Pensions conference opens

THE World Pension Association’s annual conference opens in Dublin today against a backdrop of uncertainty about the future direction of global stock markets.

Appropriately the theme is “The Impact on Pension Funds Of major global change.”

Key speakers from the pensions market will address the one-day conference.

They include Richard Hinz of The World Bank who will address the issue of Pensions - Global trends and Economic Impact while later in the day “Key issues in long term investment” will be tackled by a number of speakers.

Key note speaker on the day will be Mary Coughlan TD, Minister for Social and Family Affairs, who has a strong interest in the entire pensions market Ireland given the recent launch of Personal Retirement Savings Accounts aimed at the 60% of private sector workers in Ireland who do not have private pension cover.

Recent research by the EBS Building Society showed that young Irish people had little interest in pension protection.

It found that six out of 10 young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 do not have a pension plan.

The research also found that they felt they were still too young to worry about providing for their old age.