Japan looks to lift ban on advice for defined-contribution pensions

FinanceGovernment hopes to nudge risk-shy investors toward inflation-beating productsThe number of individual defined contribution pension accounts in Japan swelled 15-fold over a decade to 4 million at the end of March. (Photo by Yuji Murakami)MAYUNE HOTTA and JUNTARO ARAIJuly 25, 2026 02:19 JSTTOKYO -- Japan plans to start allowing financial institutions to recommend investment products to participants in individual defined-contribution (iDeCo) pension plans, in an effort to spur a shift away from assets that, while safe, offer returns too low to outpace inflation.