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We examine whether an individual's inability to save in the last 12 months affects the extent to which they are concerned about their future financial security and their propensity to plan for retirement. We use an original survey based upon representative samples of working individuals in 16 countries. We show that individuals who were unable to save over the 12-month period prior to the survey are less likely to consider well-being in retirement as their major financial concern. They are also less likely to invest in supplementary pension funds than those who were able to accumulate savings. We provide evidence that these findings are robust under several specifications and are mediated by respondents' perceived income prospects and assessment of their current financial situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ESG metrics are increasingly important in the global investment management industry. Why this came to pass given the limited appetite for responsible investing in the industry is the subject of this paper. Although the business case for ESG provides an explanation for its increasing uptake whereby market actors are increasingly convinced of the merits of ESG as a profit centre, this explanation is insufficient. By contrast, the adoption the ESG programme offers a means of rewriting the terms of risk management and value creation that while grounded in the business case also serve to address challenges to the legitimacy of the global asset management industry. These developments are illustrated in a case study of the establishment and growth of TruCost and its purchase by S&P Global in 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian superannuation industry has grown enormously over the past 30 years. Whereas working people are automatically enrolled at their workplaces, the head offices of many industry funds are in Melbourne rather than Sydney. Melbourne's dominance of the superannuation industry is explained, in part, by happenstance—the location of major unions and employer groups and their initiatives in response to the enabling legislation. Other factors identified include opportunism, cooperation, and the advantages of growth. Government‐prompted mergers and acquisitions have also reinforced the dominance of Melbourne, notwithstanding attempts by Sydney‐based superannuation funds to out‐compete their Melbourne rivals. Whereas the geographical bifurcation of the Australian superannuation industry has been mediated by the formation of a Queensland‐based superfund "champion," it is suggested that it faces numerous challenges. In conclusion, avenues for future research are sketched, focusing upon the future of Melbourne as the centre of the superannuation industry, the role of digital platforms in service delivery, pension adequacy, and the increasing importance of Australian funds in global financial markets. This is one of the first academic paper in the field of economic and financial geography to document and explain the growth and significance of Melbourne as the dominant superannuation centre in the Australian financial industry. It has far‐reaching implications for understanding the Australian landscape of finance with implications for policy, welfare, and geographical theory. Its explanation of the rise of Melbourne combines happenstance with core concepts of spatial differentiation anchored in contemporary economic geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]