Over 110 participants from 57 countries came together to hear from experts on the global experience of pensions and COVID-19 at a special online session, co-hosted by CEPAR and the International Pension Research Association (IPRA) on December 14, 2020.
The session featured presentations by CEPAR Chief Investigator Professor Michael Sherris on portfolio management for insurers and pension funds and the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and by CEPAR Associate Investigator Professor Ben Newell on what's driving people's decision to withdraw some or all of their superannuation savings under the Australian Government's COVID-19 Superannuation Early Release Scheme.
International perspectives were provided by Jorgo Gossens, PhD Candidate at Tilburg University and Netspar, who discussed preferences and trading behaviour during the emergence of the COVID-19 crisis, and by Professor Félix Villatoro of the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, who discussed the Chilean retirement funds early access scheme and its impact on financial markets.
The special session concluded with a keynote address on building better retirement systems in the wake of the global pandemic, delivered by CEPAR Partner Investigator Professor Olivia S. Mitchell. Professor Mitchell's presentation offered an assessment of the status quo prior to the spread of the coronavirus, evaluated how retirement systems are faring in the wake of the shock, and examined insurance and financial market products that may render retirement systems more resilient for the world’s ageing population.
Presentation slides and recordings are available online: