In the UK, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) in September 2026 unveiled a new outcomes-focused enforcement approach that prioritizes early intervention and data-driven risk detection over rigid compliance checks, aiming to prevent harm to pension savers before it occurs. Under the framework, TPR will evaluate potential enforcement cases based on three factors: impact, scale, and complexity. High-impact or high-scale cases will typically take priority even when straightforward, while low-impact, low-scale

UK pension industry bodies in September 2026 urged the government to overhaul the General Levy framework before pushing through proposed increases, warning the changes could unfairly burden large schemes and undermine consolidation goals. Responding to the DWP’s consultation on the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes General Levy Regulations Review 2026, Pensions UK acknowledged the need to address the levy deficit funding bodies such as The Pensions Regulator, the Money

OECD-wide annual inflation held steady at 4.1% in July 2026, following a decline in June, as increases in 13 member countries were largely offset by declines in 14 others, with 11 more remaining stable. Energy inflation stayed above 10% for a fourth consecutive month, reaching 11.6%, while core inflation (excluding food and energy) remained flat at 3.6%. Food inflation eased to 3.2% from 3.4% in June, with 23 OECD

Aon in August 2026 confoirmed it had agreed to acquire USI Insurance Services from KKR and other shareholders in a $17 billion deal, marking its second major middle-market push in two years following the 2023 NFP acquisition. On a net basis, accounting for roughly $278 million in tax attributes, the price comes to $16.7 billion, or about 14.5 times USI’s synergized trailing-twelve-month adjusted EBITDA. USI, the tenth-largest US insurance

Small and medium enterprises (SME) continue to face challenging financing conditions with borrowing costs well above pre-COVID levels and new lending volumes remaining 20% lower than 2019 in real terms, according to a new OECD report published in August 2026. The financing squeeze is intensifying as lenders demand greater security from SME borrowers. The share of small businesses required to provide collateral jumped 5 percentage points to reach 53%

While workplace mental health awareness has dramatically increased since COVID-19, most employers remain “still in a transition stage” and haven’t fully integrated mental health into their leadership practices or business strategy, according to HR expert Pamela McGee, who spoke at the SHRM26 Conference in June 2026. Many organizations acknowledge mental health challenges but fail to move beyond basic offerings like employee assistance programs (EAPs). McGee notes that EAPs often

Generali Group in May 2026 announced Redion: a new brand for its global Care platform, which brings together the activities of Europ Assistance and Generali Employee Benefits under a single identity and offering. Having operated as an integrated entity within Generali Care for nearly three years, Redion is the brand Generali Care deserves — one that honours the extraordinary work already accomplished and makes visible, to the world, what

Allianz Partners in May 2026 appointed four senior executives across its Health line of business as part of a segment-led strategy to enhance client service and drive sustainable growth in global markets. Marco Fattori takes the role of Global Lead – Corporate Employee Benefits, bringing a decade of experience at Allianz including previous roles as Head of Account Management and Sales Director in Europe. He will oversee global strategy,

About 10.1 million working-age EU citizens reside outside their home country, with Germany hosting the most. Labor mobility is evolving, showing longer stays and broader age diversity, indicating a shift towards multi-country careers.

European Economic Area (EEA) unit-linked personal pension products generated average returns of 9.6% in 2024, according to new analysis from the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), published in Apriol 2026. The authority’s Costs and Past Performance Report examined 1,677 pension products across the EEA, revealing significant performance variations by product type and geography. Over the five-year period from 2020-2024, unit-linked personal pension products delivered annualized net returns

According to the latest estimates published in April 2026 in the OECD Main Science and Technology Indicators, research and development investment across OECD countries in 2024 maintained steady 2.6% growth (inflation-adjusted), even as government R&D budgets tightened and shifted toward defense priorities. The United States led major economies with 3.4% R&D growth, while the European Union managed just 0.4% expansion. Germany, Europe’s economic powerhouse, saw R&D spending decline by

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in April 2026 downgraded global economic projections to 2.9% growth in 2026 and 3.0% in 2027, citing energy supply disruptions from Middle East conflict as the primary drag on previously robust expansion. While the global economy entered 2026 with solid momentum from technology production and reduced US trade tariffs, energy price shocks are now creating significant headwinds. The organization warns that

AXA Health International in March 2026 announced it had partnered with Alliance Insurance Corporation Limited and MIC Global Risks to launch its Global Executive Health Plan in Tanzania, marking a strategic expansion across Africa’s growing markets. The collaboration positions AXA as the international healthcare administrator and global network provider, while MIC Global Risks serves as exclusive distributor and Alliance Insurance acts as the licensed local insurer. This structure ensures

Harriet Taylor in March 2026 was appointed as the new Head of Zurich Global Employee Benefits Solutions (ZGEBS). With more than 20 years of experience at Zurich Insurance in global proposition and underwriting roles, she brings deep expertise and strong relationships across markets, customers, and partners. Harriet has been a key contributor to the global business, helping strengthen Zurich’s global employee benefits offering and supporting multinationals in delivering employee

US life and health insurance impairments fell by half in 2024, with only five companies experiencing financial distress compared to 10 in 2023, according to AM Best research published in March 2026. The sharp decline marks a significant improvement for industry stability, though recent impairments continue to stem from troubled affiliate relationships. Three of 2024’s five impairments involved a Connecticut life insurer and its two captive reinsurance subsidiaries, all

Private market exits more than doubled in value to $484 billion in 2025, signaling a dramatic but selective recovery driven by mega-deals and breakthrough sectors, according to Deloitte’s latest quarterly report published in March 2026. The growth concentrated heavily in large transactions, particularly among venture capital unicorns where median exit values jumped over 200%. Artificial intelligence led sectoral performance with exit values soaring 225% year-over-year, while the number of

CEOs who maintain or accelerate strategic investments during uncertain times create lasting competitive advantages while competitors freeze, according to new research from PwC’s CEO survey published in March 2026. The study reveals that companies succeeding in today’s volatile environment are abandoning traditional sector boundaries in favor of human needs-based ecosystems around mobility, nutrition, housing, and healthcare. These forward-thinking organizations have been exploring new domains for five years and are

Strategic maturity remains the strongest predictor of success for internal communication teams, with well-socialized strategies helping organizations reduce risk and exceed performance targets, according to Gallagher’s 2026 Employee Communications Report, published in March 2026. The study of over 1,300 communications and HR professionals across 40 countries reveals a widening “Readiness Gap” between organizational needs and current capabilities. Organizations with high communication volumes experience a 30% jump in leadership trust

The OECD and UN Statistics Division in March 2026 released comprehensive new data revealing that the world’s 500 largest multinational enterprises are increasingly concentrated in the Americas and Europe, which together account for 74% of MNE headquarters and revenue compared to just 24% in Asia. The enhanced Multinational Enterprise Information Platform (MEIP) now includes employee, revenue, net profit and R&D data for the first time, using AI tools to

Dutch financial services firm Achmea in March 2026 announced it posted a 7% increase in operational results to €938 million in 2025, even as its core Pension & Life Netherlands division saw profits drop 25% to €282 million. The pension unit’s decline stemmed partly from provision harmonization related to Achmea’s strategic partnership with Lifetri. However, the broader business benefited from significant premium growth, jumping from €648 million to €2.17

A new study by Gallagher, published in March 2026, of over 1,300 communications and HR professionals reveals a widening “Readiness Gap” between where organizations are and where they need to be to maximize performance in today’s volatile business environment. Gallagher’s 2026 Employee Communications Report, based on their 18th annual State of the Sector survey, identifies four critical priorities for communications teams: clarity and direction, workforce readiness, operational enablement, and

Generali CARE in March 2026 appointed Wendy Liu as CEO Global Benefits and Partnerships, where she will oversee the company’s employee benefits and B2B2C businesses. Liu brings over 20 years of international insurance experience, including nearly a decade at Willis Towers Watson in benefits consulting and most recently serving as CEO of Zurich Integrated Benefits and International Life from 2011 to 2026. In her new role, she will oversee

In Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, unemployment remained stable at 5.0% in January 2026, maintaining levels at or below this threshold since April 2022, according to data published in March 2026. Of the 33 OECD countries with available data, 18 saw unemployment rates unchanged from December 2025, while 11 experienced decreases and four countries—Colombia, Denmark, Norway, and Turkey—posted increases. Notable developments include Spain’s unemployment rate dropping

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in March 2026 published new data on inflation, which fell to 3.3% in January 2026 from 3.6% in December 2025, but consumer prices remain 35.6% higher than pre-pandemic levels from December 2019. The decline was broad-based across the OECD region, with 22 of 35 countries reporting lower inflation rates. The number of OECD countries with inflation at or below 2% increased

According to new data published in March 2026 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), G20 GDP growth decelerated to 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 0.9% in the previous quarter, according to preliminary estimates. The slowdown was driven by contractions in Canada and South Korea, both falling 0.2% after posting growth of 0.6% and 1.3% respectively in Q3. The United States saw growth

Laurent Nihoul, CEO of the Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA), in March 2026 was appointed vice-president of the International Federation of Risk and Insurance Management Associations (Ifrima). Nihoul, who assumed the FERMA CEO role from Typhaine Beaupérin last year, brings nearly three decades of experience spanning insurance, reinsurance, enterprise risk management, underwriting and risk financing. He succeeds former FERMA president Charlotte Hedemark Hancke in the IFRIMA vice-president

The adoption of AI in captive operations is a rapidly evolving topic, with AI tools advancing at a rapid pace: a major development every six months, while adoption rates vary greatly not only from one industry to another, but also between competitors within the same industry. It is therefore useful to take stock of the adoption of AI by captives and their managers in the first quarter of 2026.