For the first time in three years, Canadian defined contribution pension plan sponsors, investment professionals and industry thought leaders gathered in person for Benefits Canada’s 2022 DC Investment Forum. On Sept. 23 at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, the full educational day covered topics such as behavioural finance, target-date funds, sustainable investing, real estate and fixed income, […]
When defined contribution plan sponsors conduct due diligence on target-date fund providers, they’re often considering questions of active versus passively managed funds, the benefits of glide paths that glide to versus through retirement, strategic versus tactical funds and a provider’s approach to environmental, social and governance investing. But according to Sarah Donahue, director of consultant […]
While real estate has long been a part of defined benefit pension plans’ asset allocations, its inclusion in investment portfolios has steadily climbed in recent years. But defined contribution plan sponsors and members also stand to benefit from the asset class’ inflation-hedging properties, as well as its ability to boost income and improve portfolio diversification. Pension […]
Rising interest rates and market turmoil have called into question the ability of core fixed income to provide pension plan sponsors with its traditional benefits of stable returns and income, diversification and capital preservation. But Kevin Minas, vice-president and client portfolio manager of global fixed income at CIBC Asset Management Inc., said he actually expects […]
An article on the lack of benefits provided by small- and medium-sized employers in Eastern Canada was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. 80% of SMEs in Eastern Canada don’t provide employee benefits: survey 2. Bank of England intervened in bond market to […]
While defined contribution pension plans currently outnumber defined benefit pension plans, this wasn’t always the case, recalls Bita Jenab, a principal at RetirementWorks Services Inc. DC plans began to gain popularity in the mid-1980s, due to a combination of legislative and economic changes, she adds. “This period marks the introduction of pension accounting rules under […]
As a fresh-faced elementary school student in 1977, Aaron Bennett wasn’t quite in the target demographic for the freshly launched Benefits Canada magazine. Still, Bennett — now the chief investment officer at Ontario’s University Pension Plan — has a pretty firm grasp on the concerns that would have occupied the minds of his predecessors as […]
The Adirondack 46ers isn’t for the faint of heart — joining the club requires hiking 250 kilometres to reach the top of the 46 highest peaks in New York state. “What did it take? Perseverance, training and an ability to remain focused on an objective that is far away,” says François Quinty, director of investment […]
The use of leverage by U.K. defined benefit pension plans with liability-driven investment strategies left them vulnerable to a sharp rise in bond yields in September, says Erwan Pirou, Canada chief investment officer of wealth solutions at Aon. “Many plans in the U.K. are using leverage in their LDI strategies . . . to reduce […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is financing part of a renewable energy project in Japan. The investment organization is investing about $90 million in a green bond released by Vena Energy Ltd. The green bond’s proceeds will be used to finance a solar power project on Honshu, Japan’s largest and most populous […]