First published in 1992, this book explains how pension funds work in order to highlight their impact on the economy as a whole. David Blake explores the different systems in operation at the time of writing, both state run and private sector, and describes policy initiatives such as personal pension schemes. Longer life-expectancy, overseas investment, equal opportunities and short-termism in capital markets are among the issues discussed as David Blake assesses how pension funds typically behave. This is a title of continued relevance, which addresses the questions repeatedly raised within government and wider society.


First published in 1992, this title conducts an in-depth examination of the investment behaviour of pension funds, presenting the first econometric model in this area. Using the well-established framework of modern portfolio theory, David Blake derives a model of optimal portfolio behaviour that explains pension fund asset holdings in terms of the most important macroeconomic and cyclical indicators. He shows how factors such as industry profitability, the balance of payments and the monetary and fiscal policies of the government influence pension fund investments. Broad in scope, this reissue will be of particular value to students and academics with an interest in econometrics, investment analysis and the pension fund industry.