Bachelor Thesis from the year 2024 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: 1, , course: Department of mathematics and Computer Science, language: English, abstract: Pension funds are integral to ensuring financial security in retirement and fostering economic stability. In Kenya, the sustainability of these funds is crucial for supporting aging populations and facilitating long-term investment. This research project undertakes a comprehensive assessment of the financial sustainability of pension funds in Kenya, examining key factors influencing their viability and effectiveness. The study evaluates the current financial status of pension funds, analyzing asset-liability dynamics, investment strategies, and regulatory frameworks. It also investigates demographic trends. The study employs actuarial techniques and methodologies to analyze data, model future scenarios, and evaluate the risks and opportunities facing pension funds in Kenya. By examining demographic trends, inflation rates, Investment portfolio and regulatory requirements, the research aims to provide insights into the factors influencing the financial sustainability of pension funds. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing regulatory oversight, optimizing investment strategies, and addressing demographic shifts to ensure the long-term sustainability of pension funds in Kenya. The research concludes with actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening the pension system and supporting the financial well-being of retirees and the broader economy. Ultimately, this research contributes valuable insights to policymakers, regulators, and pension fund stakeholders, guiding efforts to enhance the resilience and effectiveness of Kenya's pension system in the face of evolving demographic and economic challenges.

Social Security schemes play a major role in the fight against poverty. They are arrangements that ensure society take measures to protect members against economic and social distress occasioned by loss of income or reduced earnings resulting from sickness, maternity, employment, injury, invalidity, old age and loss of breadwinner. However, such institutions have of late been plagued with the problems of lack of sustainability and insufficient funds. This paper examines the major features of the Kenyan social security system with a focus on Pension schemes (i.e. systems that provide financial security for the old) to assess the principle challenges to the financial sustainability. The findings show that there were five basic challenges that were particularly critical in the context of Kenya: inadequate regulatory capacity; imprudent investment, macroeconomic instability; poor corporate governance; inability to extend coverage; and design issues such as choices between DB and DC schemes, funding versus PAYGO principles and public versus private management. The major recommendations proposed to address these issues include reforming and enactment of adequate legal and institutional framework, extension of coverage to include both formal and informal sectors, undertake sound investment projects, improve corporate governance, lower administrative costs by implementing time and cost effective operational systems, institute parametric reforms, reform the PAYGO social security system, institute administrative and design changes to reduce contribution evasion. This will be in addition to the government measures to stabilize the macroeconomic environment.

Countries around the world are increasingly relying on individual pension savings accounts to provide income in old age for their citizens. Although these funds have now been in place for several decades, their performance is usually measured using methods that are not meaningful in relation to this long-term objective. The recent global financial crisis has highlighted the need to develop better performance evaluation methods that are consistent with the retirement income objective of pension funds. Compiling research derived from a partnership among the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and three private partners, 'Evaluating the Financial Performance of Pension Funds' discusses the theoretical basis and key implementation issues related to the design of performance benchmarks based on life-cycle savings and investment principles. The book begins with an evaluation of the financial performance of funded pension systems using the standard mean variance framework. It then provides a discussion of the limitations inherent to applying these methods to pension funds and outlines the many other issues that should be addressed in developing more useful and meaningful performance measures through the formulation of pension-specific benchmark portfolios. Practical implementation issues are addressed through empirical examples of how such benchmarks could be developed. The book concludes with commentary and observations from several noted pension experts about the need for a new approach to performance measurement and the impact of the recent global financial crisis on pension funds.

Chile’s pension system came under close scrutiny in recent years. This paper takes stock of the adequacy of the system and highlights its challenges. Chile’s defined contribution system was quite influential when introduced, and was taken as an example by other countries. However, it is now delivering low replacement rates relative to OECD peers, as its parameters did not adapt over time to changing demographics and global returns, while informality persists in the labor market. In the absence of reforms, the system’s inability to deliver adequate outcomes for a large share of participants will continue to magnify, as demographic trends and low global interest rates will continue to reduce replacement rates. In addition, recent legislation allowing for pension savings withdrawals to counter the effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, is projected to further reduce replacement rates and increase fiscal costs. A substantial improvement in replacement rates is feasible, via a reform that raises contribution rates and the retirement age, coupled with policies that increases workers’ contribution density.

This is the first comprehensive assessment of pension systems in the Middle East and North Africa. While other regions—Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, in particular—have been actively introducing reforms to their pension systems, Middle East and North African countries have lagged behind. This is explained, in part, by the common belief that, because demographics remain favorable—the countries are young and the labor force is expanding rapidly—financial problems are far in the future; as a result, pension reform does not have to be a priority in the broader policy agenda.However, the authors show that aging is not the only factor behind a financial crisis; the problem is the generosity of the current schemes. Moreover, badly designed benefit formulas and eligibility conditions introduce unnecessary economic distortions and make the systems vulnerable to adverse distributional transfers. The book does not present a general model that could solve the problems of all pension systems in Middle East and North Africa countries. Instead the authors focus on outlining a framework for guiding discussions on pension reform and making objective policy choices.This assessment will be useful for policy makers and government officials involved in pension reform in the Middle East and North Africa region.

This edition of the OECD Sovereign Borrowing Outlook reviews developments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for government borrowing needs, funding conditions and funding strategies in the OECD area.

The past decade has brought an increasing recognition to the importance of pension systems to the economic stability of nations and the security of their aging populations. This report attempts to explain current policy thinking and update the World Bank's perspective on pension reform. This book incorporates lessons learned from recent Bank experiences and research that have significantly increased knowledge and insight regarding how best to proceed in the future. The book has a comprehensive introduction and two main parts. Part I presents the conceptual underpinnings for the Bank's thinking on pension systems and reforms, including structure of Bank lending in this area. Part II highlights key design and implementation issues where it signals areas of confidence and areas for further research and experience, and includes a section on regional reform experiences, including Latin American and Europe and Central Asia.