A resolution passed by the trustees of the Florida State Board of Administration with the approval of Governor Ron DeSantis is barring state pension fund managers from making fiduciary decisions based on environmental, social and governance criteria. “As used in this section, ‘pecuniary factor’ means a factor that the board prudently determines is expected to […]
Proposed amendments to U.K. pension regulations could lead to the extinction of smaller defined benefit plans within 15 years, according to Charles Cowling, chief actuary at Mercer. “The potential impact of these new regulations would be significant and dramatic,” he said in a press release. “The draft proposals would force the sale of £500 billion […]
The Department of Finance’s proposals relating to the Income Tax Act, sales tax and other legislation adds complexity where compliance is already extremely challenging for pension plan administrators, according to Greg Hurst, managing director of Greg Hurst & Associates. In the legislative proposals, published earlier this month, the government released explanatory notes in relation to […]
An article on HSBC Bank Canada’s new benefits offerings was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. HSBC adding coverage for fertility treatments, surrogacy, gender affirmation 2. Employee placed on unpaid leave over mask refusal not entitled to reasonable notice: Alberta court 3. LifeWorks acquiring […]
The projected solvency ratio of Ontario’s defined benefit pension plans declined in the second quarter of 2022, according to a new report by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. In its quarterly report, the FSRA found the median projected solvency ratio reached 110 per cent on June 30, 2022, down two per cent from […]
While the latest stage of the coronavirus pandemic is heralding a gradual return to relative calm, plan sponsors are stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire. The pandemic accelerated the ongoing evolution in the relationship between plan sponsors and plan members, with employees now looking to their employers to help them manage […]
While institutional investors are no strangers to established markets such as Europe and the U.S., the world’s emerging and frontier markets can provide diversification and opportunities for lucrative returns. Not surprisingly, events such as the coronavirus pandemic and a shifting geopolitical landscape are influencing these decisions in 2022 and beyond. In recent months, Russia’s invasion […]
With the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz Co., Kraft Heinz Canada was left with a “mixed bag” of savings and retirement programs. It’s goal for a new streamlined program was a mandatory base plan and a voluntary component with 100 per cent employee participation. “It was important for us to come together […]
Providing tools to help defined contribution pension plan members make solid financial decisions rather than making the decisions for them was the impetus for Canadian Forest Products Inc.’s multi-year financial wellness program, according to Lisa Weber, the company’s pension and benefits advisor, during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC Plan Summit. Since Canfor closed […]
The Pension Regulator, the U.K. government body that oversees defined benefit pension plans, is calling on plan sponsors to help advance a three-pronged strategy to fight pension fraud. “Over many years, we have worked to prevent savers’ losses and put fraudsters in prison: running large-scale public awareness campaigns, leading a multi-agency response to the threat […]