Promising vaccine and coronavirus treatment news, coupled with the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden, has given markets a glimmer of certainty and optimism this…
For almost a year now, federal and provincial pension regulators have been busily trying to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Regulators have never…
The Desjardins Group pension plan faced a reckoning following the 2008/09 financial crisis: its assets were down 40 per cent and it was watching other…
When CGI Group Inc. launched its mental-health and wellness program six years ago, its primary focus was on education and reducing stigma. Since then, the…
Defined benefit pension plans naturally carry a number of risks, from fluctuating interest rates and investments to the lifespan of their plan members. To mitigate…
The term cryptocurrency may evoke a number of different images, from lightning-fast computers fuelling get-rich-quick schemes to shady rooms where hackers plot multi-million dollar digital…
The university’s mental-health co-ordinator, discusses employee well-being, the ‘new normal’ and figure skating. Q. What top challenges do you face in your role? A. People…
The federal government, the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and its partners, the Warehouse Union Canada, and the Ending Violence Association of B.C., are launching a comprehensive…
Navacord Corp. is further expanding its group benefits business by acquiring Penmore Benefits Inc. A division of The Penmore Group, Concord, Ont.-based Penmore Benefits Inc., provides…
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is continuing its investment partnership with MacKinnon, Bennett & Company Inc. in the form of a new…
Despite market uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and a turbulent U.S. presidential election cycle, Canadian defined benefit pension plans ended the year with near…
While workplaces around the world deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many employees are also struggling with the secondary crisis of increased alcohol and drug…
Halifax-based Luedey Consultants Inc., a boutique benefits consulting firm, is merging with Sterling Capital Brokers Ltd., an independent benefit consulting firm specializing in servicing high-growth,…
Despite market uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic and a turbulent U.S. presidential election cycle, Canadian defined benefit pension plans ended the year with near…
The Alberta Teachers’ Association says it’s taking legal action against a ministerial order enacted on several pension plans in the province in late December. In…
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is entering a $700-million joint venture investing in single-family rentals in the U.S. The new venture with Pretium Partners…
Putting U.S.–China relations back on a constructive path will be one of the top foreign policy challenges facing the Biden administration in 2021. I expect…
Small-balance credit—a subset of alternative credit gaining traction in the United States as fintech makes modest consumer and business loans more investable—could be a yield…
In many private equity asset classes, managers typically deploy most of their capital in a particular investment on day one. While they may increase or…
Anyone flipping through a prospectus for an employer’s defined contribution pension plan or group registered retirement savings plan will notice a recurring theme when it…
After years of relatively stable appreciation in global fixed-income and equity markets, investors were thrust into dramatic turbulence in the first quarter of 2020, as…
Defined benefit plan sponsors are undoubtedly familiar with scenario risk analysis, but applying that concept to their portfolio’s climate risk is a whole new ballgame.…
Central banks slowing their quantitative easing policies and economic improvements off the back of wide-scale vaccination efforts should both provide bond yields with a modest…
We won’t soon forget 2020. This tumultuous year was characterized by a global pandemic, lockdowns around the world, spiking unemployment levels and business failures. Increasing…
Many defined contribution pension plans contain a built-in contradiction. During accumulation, they offer an array of investment choices — sometimes too many. In decumulation, by…