While no one can know for certain if inflation is coming bank, David Zanutto, senior investment consultant at Mercer, says that the risks of inflation moving higher have increased. He points particularly to low levels of unemployment, which could translate to wage growth and higher inflation. Other factors that could lead to higher inflation include […]
U.S.-based brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is acquiring Canadian benefits, retirement and compensation consulting firm Accompass Inc. The acquisition will provided the Toronto-based consultancy with Gallagher’s tools and resources, noted a press release. For Gallagher, the move will facilitate the expansion of its business capabilities in Canada. Sarah Beech, president of Accompass, will continue to lead the Accompass team. […]
In its 2018 budget, the federal government created an advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare, led by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins. The council, which solicited submissions from Canadians between June and September, is expected to release its final report in the spring. Whatever the report recommends, Canada is closer to a […]
Increasing exposure to less liquid, alternative assets like infrastructure, real estate and private equity hasn’t created difficulty for Canadian pensions in repaying creditors, according to a report by Moody’s Corp. As pension portfolios have increased their allocations to alternatives, with these assets now making up close to 40 per cent of Canadian plan’s investments, concerns around liquidity […]
Increasing exposure to less liquid, alternative assets like infrastructure, real estate and private equity hasn’t created difficulty for Canadian pensions in repaying creditors, according to a report by Moody’s Corp. As pension portfolios have increased their allocations to alternatives, with these assets now making up close to 40 per cent of Canadian plan’s investments, concerns around liquidity […]
A large majority (89 per cent) of employers cited a better control of health-care spending as the top reason for having workplace medical clinics, according to a new survey by Mercer and the National Association of Worksite Health Centers. The survey, which queried 121 U.S. employers offering onsite or near-site medical clinics, found 84 per cent of […]
Tension between pension adequacy and sustainability is growing across the world, according to the annual Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index. The Netherlands and Denmark have the best global pension systems, with scores of 80.3 and 80.2, respectively, and both achieving A grades. They scored highly on adequacy and sustainability, while other European countries, such as Austria, […]
Marijuana. Cannabis. Pot. Weed. Bud. Grass. Reefer. Kush. Mary Jane. Ganja. Doobie. Trees. No matter what you call it, marijuana is dominating the Canadian news cycle in 2018. And I think it’s about time. At Benefits Canada, it’s cropping up in every area we cover, including how employers can add medical marijuana coverage into their […]
The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System has appointed Enrico Persicone as manager of pension policy. Previously, Persicone worked as a senior manager for BMO Canada’s pension program for it’s own employees, specializing in risk, policy, financial impacts and administration. He was also a senior tax associate in Ernst & Young’s talent and reward group. And he began his career in […]
In the third quarter of 2018, Canadian defined benefit pension plans reached their highest solvency ratio of any quarter since November 2000, according to Mercer’s latest pension health index. Representing a hypothetical plan, the index reached a 112 per cent solvency level as of Sept. 28, 2018, up from 107 per cent at the ned of […]