The effects of investment regulations on pension funds performance in Brazil

Challenges faced by pension funds today include steady increases in life expectancy, frequent changes in the accounting rules, low interest rates and poor equity market returns. It is possible to tackle the difficulties encountered by pension funds not only by raising contributions and/or reducing benefits, but also by improving the way in which pension funds invest. In spite of some changes in the past few years, Brazilian pension funds investment management remains subject to strict constraints. The findings of this study, carried out in 2007, suggest that, even though the results of conducted tests deny, to some extent, the need for further adjustments in investment regulations, concluding this way would not be accurate. There are, in fact, strong reasons to believe that the high interest rates environment experienced over the last years contaminated these results. Furthermore, with a clear downward trend in interest rates, it is possible to imply that, if nothing is done, pension funds will lack flexibility when they need it the most.