Private savings for retirement, in the form of pensions, play an important role in most OECD countries. Given the scale of assets managed, these funds constitute a major institutional investor. The aim of this article is to present the financial behaviour of pension funds in these countries. A comparative analysis is thus provided of the volume, portfolio structure and performance of pension funds in 13 OECD countries. Given its specificity, the article concentrates especially on the United Kingdom.
