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 […]
The volatile global conditions of the last four years have culminated in a looming economic downturn, impacting defined contribution pension plan sponsors and members alike. On Oct. 3 at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto, the 2024 DC Investment Forum highlighted the various tools and strategies that can help plan sponsors navigate turbulent economic waters […]
Rising food, energy and housing prices aren’t just pocketbook issues for consumers or election fodder for politicians, they’re also social risk factors, indicators of a country’s economic health and highly important to bond investors, said Reina Berlien, head of environmental, social and governance at Brandywine Global Investment Management. While ESG factors may not seem important […]
The rapid rise in the cost of living in 2022 and into 2023 underscored the need for target-date funds to not just protect against standard inflation, but inflation shocks as well. The problem that presents is the more inflation protection that’s added into a portfolio, the lower the returns, said Nick Nefouse, managing director, global […]
The average Canadian defined benefit pension plan returned 5.1 per cent during the third quarter of 2024, an increase from 1.1 per cent in the previous quarter, according to a new report by RBC Investor Services. It found Canadian DB plans achieved an average return of 9.6 per cent on a year-to-date basis. The growth […]
Anti-market sentiment in the U.S. is gaining momentum with both Democrats and Republicans, according to David Frum, a writer at The Atlantic, during the keynote session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Risk Management Conference. The latest election cycle is showing voters are interested in how an economic idea is presented and by the type […]
A quarter (24 per cent) of U.S. employees who are in a caregiving role for both a child and dependent adult are more likely to say they want to leave their current job, according to a new survey by Principal Financial Group. The survey, which polled 500 employers and 500 employees, found 22 per cent […]
An acceleration of significant weather events are impacting the risk premium earned from insurance-linked securities, providing a significant inflation hedge for institutional investors, says Bernard Van der Stichele, senior portfolio manager of insurance-linked securities at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. “ILS investments earn a risk premium that is directly proportional to the level of risk […]
From 2016 to 2024, fewer plan members are confident they’ve saved enough for retirement. Indeed, Benefits Canada’s 2024 CAP Member Survey found plan members’ optimism that their retirement is on track declined to 56 per cent from 63 per cent in 2022, while three-quarters (73 per cent) said they’re worried they won’t have enough saved […]
Just two-fifths (42 per cent) of U.S. employees say they feel highly confident they’re on track to save what they need in retirement, according to a new survey by LiveCareer. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 U.S. workers, found six in 10 said they fear retirement more than death (61 per cent) or the idea […]