mechanisms that will encourage the best ethical practices among all of their stakeholders. The findings provide evidence for a need to empower pension fund trustees through training and introduction of a pension protection scheme. In addition, the current regulatory system needs to be reviewed to capture the changing economic environment upon which pensions funds operate.

The supervision of the pension funds entering the capital market in china

The pension funds entering the capital market is the trend of the times, how to ensure the security of pension funds after entering the market, it is not only related to the interest of the individual but also affect the society＇s harmonious development. This article begins with the concept of pension funds into the market, the urgency and necessity of the pension funds into the market in our country and the actual situation of the pension regulators at present. According to analysis the problems existing in the pension market regulation, then putting forward countermeasures and measures, paving the way for pension funds entering the market in our country.

Parallel Quasi Exhaustive Search of Optimal Asset Allocation for Pension Funds

We present a solution based on a suitable combination of heuristics and parallel processing techniques for finding the best allocation of the financial assets of a pension fund, taking into account all the specific rules of the fund. We compare the values of an objective function computed with respect to a large set (thousands) of possible scenarios for the evolution of the Net Asset Value (NAV) of the share of each asset class in which the financial capital of the fund is invested. Our approach does not depend neither on the model used for the evolution of the NAVs nor on the objective function. In particular, it does not require any linearization or similar approximations of the problem. Although we applied it to a situation in which the number of possible asset classes is limited to few units (six in the specific case), the same approach can be followed also in other cases by grouping asset classes according to their features.

Research on Accounting Issues of the Pension Insurance Fund for Urban Employees

Pension insurance is a vital component of China's social security system,ensuring the welfare of the general publie.This study centers on the revenue and expenses of City S's urban employee basic pension insurance fund.It introduces and analyzes the fund's accounting status from four key perspectives:fund raising.expenditure,financial statement system,and accounting information disclosure.The research identifes existing problems in City S's accounting system and conducts in-depth research on these issues.Furthermore,an empirical analysis is conducted on the management of the pension insurance fund.Through this empirical study,the paper aims to offer insights and recommendations for promoting stable and healthy development measures for City S'8 urban employee basic pension insurance fund.

Tackling China’s Pension Fund Payment Crisis:Will the “Two-Child Policy” Be the Answer?——An example with the basic pension insurance program for urban employees

Based on the reality that 29 Chinese provinces have already implemented the policy allowing a couple to raise a second child if either parent is an only child, this paper provides an empirical study on the effect of this policy on the financial status of the social pooling fund of basic pension insurance for urban employees. Our study suggests the followings. First, under the previous unchanged family planning policy, current deficits and cumulative deficits will occur in the social pooling fund in the year 2047 and 2063 respectively. Second, if lO% to 50% of qualified couples choose to raise a second child, the financial status of the social pooling fund will improve; relative to the previous unchanged family planning policy, the contribution ratio can decrease from 20% to the range between 18.06% and 19.57% without causing any changes to the original financial status of income and expenditure. Third, if the percentage of couples choosing to raise a second child rises to 60% to 100%, the contribution ratio can even decrease to the range between 16.55% and 17. 7% without causing any changes to the financial status as under the previous unchanged family planning policy. The above conclusions have all passed the sensitivity test. Therefore, the ＂two-child policy＂ for qualified couples is favorable to alleviating the payment pressures of pension insurance but the policy effectiveness is subject to fertility desire and the intensity of government implementation.

Effect of state-owned shares transferred to the pension insurance fund

Theory and practice of full social security funds have been more concerned about the Chinese enterprise reform in particular lack of social security funds are insufficient pension fund problem has been of great concern. But with the aging of the population has become increasingly prominent, personal accounts empty account, insufficient co-ordination of social security funds and other funds in the account more and more pronounced. By analyzing the necessity and rationality of state-owned shares transfer, we can see that the use of state-owned shares transfer is a good way to supplement pension fund.

Optimal Management of the Pension Contribution Rate Using the H∞-Control Theory

In this paper, we construct a general model for a pension fund when there are time delays in the valuation process. Actually, we use the standard structure of the basic reserve equation in order to rebuild a more sophisticated approach based on the theory of H∞ control. Our model evaluates the incomplete information from the delayed fund valuations—due to the oscillatory pattern for benefit claims and investment experience of the past years—within the context of uncertainty additionally to the randomness which certainly exists. So, we construct estimations for the optimal proposed contribution rates based on a feedback mechanism which is a robust stabilization controller, using typical linear matrix inequalities. Finally, a numerical application is fully investigated to obtain further insight into the problem.

Will the State-owned Capital Transfer Policy Enhance the Sustainability of the Urban Employee Basic Pension Insurance Fund in China?

To analyze the efect of the state-owned capital transfer policy on the sustainability of China's urban employee basic pension insurance fund(CUEBPIF),this study develops an actuarial model for pension insurance.The results reveal the following:(i)Without policy intervention,the CUEBPIF would face a deficit in 2027 and a cumulative shortfall of RMB207.44 trillion by 2050,and the proportion of fiscal subsidies for the CUEBPIF in the total fiscal expenditure would increase to 12.86 percent in 2050.(i)Based on a delayed retirement policy,the transfer of 10 percent of state-owned capital can delay the onset of the fund deficit by 6 years,and the accumulated shortfall in 2050 would fall to RMB39.42 trillion,and the proportion of fiscal subsidies would decrease by I1.77 percentage points.(ii)The state-owned capital transfer policy can improve the sustainability of the CUEBPIF and reduce the burden of enterprise social security contributions when the transfer ratio increases to 20 percent.

From“selective two-child policy”to universal two-child policy:Will the payment crisis of China’s pension system be solved?

With the rapid population aging,the payment crisis of China’s pension insurance fund is increasing yearly.The government adjusts fertility policy to alleviate population aging and improve the solvency of pension insurance fund.On January1,2016,China’s fertility policy was adjusted from“selective two-child policy”to universal two-child policy.This paper establishes actuarial models to analyze how fertility policy adjustment influences the pension insurance fund and concludes as follows:(1)if the“one-child policy”were still employed,the accumulated deficit of pension insurance fund would appear in the year of 2076;(2)if all couples that satisfy the rules of“selective two-child policy”bear the second child,the time of accumulated deficit of pension insurance fund would be postponed by about 9 years;(3)after implementing universal two-child policy,the time of accumulated deficit of pension insurance fund would delay under different situations of fertility intentions,if more than 54% of the qualified couples bear a second child,the accumulated deficit of pension insurance fund would not appear before 2090.The above conclusions have passed the sensitivity tests.Therefore,“two-child policy”can alleviate the payment pressure of pension insurance fund.If the government wants to solve the payment crisis of pension insurance fund,fertility intentions should be improved.

The Value of Social Security Fund Research

The social security fund investment operations of the social security system of a country or even the whole economy has a very important role in recent years, although China＇s social security fund management has made great progress, but China＇s social security fund investment operations in increasing the value of the pursuit of this goal, while also facing tremendous pressure. After years of practice of reform, China＇s old-age, unemployment and medical insurance and minimum living focused on the social security system has taken shape, but also the corresponding social security fund was established. Part of the problems of social security funds and other investment operations are increasingly apparent. How to achieve the social security fund is necessary to ensure payment, but also realize the accumulation, it is necessary to increase the value, but also to avoid risks, it has become an urgent task of China＇s reform and development. Social Security Fund Investment Management became the central task of the Social Security System.

Time-Consistent Investment Strategies for a DC Pension Member with Stochastic Interest Rate and Stochastic Income

This paper studies two multi-period mean-variance investment problems for a DC pension member before and after retirement.At any time,the pension manager can invest in a risk-free asset and multi-risky assets.Before retirement,the manager tries to optimize the mean-variance utility of the wealth in the member’s pension account at retirement.At retirement,the pension account wealth(or part of it)is used to purchase a paid-up annuity.After retirement,the manager has to pay the guaranteed annuity,continues to invest,and aims to optimize the mean-variance utility of the terminal wealth at a fix future time,to satisfy the pension member’s heritage and life needs in the next stage.Interest rate risk and income risk are introduced.Applying the game theory and the extended Bellman equation,the time-consistent investment strategies and the efficient frontiers before and after retirement are obtained explicitly.Obtained results indicate that the stochastic interest rate and the stochastic income have essential effects on the investment strategies.

Risk Control of Pension Fund Management in China

Based on an analysis of China ＇s current pension system, the present paper indicates that risk control of pension fund management is a serious policy challenge for the Chinese Government. Although some reform efforts have been made, there are still serious institutional and capital market risks that are difficult to overcome but are key in the success of China＇s pension reform. To ensure a smooth transition in pension reform, China not only needs to build a better institutional framework and facilitate capital market development, but also raise the risk awareness of individual pensioners.

Retirement delay unified or differentiated--Based on the interaction between pension deficit and labor market

This paper aims to construct a mathematical model for choosing a proper policy about raising retirement age on the basis of the interaction between shortage of pension funds and labor market.It has also conducted a simulation analysis over the economic efficiency and political feasibility of a uniformed or a differentiated retirement-age delay policy.Our findings show that it is up to how effective the pension deficit is closed,how many employments will be crowded out,and whether it is politically acceptable that the length and kind of the delay is decided.From the policy effect of raising retirement age,a soft approach to delaying retirement will be better than a tough one,and a differentiated method will be better than a uniformed one.The root cause for the inconsistency of the policy effect is the discrepancies in terms of wage rate and job fulfillment,brought by different human capital situations and individual differences of the insured.The shortage of pension funds can be more effectively closed,and the impact on new labor force will be reduced,if we employ a differentiated approach to delay retirement according to the pattern of human capital accumulation and the supply and demand status of labor force.However,the policy effect of raising retirement age will not be maximized unless the human capital situation is improved.In order to resolve the pensions crisis and alleviate the pressure of unemployment,it is unavoidable that the insured,especially the low-skilled labor,can get more vocational training and academic education.