In the fourth industrial revolution, technology is changing at a fast pace with a rolling effect on various industries. It’s also changing how people work, spend their money and save, said Jean-Philippe Provost, senior partner and wealth business leader at Mercer Canada. At the consultancy’s annual retirement outlook event on Thursday, Provost walked through current practices in the Canadian […]
Many defined benefit plans’ funded statuses are in relatively good territory, but with an uncertain investment atmosphere on the horizon, is now a good time for plans to consider taking risk off the table by purchasing an annuity? And for plans looking to de-risk in the future, what considerations are there from an investment perspective? […]
Saskatchewan will soon be the latest jurisdiction to adopt an enhanced priority for deemed trusts created by its pension benefits legislation. The Pension Benefits Act establishes a deemed trust for amounts contributed by both employers and employees. Bill 151, which amends the province’s Personal Property Security Act, will create a super-priority for these trusts when […]
The Shareholder Association for Education and Research is calling on federal policymakers to adopt measures to protect workers’ retirement savings. In a letter to the federal government, the Vancouver-based, responsible investment organization suggested amending bankruptcy law to provide courts with the power to set aside executive and director bonuses and compensation increases where a company with unfunded […]
The Canadian government is “thinking outside of the box” with its proposal to extend the Bank of Canada’s program on dormant bank accounts to include unclaimed pension plans, says Kathy Bush, interim vice-chair of the national policy committee at the Association for Canadian Pension Management. Last June, the government launched consultations around whether it should tax and reduce interest paid to unclaimed pensions […]
The Corporation of the City of York Employee Pension Plan officially transferred the management of its assets and liabilities to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System plan last week, as part of a broader initiative to transfer four pre-OMERS plans from the City of Toronto to OMERS. The City of York plan was closed to […]
On Dec. 10 in Toronto, the Defined Benefit Investment Forum looked at the top challenges plan sponsors face in managing DB plans, and the investment tools and solutions that can help. Here are some of the highlights of the sessions: Economist doesn’t think recession is looming In a world of volatility, with markets driven by […]
In a world of volatility, with markets driven by trade wars, Trump tweets and talk of a potential recession on its way, Scotiabank vice-president and deputy chief economist is shining a light of optimism. “A slight slowing in growth is a very distinct thing from a recession,” said Brett House, speaking at the 2018 Defined […]
The complicated relationship between real estate and interest rates makes it important to know the role different types of properties play in a portfolio and to use public real estate for liquidity to keep a focus on core property, said Derek Warren, vice-president at Lincluden Investment Management. Speaking during a session at the 2018 Defined […]
While active managers outperform in some situations and not in others, when using active management, what characteristics can pension plans look for to stay on the outperforming side of the equation? Using an “active investing triad” — be patient, be different and be aligned — can help find managers that outperform, said Douglas Schein, managing […]