As a financial institution that provides banking and wealth management services to customers, Meridian Credit Union ensures it also offers employees a comprehensive suite of services to support their financial wellness. This includes a defined contribution pension in which staff contribute a mandatory three per cent of annual earnings, with the employer contributing between three […]
While an arduous U.S. presidential election cycle may have created some market volatility, any uncertainties among Canadian institutional investors may begin to wane following Donald Trump’s election as the 47th U.S. president on Wednesday, says Ian Riach, senior vice-president and portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions. “Economics tend to trump politics . . . . […]
Central banks are achieving a successful soft landing strategy after concerning periods of high inflation following the coronavirus pandemic, said Douglas Porter, chief economist and managing director at BMO Financial Group, during the keynote session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum in June. Inflation is receding from dangerous highs to […]
In volatile market environments, adding real assets to defined contribution pension plan portfolios has the ability to provide diversification benefits and give members a “much smoother ride” to retirement, according to Andrew Knox, managing director of the Franklin global real asset fund at Franklin Templeton Investments. Speaking during Benefits Canada’s 2023 DC Investment Forum in […]
A tight labour market will have to loosen up in order to help reduce inflation rates, said Ilan Kolet, institutional portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Risk Management Conference. In 2022, inflation severely impacted the dynamic between stocks and bonds leading to a painful year, he said. “[Inflation] increases the correlation between […]
The U.S. political roadmap ahead may present new challenges for institutional investors, according to Charles Myers, chairman of Signum Global Advisors, speaking during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Risk Management Conference. He expects the upcoming presidential election will be marked by three key issues: women’s reproductive rights, the economy and “the Trump of […]
“Let me start by pointing out the obvious: the last few years have been exhausting,” said Mina Krishnan, multi-asset portfolio manager at Schroders, during a session on regime shifts at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2023 Global Investment Conference. “We’ve had the [coronavirus] pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and Brexit.” As a result […]
At the best of times, selecting an optimal asset mix for a defined benefit pension plan is challenging. The times of today are downright turbulent. Last year, inflation reached 8.1 per cent in Canada as a result of a prolonged period of government stimulus spending to manage the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. In response […]
The median solvency ratio of Canadian defined benefit pension plans rose during the first quarter of 2023, from 113 per cent at the beginning of the year to 116 per cent at the end of March, according to Mercer’s latest pension health pulse. The measure, which tracks the median solvency ratio of the DB plans […]
The venture capital arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan anticipates that a slowing global economy, interest rate hikes and limited funding opportunities will drive private equity valuations down by as much as 10 per cent in 2023, according to a new report. “So far, 2023 looks set to be another challenging year: the global […]