As Asia’s retirement pension funds evaluate the funding status for the many approaching their golden years, alternative investments offer diversification and returns. Major pension funds in Asia have been diversifying further into alternatives, driven by the need to deliver solid returns and combat inflationary pressures as they face a looming underfunding crisis.

However, nearly 41% of Asian pensions surveyed by Cerulli cite a “limited understanding” of alternatives, while one-third say they lack in-house expertise when investing in alternatives. This creates an opportunity for asset managers to step in to provide their expertise.

While it will likely take many more decades for Asian pensions to build sufficient in-house expertise in the area, managers seeking to win alternatives mandates from Asian pension funds should be able to source suitable deals, demonstrate a strong track record in specific alternative asset classes, and share knowledge with their clients.

To learn more, access The Cerulli Report—Asian Retirement Markets 2023: Building Security Against Uncertainty. Explore key aspects of the retirement industry, including its current state across the three pillars, market sizing, investment behavior, strategies and allocation plans, outsourcing practices, distribution strategies, and product development.