The Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan generated net returns of 5.56 per cent during its latest fiscal year, which ended on March 31, 2022. According to its annual report, the PSSP, a defined benefit pension plan for 41,000 current and former public sector employees in Nova Scotia, saw the value of its assets rise […]
A new report is urging pension plan sponsors and other institutional investors to ensure the resilience of their portfolios in a number of different inflationary scenarios. The report from Mercer argued inflation rises spurred by the coronavirus pandemic and widespread monetary easing are balanced by several disinflationary forces, like globalization. Geopolitical tensions, however, could upset […]
As a member of the Southern Africa Committee, a group that organized international pressure on South Africa’s apartheid regime, Joe Clark learned the value of keeping embassies open. “If you shut your embassy down, you’re taking away your own ears, your own vision,” said the former prime minister of Canada, speaking during the keynote session […]
Canada’s pension plans are well positioned to succeed in a high inflation environment though stagflation remains a significant threat, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings. “The maturing nature of participant bases increases pension funds’ reliance on investment returns, as contributions and income from active members may be outpaced by benefits paid to a […]
While politics plays a role in most investment decisions, it tends to arise on a fairly localized basis, says Michael Craig, head of the asset allocation and derivatives teams at TD Asset Management Inc. In addition, its prominence as a factor usually rises and falls on a cycle, slipping easily off investors’ radar in times […]
The majority of institutional investors believe the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be the catalyst of a period of high inflation and low employment around the globe, according to new survey by London-based CoreData Research. The survey, which polled 200 global institutional investors, found about a fifth (18 per cent) of respondents believe the invasion […]
The announcement of a new multi-employer pension plan for Canadian physicians was the most read story over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. New multi-employer pension plan coming for incorporated physicians 2. Employees want flexible working, better benefits to return to workplace: survey 3. After a strong 2021, […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan generated an 11.28 per cent return in 2021, led by its public and private equity portfolios. “It was a strong year — we had a return of 11.28 per cent and hit an all-time high for our assets,” says Jeff Wendling, the pension fund’s president and chief executive officer. […]
The second year of the coronavirus pandemic offered defined benefit pension plan sponsors a reprieve from the chaos sown in financial markets during its first year. “A lot of pension plans ended up roughly where they started in 2020, but it was a very bumpy road,” says Gavin Benjamin, a retirement and financial solutions partner […]
In response to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Alberta Investment Management Corp. and the British Columbia Investment Management Corp. are divesting from Russian assets. “As Alberta’s investment manager, this decision is both values- and value-driven,” said a press release. “It reflects a change in the price of geopolitical risk and sustained impairment […]