Risk Management and the Pension Fund Industry
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CHAPTER III RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE PENSION FUND INDUSTRY financial markets develop, a variety Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the of nonbank institutions, such as United States, where funded pension plans insurers, pension funds, mutual are most developed. The size of pension sav- A s funds, and hedge funds, have been ings in these countries, their projected growth increasing their exposure to market and (whether managed by the state, corporations, credit risks. This chapter is the second in a or individuals), and the more recent develop- series on the financial stability implications of ment of funded pension schemes in other this reallocation and transfer of risk, following countries, such as France, Germany, and Italy, the chapter, "Risk Transfer and the Insurance highlight the fast-growing importance of pen- Industry," in the April 2004 GFSR. This chap- sion funds for international capital markets ter focuses on pension funds, as significant and to financial stability. institutional investors. How pension funds manage risk has a very Pension funds have an impact on the stabil- important bearing on the distribution of ity of financial markets in several ways, most financial and other risks among the different significantly through their investment behav- sectors of the economy. As employers and ior. The global size and projected growth of governments have become more aware of the pension fund sector mean that this the funding challenges pension funds face investor class can move markets in its own from aging populations, and more conscious right. Any sizable reallocation of assets, say of the investment risks involved in funded between fixed income and equities, could pension plans, they have sought to manage have a bearing on financial market stability. that risk in a variety of ways. Reductions in Such strategies are not only driven by funda- state pension benefits in most countries, and mental business models but also by cyclical movements from defined benefit (DB) to factors and risk management considerations, defined contribution (DC) pension plans by as well as by official policies in areas such as many businesses, have increasingly trans- taxation, regulation, and financial accounting. ferred retirement risk (including investment, The changing needs of aging pension fund market, longevity risks, etc.) to the house- members also have a longer-run impact. As hold sector.1 such, an analysis of the pension funds' impact National pension systems are typically repre- on financial stability will have to cover all of sented by a "multi-pillar" structure, with the the above elements. sources of retirement income derived from a This chapter looks at the longer-term chal- mixture of government, employment, and lenges pension funds face as populations age, individual savings. A variety of definitions of and the key issues to address in order to the pillars are used in academic literature, gen- enhance their risk management practices and erally dependent on the purpose of each study. their role as long-term investors. The chapter In this chapter, we identify and discuss three focuses primarily on Japan, the Netherlands, pillars, based primarily on the source of 1Defined benefit schemes are those in which the employer commits to provide specific benefits related to an individual's wages and length of employment, while under defined contribution plans the commitment is to make specific contributions to a pension fund, with the benefits dependent on the level of contributions to the scheme and the investment return. For definitions of other pension terminology see the glossary. 81 ©International Monetary Fund. Not for Redistribution CHAPTER III RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE PENSION FUND INDUSTRY savings (i.e., government, employment, or pensions crisis," are discussed in the chapter. individual): Pillar 1—the state, often a combi- Similar to our previous work, we have high- nation of a universal entitlement and an earn- lighted influencing factors, such as market ings-related component; Pillar 2—occupational characteristics, regulatory and tax policies, pension funds, increasingly funded, organized and accounting principles. Finally, we look at at the workplace (e.g., DB and DC, and newer different investment strategies and risk man- hybrid schemes); and Pillar 3—private savings agement approaches, and how these may help plans and products for individuals, often tax- pension funds take a long-term perspective, advantaged. These are the definitions com- and thereby support financial stability monly used by industry participants and objectives. analysts, and are particularly suitable for our focus on risk transfer.2 This chapter primarily focuses on Pillar 2, Why Pension Funds Are Important for as collective funds organized through the Financial Stability workplace. Our focus reflects the role of Pillar 2 funds as a major institutional investor class. An Aging Workforce The design of Pillar 1 programs will not be The importance of pension savings has discussed, as this is primarily a fiscal issue, increased dramatically in recent years, particu- although it should be noted that in some larly as populations mature. Historically, low advanced economies, such as Japan, France, proportions of pensioners in the overall popu- and Canada (and certain developing econo- lation and the relatively larger workforce from mies), some public sector schemes are (at the "baby boom" generation kept the burden least partially) funded.3 This chapter will only of pension outlays somewhat modest. DB briefly discuss Pillar 3 and efforts by some gov- schemes seemed a manageable and even ernments to encourage long-term retirement attractive (due to benefit deferral) proposi- savings generally, as we plan to discuss the tion to many companies. But as populations fund management industry and household age, the relative size of pension liabilities and sector in more detail in the March 2005 GFSR. investment risk grows. The growth in liabilities Indeed, the economic characteristics of DC has been greater than expected, as increases plans, including their allocation of risk, are in longevity have consistently exceeded earlier very similar to Pillar 3, and this chapter focuses actuarial forecasts. Questions of managing more on the management of DB plans and and maintaining funding levels have become the forces moving funds from DB to DC, more urgent, and some pension providers will rather than on the management of DC plans find it increasingly difficult to meet their pay- themselves. ment obligations according to their existing Pillar 2 funds can enhance financial stability benefit structures. For policymakers, the rela- by acting as a stable, long-term investor base; tive burdens and merits of each of the three however, increasingly a variety of factors are pillars are increasingly a prominent topic of influencing their structure, investment behav- political and social debate. ior, and management of risks. These factors, Advanced economies are confronted with a and how we arrived at a point many call "a variety of retirement challenges associated 2Another definition used in pension studies, particularly for emerging markets, was first developed in World Bank (1994). It describes Pillar 1 as "non-contributory state pension," Pillar 2 as "mandatory contributory," and Pillar 3 as "voluntary contributory." This definition has been most useful for considering questions of social safety nets, redistribution of income, and related issues. 3Many emerging market economies also wholly or partially fund public sector pension schemes. Emerging mar- ket pension issues will be discussed in future GFSRs. 82 ©International Monetary Fund. Not for Redistribution WHY PENSION FUNDS ARE IMPORTANT FOR FINANCIAL STABILITY Table 3.1. Life Expectancy at Birth: Estimates and Projections (In years) 1955 1980 2000 2020 2050 United States 68.9 73.3 76.2 78.7 81.6 Figure 3.1. Life Expectancy at Birth Japan 63.9 75.5 80.5 84.3 88.1 (In years) Selected European countries1 67.6 73.3 77.7 80.5 83.2 Sources: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision; and IMF staff estimates. 1Weighted average for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; weights are based on the countries' total population data for 2000. with population aging, reflecting in part two long-term trends:4 • Increasing longevity. In recent decades, life expectancy at birth has consistently increased in all advanced economies, from an average of about 68 years in the postwar period to 78 years today (Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1), and is projected to reach 80 Sources: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision; and IMF staff estimates. years or more by 2020. Importantly for pen- 1Weighted average for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; weights are based on the countries' total population data for 2000. sion costs, life expectancy after age 65 is also rising steadily, from 18 years currently, to a projected 20 years or more in 2020 in the United States and some selected European countries, and rising steeply in Japan Figure 3.2. Remaining Life Expectancy at Age 65 (In years) (Figure 3.2). • Low and declining fertility rates. In advanced -27 economies between the early 1950s and the late 1990s, fertility rates have dropped from about 2.8 to 1.7 children per woman, and are below the replacement rate in most advanced economies, except the United States. While population aging is a global phenom- enon, it is happening rapidly in some coun- tries. The aging trend is particularly visible in Italy, Japan, and Switzerland, where the 4We have explicitly excluded the health and medical issues from the scope of this study, in order to focus on Sources: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2002 Revision; and IMF funded pensions. However, health and medical costs staff estimates. 1 are rising rapidly in all the mature markets, and to the Weighted average life expectancy at age 65 for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; weights are based on the countries' extent that such private schemes are funded at all, the total population data for 2000.