There are fewer super funds, and associations that represent them, than ever before. But multiple layers of industry representation working at cross-purposes means that true unity has remained elusive, according to the Financial Services Council.
The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund just made its largest return ever. But the probability of extreme market events has “arguably risen”, and it’s carrying out stress tests for a more uncertain future.
Aussie funds improve global rankings
By Penny Pryor
All Australian funds moved up the size rankings in the latest annual survey of the world’s top 300 retirement plans, produced by publisher Pensions & Investments and consulting firm Towers Watson.
Of the 15 Australian funds that appear on the list, five are in the top 100, with the Future Fund having the highest ranking at 29th.
Total assets of the world’s largest 300 pension funds increased by 9.8 per cent to US$14 trillion over the year, and that sum represents 47 per cent of the total global pension assets, according to a report in Pensions & Investments last week. Towers Watson is scheduled to publish its figures tomorrow (September 10).
The biggest retirement fund in the world remains Japan’s Government Pension Investment fund, with assets of US$1.292 trillion, even though its assets had fallen from US$1.395 trillion in 2012. The assets of the second largest retirement fund – Norway’s Government Pension fund – rose from US$575.5 billion, to US$712.6 billion over the year.
Also of interest was the rise in funds by China’s National Social Security fund, which increased assets to US$177.5 billion from US$133.7 billion the previous year, and improved its ranking from 13 to 10.
The table below, in US dollars, is based on the 2013 and 2012 P&I and Towers Watson rankings.
