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Latest news in Investment Strategies

Options for small plans to invest like the big pension funds

Options for small plans to invest like the big pension funds

For some investors, tradition isn’t cutting it anymore. Rock-bottom interest rates are squeezing fixed-income returns, and the need to diversify through sturdy, lower-risk assets is…

ESG ventures ‘jeopardizing’ performance of California pension fund: think tank

ESG ventures ‘jeopardizing’ performance of California pension fund: think tank

Politically motivated investments in environmental, social and governance ventures are a key factor in the underperformance of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, according to…

Bâtirente raises assets in energy transition with $15M investment in green bond fund

Bâtirente raises assets in energy transition with $15M investment in green bond fund

Quebec-based pension fund Bâtirente is investing $15 million towards the creation of a green bond fund to be set up and managed by its partner AlphaFixe Capital Inc.…

  • By: Staff
  • December 8, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 10:15
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Desjardins goes carbon neutral

Company takes steps to address climate change

  • December 7, 2017 January 20, 2021
  • 13:43
Aligning investor, asset manager interests in the pursuit of long-term investment success

Aligning investor, asset manager interests in the pursuit of long-term investment success

While contracts between institutional investors and asset managers can inadvertently encourage short-term investment decisions, a new report by FCLT Global is recommending nine key areas…

  • By: Staff
  • December 6, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:20
Institutional investors expect volatility spike in 2018

Institutional investors expect volatility spike in 2018

The majority of global institutional investors anticipate 2018 will be a year of increasing volatility in both the bond (70 per cent) and stock (78 per…

Why the investment industry needs to reconsider how it measures success

Why the investment industry needs to reconsider how it measures success

Investors make decisions every day about how to allocate the monies entrusted to them, including choices which asset classes, which markets and which managers to…

  • November 28, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:30
CPPIB head worried about expensive assets, stretched market valuations

CPPIB head worried about expensive assets, stretched market valuations

Despite the political noise around the globe, underlying economies are in pretty good shape and virtually every asset class is seeing high prices, according to the…

Why more group retirement plans are including passive investments

It’s no secret that passive investments, such as exchange-traded and indexed funds, have become more popular with investors over the past 10 years. Such funds require…

  • November 20, 2017 January 20, 2021
  • 16:12

Populism and portfolio management

Dealing with political risk in the time of Trump.

Conference coverage: 2017 DC Investment Forum

Conference coverage: 2017 DC Investment Forum

How can plan sponsors encourage their employees to make better investment decisions? And how can they ensure plan members can retire with adequate income? Those…

  • By: Staff
  • October 25, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 12:01
Employers encouraged to focus on the entry, exit points of DC plans

Employers encouraged to focus on the entry, exit points of DC plans

Plan sponsors should focus on the entry and exit points of their defined contribution pension plans as the world grapples with an era of lower…

Maple bonds among Canadian fixed-income opportunities in challenging market

Maple bonds among Canadian fixed-income opportunities in challenging market

Amid continued uncertainty, investors are branching out from the traditional Canadian bond market in search of yield and diversification. Although two consecutive interest rate hikes…

Leveraging technology to help plan members grasp the other side of the retirement equation

Leveraging technology to help plan members grasp the other side of the retirement equation

Technology will be the key to helping individuals make better retirement decisions in a world dominated by defined contribution pensions. That was a key message…

Plan sponsors urged to consider key distinctions between DB, DC plans

Plan sponsors urged to consider key distinctions between DB, DC plans

Employers should tread carefully before embracing more complex investment options for their defined contribution plans, according to a speaker at the recent Defined Contribution Investment…

Challenging the rules of thumb: Taking CPP early, the value of annuitizing and saving 10%

Challenging the rules of thumb: Taking CPP early, the value of annuitizing and saving 10%

Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald wants to challenge the many rules of thumb she says are misleading and potentially harmful when it comes to retirement security. MacDonald, a…

How plan sponsors can set members up for retirement success

How plan sponsors can set members up for retirement success

Automatic solutions in plan design can help fiduciaries to fulfil their obligations to defined contribution plan members, according to Ruthann Pritchard, an institutional portfolio manager…

What braised duck says about global equity opportunities

What braised duck says about global equity opportunities

Jason White wants to see Canadians getting a healthier dose of braised duck in their investment diets. White, a portfolio specialist in the equity division…

Sounding Board: Is low volatility a harbinger of doom or business as usual?

Sounding Board: Is low volatility a harbinger of doom or business as usual?

At an index level, equity volatility in developed markets has reached record lows in 2017. In the U.S. options market, the Chicago Board Options Exchange volatility…

  • By: Arne Staal
  • October 24, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 08:40
Time to rethink the 4% retirement withdrawal rate?

Time to rethink the 4% retirement withdrawal rate?

For those who use the standard four per cent withdrawal rate for retirement savings, it’s time to reconsider the approach. “The four per cent withdrawal rate has…

Caisse seeks 50% boost to low-carbon investment under new green-focused strategy

Caisse seeks 50% boost to low-carbon investment under new green-focused strategy

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec will now be factoring climate change into every investment decision it makes, setting out targets and actions…

  • By: Staff
  • October 18, 2017 September 13, 2019
  • 15:00
How Bâtirente takes ESG reporting to the next level

How Bâtirente takes ESG reporting to the next level

As pension plans grapple with what to do about environmental, social and governance factors, Quebec-based fund Bâtirente offers some guidance on the options available. It…

Private debt touted as de-risking alternative to annuities

Private debt touted as de-risking alternative to annuities

As pension plans move into better solvency positions this year, should they be lowering their risks by purchasing an annuity or looking at investment strategies…

The pros and cons of refundable investment fees

The pros and cons of refundable investment fees

Amidst all of the talk about transparency in the investment industry, the dialogue around refundable fees has been on the quiet side. Also known as…

New PSP team aims to ‘integrate ESG’ in all investment decisions

New PSP team aims to ‘integrate ESG’ in all investment decisions

The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is making a new foray into corporate stewardship by releasing its first responsible investment report. The report outlines several…